| ordinarybass | 05 Feb 2013 7:20 p.m. PST |
My favorite plastic solvent glue is Plastruct Plastic Weld (the orange label). I love the consistency, ease of application and bond. I don't even mind the powerful smell. I was looking at the back and it said it "contins MEK". Anyone know how much of Plastic Weld is MEK? I ask because I keep MEK around for stripping particularly stubborn metal models, and costs alot less per oz than Plastic Weld. Could just use MEK as solvent glue? The rub is that MEK is of course very toxic, and if Plastic Weld has other ingredients that make it less toxic than strait MEK, I probably shouldn't be using plain MEK. If that's not teh case, then why not just refil my plastic weld bottle with MEK? |
 John the OFM  | 05 Feb 2013 7:38 p.m. PST |
Try the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) for Plastruct Plastic Weld:
PDF link It's not the MEK you have to worry about, it's the Methylene Chloride. 
I would certainly NOT say that methylene chloride "makes it less toxic". If you are using MEK in an industrial capacity, you SHOULD be familiar with its own MSDS, and be taking precautions.
If you are using it because "it's neat stuff", then I suggest you stop and educate yourself. That said, an MSDS is useful in industrial applications. The fact that it is sold as a consumer product gives me a slighter sense of ease.
I wonder what would happen if consumers were required to read MSDS sheets for EVERYTHING they purchased, like we had to do in industry. |
| John the OFM | 05 Feb 2013 7:43 p.m. PST |
I might also say that Plastruct Plastic Weld is carefully formulated to give the "just right" liquification of the plastic. Is it REALLY all that expensive that you want to find substitutes that you yourself are uneasy about? I guess the real question is why you happily strip metal with MEK, but are uneasy about using it on plastic? |
| Garand | 05 Feb 2013 8:48 p.m. PST |
One thing to keep in mind is that the Testors Liquid cement is ALSO made from MEK, and absolutely has different solvent properties. This leads me to believe they are not "pure" MEK, but are cut with something. What? I don't know. But my impression is that straight MEK might be too powerful. I'd actually repost this question on an actual plastic modelers forum, as I do know some that use MEK from the hardware store rather than the stuff from the hobby shop. But while there are huge savings by buying MEK by the gallon, when you pay the massive markup at the hobby shop, you are paying for the convenience of pre-dilute cement, rather than trying to mix it yourself. For me, that's worth the extra money. Damon. |
| John the OFM | 05 Feb 2013 9:15 p.m. PST |
According to its MSDS
PDF link
there is no MEK in Testors Liquid cement. |
| Garand | 05 Feb 2013 10:34 p.m. PST |
Dunno John, but I just looked at the bottle and it says it contains "Acetates and Methyl Ethyl Ketone…" Damon. |
| Bunkermeister | 05 Feb 2013 10:50 p.m. PST |
How much glue do you use in a year to make the savings worthwhile? I use a lot of glue and probably only use a bottle in a year. Mike Bunkermeister Creek
Bunker Talk blog |
| Fish | 06 Feb 2013 2:56 a.m. PST |
I used to be able to get my mitts on undiluted MEK.
Best darn liquid plastic glue ever! Unfortunately it also destroys like a million brain cells with each breath you take around it… |
| ordinarybass | 06 Feb 2013 6:09 a.m. PST |
Hey Folks,
Just to be clear I have read the MSDS for MEK. My hesitation is that when stripping models I only have limited exposure to the MEK, I use safety goggles and gloves, and quickly move the models and containers back outside when done. With Glue I'm looking at longer exposure, indoors without safety equipment. |
| ordinarybass | 06 Feb 2013 9:50 a.m. PST |
I did what I probably should have done first and hunted down the MSDS for Plastic Weld PDF link Looks like it's only 5-15% MEK and 80-90% Methylene Chloride (Dichloromethane) I'll go check my tin of MEK to see what the concentration of MEK is in it. In the end maybe I'll just give it a try and see what happens… |
