I just brought home a new Athearn Genesis SD70M from a Train show. In the products nedded to complete sections of the instructions,it says I need watery liquid plastic cement. Can anyone tell me what this is? And maybe give me a brand name and where I can buy it? Thanks!
Mr Cehill
The stuff that you are looking for is called Testors glue it comes in a little glass bottle you can find it at most any decent hobby shop
Regards,
Larry
I use Testors liquid cement too, but I also like a brand called Tenax 7R, also sold in most hobby shops. Tenax evaporate faster than Testors, and that makes it a little neater for fastening small detail parts.
So long,
Andy
Andy Sperandeo
MODEL RAILROADER Magazine
The thing is, the Testors plastic cement that you squeeze from a tube actually has some plastic dissolved in it, so when you bond a joint with it you are putting some “new” plastic filler in there – the advantage to pure liquid solvent is that the plastic of the two parts to be joined is softened and welded without “new” plastic being introduced into the joint. So it is a cleaner and tighter joint. There are still legit uses for the tube type plastic adhesives but for most uses the pure liquid works very well. Don’t leave the cap off – it evaporates rather fast! And don’t breath the solvents for too long. Have a window open, or walk away from the work now and then and get some fresh air.
You can damage brain cells if you breath in too much, and if you damage brain cells you might be willing to pay list prices for model railroad equipment – and then it is too late!
Dave Nelson
Here’s a money-saving tip I picked up in an NMRA regional newsletter.
Look at the label on Testor’s liquid cement for plastic and you’ll see that its a solvent called methyl ethyl ketone, or MEK. Its typically packaged in a one-ounce bottle at your local hobby store for about $2…that’s $2/ounce. Check out your local Home Depot or Lowes store and you’ll find a gallon container of MEK for about $5. Thats just a few cents per ounce!
Don’t forget to provide plenty of ventilation when using the stuff!
Bruce J.
I buy a quart of MEK from ACE Hardware and pour it into MicroWeld bottles outside. The small opening reduces the fumes. I use an old drafting pen to put small drops just where I need it. MEK works on Styrene. I use PVC to make jigs because it is not so soluble in MEK.
Lindsay
In my opinion most plastic cement is watery. If you’re clumsy like me you would like the model master liquid cement made by testors. It comes is a squeezable container with a precision applicator so you will only put cement were you want it. This ran me about five dollars at my local hobby store.