C.A.and KICKER , vs. SOLDERING

As many of you know , I Do side contracts , besidesmy own models. Well ,I got to thinking about both methodsof fastening stuff together that were brass.On a 1/96 scale SPS - 40 radar ,it takes three days to solder ALL the joints in the base and the radar " screen ".Anyway, I think that is NOT profitable.Now,I have been doing them with " super glue " and I have noticed that the few returns that my client had were CA,d and well doused with KICKER.Iwiuld out all the bracesin place with CA and then hit them with the sprayto set them.HMMM,they seemed to be to brittle! I do believe that the idea of setting it with the ZIP KICKERis not a good idea. I believe for small parts and delicate assemblies that letting it set up by itself without a KICKER is the best way to go.In crash tests I have done ( YEP,I throw them on the floor) WHY? Well , the builders of these ships seem to think you have to cram them on the masts. I don,t know why they do that. I have found ,by testing , that regular curing with NO accelerator works best.Try it sometimes ,and I think you,ll find that it does work better that way.Even putting the accelerator on the surface produces the same results.A brittle joint ,that won,t stand up to any strain.This is something that invariably we all face when assembling a model.There will inevetibly be a joint or two that are under a little strain we don,t see .Then we find that lifting eye or handrail popping off. Try this , let the part set for a while after you have shaped it. Metal does have a memory and wants to flatten out, really ! This includes brass and aluminum as well as the very fine steel that P.E. is made from. After shaping it. make sure it is exactly the shape you need it to be. Sometimes bend it a little more and it will relax to fit . then use the tape and toothpick method of mounting it.Good luck with that P.E. and I hope this helps.             tankerbuilder.