"Glue for Plastics?" Topic

Deleted my other thread as I'm not sure if it posted. Lock out error.

I have been using Testors Model Master Liquid Cememt. It sets pretty fast initially but doesn't cure for quiet a while.

So I can glue an arm in position and it will stay, but I can't put any pressure on that arm for at least 1/2 hour. Or so it seems to me.

Is there a better glue that will cure/joint weld faster?

Thanks, Xin/Jeff

What kind of plastic?

Hard plastic is fine with polystyrene plastic cement.

I avoid gluing soft plastic figures.

I use the same glue as you.

I use regular Humbrol polycement.

If that fails..

Pin + polycem

If that fails..

Small amount of contact adhesive, to hold the position, superglue in the cracks!

Humbrol poly works for me too. I can adjust for about a minute after application, which is useful, but them seems pretty rock solid!

You're applying too much glue!

OK, Testors tube comes in red, which is a faster bond, but is toxic, and blue which is safer, but slower to bond. (Yes, I have resumed using blue. Thank you whoever advised me to try again and be more patient.)
Anyway, use just a dab of either one--Cyrus is probably right--but then hit the bond with Testors liquid which is not so sure a bond but much faster. It will keep everything in place while you're waiting for the other to harden.

(Maybe 600 28mm hard plastics down: possibly 150 to go.)

30 minutes is not that long to wait. If you assemble multiple figures at once, assembly-line style, you will find that the first figure has set and is ready for the next piece by the time you glue the last figure.

Plastruct Plastic Weld

I use Revell polystyrene cement. For hard plastic all these solvent glues work by melting th plastic, so it does take a while to set. This is very useful indeed when e.g. assembling complex suspension parts as you can make some final adjustments so the whole thing sits straight.

If you want an instant(ish) bond use superglue or contact adhesive. When I was a serious plastic modeller I used to use Toluene straight out of a bottle. That set pretty fast, although as it is both highly inflammable and carcinogenic, perhaps not to be recommended. Great for sticking on individual rivet heads though:)

Here's my experience after decades of modelling.

1) Don't use superglue. I went through a phase where I started to assemble models with supergule, I still regret it to this day, eventually the bond becomes brittle and bits constantly fall off.

2) For large surfaces I use Revell contacta, it has an applicator nozzle that makes it easy to glue accurately and effectively. It's especially useful for large parts like a ship's hull or aircraft wings and fuselage or things like titans.

3) For smaller pieces and parts with a lot of detail, I tend to use Tamiya extra thin cement. It has a very high capillarity and unlike thicker glues does not leave a residue. It's also great for closing gaps that appear as you build a model. Just apply some along the edges, press together and presto, you can fiddle with needles, cocktail sticks and Contacta all you want, it's almost impossible to get as neat.

By far the best "glue" for plastic that I've ever used has been MEK, Methyl Ethyl Ketone (aka Butanone).

It is a strong solvent used n the industry.
Also destroys a million brain cells on a whiff.

Vry effective paint stripper too (just don't use on plastic parts").

Yes it is rather strange that people continue ketone or toluen glue. Extremely dangerous, poisonuos and gives a headache because of the number of braincells it either kills or nerve endings it numbs.
Testors non poisonuos glue in a blue bottle. So safe it can be used in a kindergarden. Very much recomended.

The world of glue and cement is a wide one.
And you will find many people who will tell you they have the one right glue. But I think you will find that you will need to experiment and test glues to find the one that fits your needs.

For polystyrene to polystyrene joins (The classic "hard" plastic of model airplanes and tanks) you most often want to actually weld the parts. This is done with a solvent the softens the plastic and allows a very small layer of the two parts to flow together. MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone) is the classic for this. And you will find it in most of the brands of glue sold for this use.

See: link
Any of these will work, they differ mostly in how well they flow.(viscosity) Testors is very thick, almost a paste. It is good when parts do not fit well. It has plastic pre-disoleved in it and can even glue wood as a result. The other end of the scale is Plastruct Plastic Weld, just solvents (but a blend to give you longer working times). It runs faster than water.

Some good advise can be had on sites like this one:
link

And if you are gluing things beyond Polystyrene consider this site:
thistothat.com

The gluing of "Soft plastic" such as Airfix HO/OO figures, well that is a very different matter

Soft plastic – two part super glues – glue and primer. Job done.

Plastruct Plastic Weld for me also. Works fast.