I am starting my Walthers roundhouse kit and have a question on what is the best type of glue to use on the long 1/8" thick base sections. I use liquid glue for small plastic parts but do not know if this will work on a long section. What is a good mwehod of applying the glue without having it migrate to the visible areas? Are both edges to be coated or just one?
Thanks to all,
Use plastic model cement, sparingly, on one surface and fit them together. Unless you’re going to be using the model as a Badminton shuttlecock it should hold together very well.
Walmart, toy section, plastic model kits, Testor’s Glue. Light blue tube or red…machs nicht.
Red tube, dries faster. Blue tube, non-toxic, dries much slower.
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I like Testors Liquid in the black squeeze thingy with needle applicator. More stick, less mess. You can also flow it in a long joint after fitting up and holding it together. Mega nice. J.R.
Go to the hardware store and get a can of MEK, much cheaper than testors. Simply use a paint brush - a small for small areas, a bigger one for bigger areas.
All the Wal marts around here got rid of their models, paints, glues and supplies![banghead] Don’t know if that’s local or nationwide.
Testors liquid cement in the black bottle (as mentioned) works great! Set’s faster than the stuff in the orange tube.
Plastic Model Cement is what I use! It can be found at your LHS.
The best you can get for styrene is Tenax 7R. (Also Weldon #3 or #4 if you can find it) You paint it into the joint between two parts and it instantly melts then welds them together… Technically it’s not a glue but a solvent. If you spill a little just don’t touch it and it evaporates immediately. If the parts are to be painted you will never see where a little spill happens. Since it is not a glue the parts need to be held or clamped together until the solvent dries, usually less than 5 minutes.
I haven’t had a tube of “glue” in 20 years. I also use “super” glue to attach small parts to a bigger subject. Just need to be careful not to attach your fingers to the model.
They did it here and in DeRidder too. Now I have to go to Hobby Lobby in Alexandria to get my paint and supplies.
As J.R. suggests, this is Testor’s Model Master. I have found this and my favorite Faller Xpert to be some of the better plastic cements. The very thin (watery) glues tend to dry very quickly, not allowing a decent, penetrating bond on the long or large joints.
http://www.ares-server.com/Ares/Ares.asp?MerchantID=RET01229&Action=Catalog&Type=Product&ID=82219
Both of these come with a needle applicator that really helps to get the glue just where you need it. The Faller can actually be wiped off if any excess seeps from the joint. Of coarse this has to be done within seconds.
The Wal Marts here got rid of all their plastic kits and related supplies too, I got a good deal on Xacto 10 blade assortment packs…$1 ea.
I have a tube or two of Testors goop…errr… I mean glue, never use the stuff, takes too long to dry and makes a brittle joint that will eventually crack. Tenax 7, Ambroid Proweld or Plastruct liquid is the way to go, less mess, easier to use, and produces superior results, as for MEK,if you must use that stuff. use it outside with a fan blowing ONLY, and wear gloves, it’s a highly dangerous chemical, the fumes are toxic and it is easily absorbed through the skin, I’d steer way clear of that stuff.
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EDIT
Before contemplating using MEK, check out the MSDS site below.
Amen to that!
Amen, all I use, I use it with everything I get it at the LHS but you can also get it from walthers, fairly cheap too, just get a cheap little 89 cent testors white plastic brush. Mike
Edit:If you are not going to paint it or if you paint it before you glue it using though, do only on the inside or not very visable places as it does discolor a little not to bad though, so if it comes to it you can use it on the outside, just weather there more.
I have used that stuff when assembling model cars in the past & it works great.
Go to Horizon Hobbies Website and look for glue.
Ambroid’s “Safeweld” is a very precise liquid brush glue designed to race down between two parts and find a weld within 20 seconds that cures within a few hours. VERY little is required.
For parts requiring a bit more beef in glue I use the Model Master Needle applicator glue with the diamond black container.
Sometimes are really difficult I hybrid glue a part together using safeweld in one spot and the model master in another.
DONT depend on walmart for your glues.
In my day I started off staring into space after a few hours with the Toulene based orange glue. Im still here and kicking… dont know why.
If you buy CA… always… always buy a debonder for it. And keep it within reach and ready at all times because CA was once designed to seal skin to skin in surgery.
Everyone has a certain style and way of working “Time” at the bench. Some glues are better than others. I myself find the Safeweld predictable and brittle yet with the help of the Model Master I can get two difficult parts to stay together long enough to cure.
One other rule…
Test it three times, glue twice (Once on both sides) and assemble ONCE.
Once those two parts come together there they are. Jiggling with it more than two seconds is going to:
1- Get glue fingerprints all over it
2- Oooze out and lose thier weld
3- Soften the plastic and ruin the part or bond.
Last but not least…
Glue parts first, dry second AND THEN paint. But not today. Wait until tomorrow.
Also check out the MSDS for Tenax 7R. There’s not much difference.
http://www.setonresourcecenter.com/msds/docs/wcd00025/wcd02597.htm
I’m sure the MSDS for Testors glue reads very similar. WAKE UP PEOPLE - these a solvents and chemicals, not tap water. Their use requires common sense and the proper understanding of how to use them. We’re also talking about using what are small amounts, not 55 gal drums.
I use Testors liquid (clear bottle with a brush applicator) for most styrene-to-styrene work. In a few places, like the corner joints of DPM buildings, I’ve found that didn’t hold too well and went with CA (cyanoacrlyate, or superglue.)
I like to put lights inside my buildings. To reduce glow-through with thin-walled plastic structures, I paint the insides flat black before assembly. This is a problem, because then you’re trying to glue painted surfaces together, which doesn’t work well. You need to either mask off the joint area (preferred) or scrape the paint off before you glue the pieces together.
If you want your kit to look nice, do NOT get orange testors glue that is at Wal-Mart. It is sooo messy and stringy, and it melts plastic.
You are best off using a CA, super glue, or the testors liquid glue in the black container…
Phil
I use Faller “Expert”. I like the applicator needle, and the stuff works great!! I am saying this is any better or any worse than the products mentioned above, just offering another option.