What Glue Do You Use And Why

[Big Daddy]

I currently use Bob Smith Industries Inst Cure and Maxi Cure for the most part it's realy good stuff the problem is you have to be quick , you have about a 5 to 15 second window before it's almost impossible to remove, is there something else with a bit longer window drying time, for repositioning etc, i have tried the G-S Hypo but it just keeps on running out the tube

[wraith]

i still use the good ole Testors glue, as well as Super glue and gel super glue. I also sometimes use Elmers white glue, mostly for headlight lenses. I am looking fo a better glue to glue windows in with though. I had someone tell me a glue to try, but That was a while ago and I can't remember the name of it. If anyone knows of a awesome glue for windows I would love to know about it.

Edited February 7, 2012 by wraith

[Mike Kucaba]

A great adhesive for windows is Future and/or any acrylic clear. I just don't believe in the tube glues anymore,and use Various CA glues,30 minute epoxy(no more 5 minute stuff) and either Tenax or Plastruct for liquid glues.

[Hayabusa]

Gator Glue is really good stuff, in my opinion. I use this for photoetch and clear parts.

Edited February 7, 2012 by Hayabusa

[Romell R]

It really depends on what your gonna glue together. I use a wide varity of glues from CA glue ( cyanoacrylate) , 5 min two part epoxys, white glue (Elmers), general purpose solvents (Plastructs), and even Tamiya clear.

The 5min epoxy will give you enough time to get the postion of your parts just right and it will glue just about any material, Epoxy is also good for clear parts as it wont haze the parts and it dries clear.

Whereas CA (or super glues) wont bond metals. There are diferant thinknesses of CA glue that allow you differing amounts of time to set your part. Thick usually gives you 20-25 seconds before permanent bond , med gives you 5-15 seconds and thin dries almost instantly. this is where we end up with parts glued to our fingers.

Elmers just doesnt have the holding power and will eventually get brittle and break off. but it is good to use if you want to simulate cloth or tarps and stuff of this nature. which is a whole tutoial in itself.

Now for styrene or plastic parts I like to use Plastruct Plastic weld this glue bonds plastic parts together by infusing them at the molecular level (or micro melting) this is best used for blending pieces together.

And finally Tamiya's clear which is great for applying emblems to painted bodys just dab a bit on the part and feel good about applying it to the paint. I hope I didnt turn this into a collage lecture (Bonding 101), but I do hope i was able to help a little.

[Mr. Moparman]

I use Tamiya Extra-Thin Liquid Cement for general gluing, under ceratin circumstances I will use Testor's tube glue (Even then I put a dab on a napkin and apply using a toothpick) like for small parts that will fall off without the thinkness of the glue holding it up. For glass I use Formula 500 Canopy Glue and good ole school glue (Elmers). For resin I either use super glue or epoxy. Under the rare occasion where I use P/E on my builds, I use Tamiya Acrylic Clear in the jar, applied with a special tool I whittled out of a small dowel.

Edited February 8, 2012 by Mr. Moparman

[MoparWoman Jamie]

Superglue here... all the way.

[Bernard Kron]

I use various adhesives for different jobs, but everything I do is informed by the fact that I can't use CA (Super Glue) at all. I used to, but a couple of years back I developed a violent allergy to the stuff. It comes on quick and takes weeks or even months to get over. I can't even be in the same room with an open bottle of the stuff, let alone something that's curing and gassing off. While I’ve been able to find substitutes for most applications, you can’t beat thin CA and an accelerator for very small, very fine, yet strong joints. It’s why I choose my battles carefully when it comes to detailing.

Styrene to styrene: My preferred weapon of choice is Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK), sold in hardware stores as a cleaning solvent for floor covering adhesives. It's the active ingredient in most liquid cements like Tamiya Extra Thin, Testors Liquid Cement, Plastruct Plastic Weld, Tenax 7, etc. I've tried them all and MEK is my current favorite. It creates a super strong weld, is relatively benign to plastic surfaces and beyond cheap (the hardest part is finding it in pint containers for about the same price as Tamiya Extra Thin or Tenax). My #2 in this category is Tamiya Extra Thin cement, and I love the Tamiya bottle because it has a nice brush in the cap and it's low, squat shape means it doesn't tip over. These days my old Tamiya bottles have MEK in them...

For situations that require some initial tack for position I use Testors Tube Cement in the red tube, applied with a straight pin to control the amount I put down.

Styrene to non-styrene or non-styrene to non-styrene (CA substitutes): I've settled on three as follows...

1. Contact Cement - This can be bought in hardware stores, too. Very cheap in the small 4 oz. jar, which is fortunate because it dries over time in the jar, usually in about 2 months or so. Basically this is just high class rubber cement, but sets up to create a very strong semi-flexible bond. It can also be applied to the contact surfaces, allowed to dry for a minute, then pressed together for a quick, strong bond. Great for large, clean joints. I apply it with a pin, and despite the fact that it’s incredibly goopy and drippy, I’ve learned to create some very small, clean joints with it. Also, it cleans up easily. It can be wiped away with alcohol, or, once dried, picked away with tweezers.
   
2. 5-Minute Epoxy – Slow setting and lacking initial tack, but incredibly strong. Ideal for high stress joints. Will join any type of material to any another. The downside is that any residue is thick and goopy and shows badly. And once it dries, it can be nearly impossible to remove. The good news is that epoxy wipes away fairly cleanly with alcohol if it hasn’t set up.
   
3. 1-Minute Epoxy – Work fast! Just like the 5-minute stuff but much more unforgiving. I’m still learning to handle it, but it looks like, if you get your timing right, it could be a substitute for fine joint work using CA.
   

Clear joints or critical surfaces such as fully painted bodywork: Examples include headlights, taillights, windows and p/e surface details. My weapon of choice is Aileen’s Tacky Glue, a white cement somewhat like Elmer’s Glue but with a lot of initial tack. Dries clear. For p/e parts on painted surfaces I use clear enamel.

Mockups: This is an often neglected category. These days I mainly use rubber cement which I slather on liberally and then rub away the residue with my fingertip. Pulls apart easily and any residue can be readily rubbed away. Relatively benign when it comes to painted surfaces, too. I used to use Elmer’s Carpenter’s Glue a lot (another white glue) which cleans up with water and dries with a strong joint, but the set up time is quite slow. Another trick, for small styrene to styrene joints, is to use a tiny amount of liquid cement to create a weak but stable joint. It pries apart with a knife blade. The risk is that the joint is too strong and you pull away plastic when you break the joint. I use this technique for chassis fabrication a great deal. If I like the final position I can always reinforce it by flowing in more liquid cement (in my case MEK).

Edited February 8, 2012 by Bernard Kron

[Mike Kucaba]

Bummer on the alergy Bernard. Some folks have a extreme reaction to latex. Some resin stuff will really set it off. I don't much about how the alergy works, but if it's airborne, could a respirator, a vent to outside help?

[Bernard Kron]

Bummer on the alergy Bernard. ...if it's airborne, could a respirator, a vent to outside help?

Thanx Mike. I tried a respirator and working outside, neither of which are terribly practical, but the problem is the CA's still on the model gassing off. I read a iittle about CA allergies on the web. Apparently it happens to modelers now and again, usually suddenly without warning, after they've been using it a while. That's the way it was with me. It's not a total deal breaker - I've built plenty of models since I quit using it and I'm gradually developing work arounds.

[Qwit Pushin]

i still use the good ole Testors glue, as well as Super glue and gel super glue. I also sometimes use Elmers white glue, mostly for headlight lenses. I am looking fo a better glue to glue windows in with though. I had someone tell me a glue to try, but That was a while ago and I can't remember the name of it. If anyone knows of a awesome glue for windows I would love to know about it.

I use 'Crafter's Pick - Ultimate' for glass and chrome. It's slightly thicker than Elmer's Glue, drys clear and forms a really solid bond. Crafter's Pick has adhesives for other applications as well, check 'em out: http://www.crafterspick.com/

[ShawnS]

I'm loving Tamiya thin cement for my styrene work at the moment. I think that I have given up using thicker cements for good. I also use zap-a-gap CA glue for most other uses. It's mainly the availability of any products at my LHS that dictates what I use though.

Cheers

ShawnS

[Fabrux]

I used to alternate between Testor's glues in the orange and blue tubes, but one day I stumbled across Tamiya Cement (in the white labelled bottle) and haven't turned back. When I go through this bottle I'll probably end up switching to Ultra Thin. For clear parts I use Testor's Clear Parts Cement but I think I might try something else as I'm not that satisfied with it at times...