Gluing transparent parts

[Dinky]

Im always struggling with gluing transparent parts, what are you guys using to pit in the windows and lights?

[cchapman195]

I myself use the testors clear parts cement. Dries quick and clear. I also use it on my dash gauges and painted emblems to give it a plastic lens look. Works great for me.

[martinfan5]

Canopy glue

[Theo]

I use Micro Liquidtape for most clear parts. It goes on like white glue. You apply to a single surface and then let dry until it is clear (usually only a few minutes). Once dry, it remains tacky so you can position and re-position windows, windshields, etc as needed until everything looks good. Then give a bit of firm pressure and things hold in place. NO residue on the clear part as the adhesive is basically a rubbery solid once dry. No more fogging from the CA "gassing out", no more drips from the squeezing out of the white glue which frequently left me with a "blob" of clear goop at the edge of the windshield.

[W-409]

White Glue is good. It's really cheap compared to the Micro Scale's stuff and it works fine for me doesn't matter if the window was the original kit part or self made from sheet acetate.

[oldnslow]

I use clear finger nail polish, dries quick, clear and invisible.

[crazyjim]

Testors clear parts glue for windows; canopy glue for lights.

[Harry P.]

Please post questions in the Question area, not in the Tips area.

[Speedfreak]

What's the difference between Testors clear parts glue and 'canopy' glue?

[Dinky]

Thanks for all the answers my fellow builders. Harry sorry for posting in the wrong topic, my mistake!

[keone2013]

Elmers clear glue

[hellonwheelz3]

+1 on the Elmer's white glue. It dries clear and you can clean off excess easily. It's also fun to pickoff your fingers . The kid in me shines through.

[om617]

I use this,it dry in a phase wich will allow you to adjust some time after putting it on.

[Pete J.]

I use this,it dry in a phase wich will allow you to adjust some time after putting it on.

+1

[Mike_G]

5-minute epoxy.

[Ace-Garageguy]

The best thing about Micro Krystal Klear, Elmer's, and other PVA glues (polyvinyl acetate) is that they're WATER SOLUBLE when wet, and they dry COMPLETELY CLEAR.

They don't attack the plastic like normal plastic cement (either liquid or tube) does, so there's no possibility of leaving permanent fingerprints.

They don't 'smoke' the plastic like some CA super-glues do.

And being water-soluble, you can get excess off using a damp Q-tip. You don't have that option with epoxy if you get it on the clear part.

The down side to using PVA glues is that they're not really intended to glue NON-porous materials like styrene. Using them for windows is really kind of a stretch, but they work VERY well if used correctly. They have NO wet strength though, so parts need to be clamped, jigged or taped in place until completely dry. They do a beautiful job of holding lenses and window glass in place with no visible fogging, and fingerprints will come off, like I said, with a damp Q-tip.

It's also possible to remove parts glued with PVA relatively easily, because the bond is not as strong as epoxy, and doesn't attack the plastic like solvent glues do. This property of PVA glue also makes it much safer to use for attaching parts to PAINTED surfaces.

[Pete J.]

I forgot all about another glue that I use for this. It is Zap/Pacer formula 560. It is used primarily to glue canopies on R/C aircraft, thus the moniker canopy glue. I believe it is a form of PVA but does a couple of things. First, it tacks much more quickly than other white glues and seems to have a much stronger bond. I dries just as clear as other PVA's and it cleans up with water. Good glue to have in the adhesives arsenal.

[Tom Geiger]

I use the Micro Kristal Klear for most of my clear parts assembly including headlight lenses. Another thing we use it for is to create the glass over dash gauges. Just paint your gauge detail then put a blob of this over it. It looks like heck, a blob of white... but let it dry overnight and you will have a clear lens with some depth to it over your gauge!

I discovered another use for it last week. I had a kit decal that I wanted to apply inside the side window of a car, with the print side facing outward (against the glass). So I soaked it long enough to remove the standard decal glue, then put it on a blotter to dry overnight. I then put Micro Kristal Klear on the face of it, and pressed it down onto the kit glass. I let it dry and it worked perfectly! That will come in handy with the decals that Revell put in the woody wagons (47 Ford and 49 Merc). Both come with surfing and travel decals that they tell you to put on the glass... but on the outside of the glass, when all the stickers like those I remember were applied on the inside of the glass. So now you can do it right!

[Dinky]

Nice, thanks all for the answers and tips. Very helpful!

[Greg Wann]

You might try a spray product found in fabric stores. It is a temporary glue called Sulky KK 2000. Might be useful to hold a project together to test fit parts too.

[rustbucket82]

Watch Crystal Cement