Hi Everyone,
I was just wondering what glue everyone uses when building plastic structures. I usually use the Testors glue in the orange tube, but do other use smomething else like contact cement or super glue? I imaging super glue (CA glue) would be good since you could get corners to set quicker, but does it hold as well?
I usually use too much of the Testors glue and wind up with a mess.
KisNap,
For plastic I generally use Testor’s Liquid Cement:
Essentially MEK (methylethylketone), it’s watery and melts the very outer surface of the plastic so that it melds them together to create a very strong and uniform bond And, being thinner, it has very good wicking action. There are other similar products like Tenax but they essentially do the same thing. Much better than model glue.
The bottle comes with an applicator brush but I usually use a dedicated modeling brush (like an 5-0 or 10-0) for applying the adhesive. But the brush size is contingent on how wide the surface area is that I’m trying to glue.
Hope that helps…
Tom
Gel super glue. Easy to control, sets in ten seconds or so. Best thing to happen to adhesives in years.
Stu
Like many, I started out with tube glues for plastic, like those most of us used for building model cars, airplanes, etc.
I then discovered Testors liquid cement, which was a lot neater to use. However, as soon as that bottle was used-up, I refilled it with lacquer thinner, which worked just as well but at a much cheaper price, especially when bought by the gallon.
A couple of years ago, the formula for lacquer thinner was changed - it still functions well-enough as a paint thinner, but is absolutely useless as a cement for styrene.
Based on what I’d heard from a couple of other modellers, I switched to MEK (methyl-ethyl-ketone). This works almost as well as the older lacquer thinner: the bond is just as good, but MEK evapourates quite a bit more quickly. This is okay when you have the two parts in place and held together and then apply it to the joint, but not so well if the assembly method is better suited to applying the cement to both surfaces, then bringing them together.
The other downside to MEK is the cost: a gallon of the good lacquer thinner was about $12.00, while the not-so-good stuff is around $18.00 (mostly due to the costs rising over time). For the gallon of MEK, I payed about $40.00. The more rapid evapouration means that that gallon will likely not go as far as a gallon of the old-style lacquer thinner.
The bond, once fully cured, is extremely strong: attempts to separate the pieces usually result in failure of the plastic at places other than where the bond was made.
I use the brush-in-cap of the old Testors’ bottle for general work (re-filling the bottle as necessary), but use brushes sized to the task when assembling larger structures…1/2", 1", or even 2" for large flat areas, were working rapidly is a must.
Wayne
Most of the time I use Testors 3502 because it is available at Hobby Lobby and you can use their 40% discount coupon. I also use Tenax 7R when I can get it, sometimes use PlasticWeld and also Super Glue.
Ken Vandevoort
Like Ken and Doc wayne, I use the PlasticWeld, and Tenax, which both are basically MEK. I also use the good old Testors, and the gel super glue. It just depends on what I’m assembling.
The Tenax, PlasticWeld, and MEK all give an “instant” set.
I think Woodland Scenics, or maybe it’s DPM, has video on assembling their buildings, and the guy uses Tenax, which is about $5.00 a bottle. I buy the MEK in quart plastic bottles at my local hardware store.
Mike.
I have been using Tamiya Extra Thin Cement.
https://www.tamiyausa.com/items/paints-finishes-60/finishing-supplies-62000/extra-thin-cement-87038
It is a thin liquid and it does a great job. Usually I put the two pieces together and then apply the cement to the joint with a small paint brush. The cement gets wicked into the joint and welds the two pieces together. It leaves almost no trace. The joints have to fit tightly. It won’t fill a gap.
The Tamiya glue seems to go a long way but I am not building the relatively huge structures that doctorwayne has. For that you need quantity. I think I’m on my fourth bottle in about 10 years. Once the Tamiya stuff is used up I’m going to give MEK a try.
I do have a tube of the Testors glue on hand to fill the occassional small gap.
Dave
I use Xylene (Xylol) from the hardware store. It is not as fast as MEK, but works in a similar fashion. I also have several Tenax/Plastruct Plastic Weld/Ambroid Pro Weld bottles that I refill with Xylene. I’ve trimmed some of the brushes to get into tight spots.
Maybe I’ll try MEK-- the Xylene can be a little slow for butting two walls together. I have to hold/prop them up until it sets up.
On each joint, I apply alternating beads of orange tube testors and super glue. The super glue provides an instant bond so I can work with the structure and assemble it quickly, while the orange tube testors provides the longer term welding bond that the super doesn’t
I mainly use the MEK from the local paint store. $12.99 quart can and used directly from the can and covered everytime. I lose little from evaporation. Make sure you ventilate your work space. I also use the black bottle Testors liquid glue with the red label at $7.00 for 1 oz. but a very good glue. Drys almost as quick as MEK and seems IMO to work better on Cornerstone structures than the MEK.
Tom
The key to sucessful plastic stucture building is not to over apply the glue I apply the orange tube glue to the joint with a tooth pick or small brush.
I have a bottle of Plastruct Plastic Weld so I might give that a try although I also like the idea of alternating Testors glue with crazy glue. So the orange Testors glue is reliable and all you need is a little bit?
I use Testors tube and bottle glue. When needed on some projects Walthers Goo.
I use the clear liquid “plastic welder” stuff. Tenax is one tradename. There are others. Far as I can see, one brand works as well as another. Over the years I have used most of 'em. In fact, I have been refilling the dinky little bottles with MEK from the paint store, and it works about the same. The stuff works by dissolving the styrene plastic back into a sticky goo. Then it evaporates and the sticky goo turns back into plastic. Joints can be as strong as the original styrene. It sets in minutes, and doesn’t need clamping after it sets enough to hold the joint together.
Apply with a brush to the back side of the model. Capillary action will draw it into the joint, and keep it from showing on the front. For securing things like plastic hand rails into holes in the carbody, you need a tad of clearance between the handrail and the hole, enough to let the capillary action to suck the stuff in. If it’s a tight fit, the stuff won’t penetrate.
It only bonds styrene to styrene. To bond metal bits to a plastic shell I use superglue.
BTW MEK is an extremely active solvent. It will dissolve linoleum, asphalt floor tiles, many paints, shellac, and God knows what else. Be careful not to spill it 'cause it will make a horrible mess. According to the Material Data Safety sheet, the stuff is flammable but not wildly so, the fumes aren’t good to breath, but not too bad for you. I bought a quart can at Walmart five years ago and I expect it will last longer than I will.
Following the advice given in a Miles Hale instructional DVD about putting together a Design Preservation structure kit, I now use Faller Expert Plastic Cement or Super Expert Plastic Cement just about exclusively. I do not know why or how (or if) the Faller stuff is better or different than other solvent cements but it sure works for me.
Dave Nelson
I use some kind of solvent depending on the type of plastic (polystyrene, ABS), and how fast I need the joint to set up.
For most styrene assembly I use MEK, purchased in a gallon can from a paint store. I decant it a little at a time into a smaller bottle so it’s easier to use.
When I need the joint to set up fast (as when trying to overcome warped parts), I typically switch to Tenax 7R or Ambroid ProWeld.
When working with ABS I use the Plastruct cement that’s formulated for ABS.
I almost NEVER use CA of any kind for styrene assembly, and I don’t even own any tube-type plastic cement. CA forms brittle bonds compared to solvent, and it adds thickness rather than welding parts together. Fast acting solvent like Tenax 7R works even faster than CA and makes a much stronger joint.
That’s what happens with most people. As far as I’m concerned, tube glue is useless. Properly using solvents takes a bit of skill, but learning isn’t that hard. Once you figure them out you won’t go back.
Actually it takes more skill using tube glue-the old tooth pick trick still works.
Where modelers makes their mistake is squeezing the glue from the tube to the project.
I used MEK in a quart can from Ace Hardware. After I used up all of the Plastruct Plastic Weld, I kept the small bottle. I just use a small metal funnel to refill it. I use a small, natural bristle brush, as the bristles from the plastic brush that comes with the bottle start falling out.
I mostly use the Testors stuff in the bottle with the applicatror brush in the top. For most of my structures, though, I like to line the corner joints with a strip of balsa wood, which I attach with cyanoacrilate (Super Glue.) This gives a much more solid joint and also prevents light leaks when I illuminate the building.
I use the liquid plastic glues made for plastics both in bottles with brush and needle applicators .I find these are the best for plastics. Of course use those that work best for special plastics such as ABS use a compatible cement. The plastic that are slippery such as Delrin need special cements or treatments.
I inherited some cars from a friend . These were standard cars from Athearn MDC Walthers Accurail ETC. When I started handling them small parts would fall off easily. I don’t know but I think he used the super glues ,I think these make brittle joints that break easily. I have seldom had this problem with small parts joined with the proper plastic glue,just my opinion.
Ron High