I’m just about out of solvent “glue” for joining styrene parts and I’d like to use a cheap alternative rather than pay an arm and a leg for those little bottles. I have a can of acetone and a can of lacquer thinner. Which do you think would make the better styrene solvent? In searching the forums, the substitute of choice seems to be MEK but if either acetone or lacquer thinner would be just as good I’d rather use what I’ve got. I am well aware of the dangers of both chemicals as well as MEK.
Second question: I have read that laquer thinner can be used to thin paint for air brushing but I assume that’s for solvent based paint. Since I use acrylics almost exclusively I assume that wouldn’t be an application I could use. However, I’d be interested in any comments on its use as paint thinner or for cleaning brushes used for solvent based paints. I use generic paint thinner for that and it works fine.
Treat yourself and get a container of Testors Model Master Liquid Cement for Plastic Models (squarish black plastic container). It works like a charm, and a container will last an awfully long time.
Messing around with the bulk chemicals is just not worth it for what we do. I speak from experience.
Bob, Doc Wayne has posted a number of times that he uses lacquer thinner. I would not use acetone. That stuff is just a couple steps down from green kryptonite and Xenon 135. However, acetone is very good for cleaning machined parts that need to be plated or painted for durable finishes. Just leaves shiny metal. Try some on your chrome bumpers, but don’t let it get on any paint. [8D]
I purchased a Gallon of MEK from the big box stores a number of years ago and still have about a Quart (as I am building a LOT of Scratch Built Buildings - I go through a LOT of MEK) which by the way is Not available at the BIG BOX Stores anymore!
They have MEK substitute which is JUNK!
One would have to check with the smaller old time Hardware Stores to find real MEK!
The MEK is about the best stuff when gluing Styrene!
If one looks on the bottles of the Plastic Glue one can see that MEK is in about 99% of the Hobby Styrene Glues!
So why spend mega bucks for those tiny bottles when a Quart would do most modelers a few years as the stuff evaporates so quick when using the Brush in a Bottle method of application!
I now use the A-West Glue Bottles with the .006 and .010 Stainless Tube Needle Bottles!
The MEK will not evaporate over time and the Glue is always ready for those quick glue jobs and no messing unscrewing the bottle cap while holding 2 pieces of plastic together!
MEK or lacquer thinner will do the job. I have found that for different types of plastic glueing, I use different glues. I like Tenex or Same Stuff(Micro-Mark) for edge gluing things like walls. I have found where I have to ‘paint’ large structure walls(like Cornerstone kits) that the Testors liquid cement works better. I have used lacquer thinner, but it is pretty strong stuff(both with plastic and my nose)…
For acrylic paints, you want to use filtered water(like from the fridge) or isopropyl alcohol(71% is fine) for thinning. Most of the acrylic thinners sold by the paint manufacturers are just watered down alcohol. Just add enough to thin the paint to the consistency of 2% milk - it should spray through just about any air brush just fine. The amount you need to thin the paint will vary with the pigment. Badger’s acrylic paint line is ‘air brush’ ready - just mix it up good first!
I use lacquer thinner for solvent based paints - both thinning and clean up. Most of my air brush work is now with acrylic paints. Every once in a while I disassemble the air brush and soak the metal parts in lacquer thinner to really get them clean. I buy ‘Sunnyside’ lacquer thinner by the quart at my local big box store.
If one reads the contents on the bottle you will find that those that dry slower contain Lacquer Thinner!
The old Plastruct Plastic Weld contained Trichloromethane
and the Old Ambroid Pro Weld contained Methylene Chloride
Both chemicals were supposed to be the same thing - the one thing is they would glue Plexaglas
MEK won’t
The new bottles of Plastruct Plastic Weld now only contain MEK.
Have not seen the Ambroid as it is always out of stock at Walthers but believe the Mfg have discontinued using Methylene Chloride/Trichloromethane for some reason.
MEK is a single component and an excellent plastic solvent/welder. It will evaporate rather quickly. Lacquer thinner is a witch’s brew containing acetone. mek, toluene, a glycol, and an ester. The acetone and mek components will evaporate quickly but the other constituents have longer evaporation times. The chlorinated hydrocarbons were better plastic welders but they have been discontinued due to their ability to cause liver damage and liver cancer. Acetone and mek are about equivalent in toxicity but are less toxic than the chlorinated hydrocarbons.
What exactly is the consistency of the MEK that is found in those bulk cans? I find that the Plastruct Plastic Weld is on the thick side and doesn’t flow easily. Ambroid Pro Weld and Testors Plastic Cement (liquid) are thin, almost watery, and work a lot better when you have to flow cement into an area.
The lacquer thinner which I use seems to vary in make-up depending on the manufacturer, but they all seem to work in the same manner, both as thinners/cleaners and as cement for styrene. One which I have on-hand contains Toluene, Methyl Alcohol, and Methyl Ethyl Ketone, while the other consists of Methyl Alcohol, Acetone, and Toluene.
I buy it by the gallon and usually run though a gallon or two a year. In addition to being an excellent solvent cement for styrene and some other plastics, it’s useful for thinning lacquer-based paints such as Floquil, Scalecoat, SMP’s Accupaint, Testors ModelMasters, as well as Dull- and Glosscote, Pactra and Humbrol and probably others. It’s good for cleaning brushes and airbrushes, regardless of what type of paint you use, and for stripping most paints from metals, too. I also use it for thinning and cleaning-up contact cement, and it works well as a primary de-greaser for metal parts. I decant it into separate quart cans for paint thinning, cleaning, and gluing plastics, and into sealable jars for brush or parts cleaning. For small jobs, such as kit building, I put it into the square Testors bottle with the brush-in-cap, but use a suitably-sized brush for application.
When using contact cement to join sheet styrene to other materials (such as wood or paper), I use a 2" brush to first “prep” the styrene with lacquer thinner: apply the thinner to the styrene, then apply the contact cement to the other surface, and finally, apply the contact cement to the styrene. Allow all surfaces to dry as per the instructions, then press together as usual. I’ve found that the bond is much more permanent and have concluded that the styrene draws too much of the thinner from the contact cement, resulting in a weak bond, whereas pre-coating the styrene with lacquer thinner allows the cement’s thinner to disperse (or not) as it would normally. Works for me, anyway. [swg]
MEK is very thin since it’s a pure solvent. Plastic Weld has some plastic material dissolved in it to give it body and gap filling properties. It’s like the PVC cement that is used for plastic plumbing. PVC cement is solvent that has some PVC dissolved in it. Pro Weld and Testors appear to be solvent only.
I use the A-West bottles with the fine .006 stainless steel tube - with the hole so small it restricts the amount of glue going into the seam.
I could not get good results using a brush as the brush holds TOO MUCH Glue and it always went everywhere!
As for using a Gallon
Try making hundreds of kits (I have a 2500 sq ft layout) so there are a few kits on the layout which most are scratch built. I also build kits for the Clubs Layouts too!
And my 2 boys get bottles of glue from the Gallon as they are building their own layouts with lots of buildings. I also help out Friends too!
Now the Gallon was purchased back in 2000 - so it has about a quart left!
It was way cheaper back then knowing how many were going to use the glue and how many buildings were building!