Gluing Small Parts

As long as the part is not yet painted, some of the "hotter" liquid cements like Tenax or Plastruct will take effect more quickly. But parts can still be knocked out of alignment while those glues set. CA glues work very quickly, but give very little time for part alignment before they set. But, due to their properties, on smaller contact areas, may not provide as secure of a bond.

 

Tamiya makes a extra thin that is quick setting.  It dries so fast that at times it was dry before I could get the glue to the part.  Look for Tamiya extra thin quick setting.

Take care when using any of the thin liquid cements. They work best when the parts to be joined are held together and the glue is applied to the joint. If you apply the glue to a part and then try to press the parts together, you may find as described above, that the glue has dried before you can get the parts together, resulting in a poor bond.

When the glue is applied to the joint, physics takes over and capillary action will draw the glue along the seam. If you're not careful, it will also follow any seam or panel lines, possibly finding its way under fingertips and making a huge mess. A little goes a long way.

The aforementioned Tamiya extra thin cements (which now come in "regular" and "quick setting" formulas) have a very fine-pointed brush applicator which helps in getting the glue exactly where it's needed, but take care not to overload the brush.

A Touch-N-Flow applicator could be a big help.

Place the part where it needs to be, and then just a touch of Tamiya Extra thin. It uses cappilary action and flows around the part. Press down lightly with a tweezer for a few secomds. Job done.

Actually, what you have described is just about the only situation left in which I still use good old-fashioned tube glue. It's ideal for tiny parts that have virtually no weight...an easily-controllable amount can be applied with, say, a toothpick...and the part 'stuck' cleanly in place.

The downside, obviously, is that it's pretty slow-setting...so the assembled parts must be protected from 'accidental' knocking or movement. I put mine in one of those hinge-top plastic 'craft' storage boxes...though a cardboard box, or shallow kitchen storage container, would do jut as well.

Just my $.02....

stikpusher

As long as the part is not yet painted, some of the "hotter" liquid cements like Tenax or Plastruct will take effect more quickly. But parts can still be knocked out of alignment while those glues set. CA glues work very quickly, but give very little time for part alignment before they set. But, due to their properties, on smaller contact areas, may not provide as secure of a bond.

 

Gel CA, sometimes called thick CA, fulfills two purposes.  One, it is slower setting (several minutes), to give time to align carefully.  Second, it is gap filling, and useful for when the contact areas are not perfectly smooth, increasing the contact area.  On plastic models, it is my go-to glue.  And, when you have the parts aligned, you can treat the joint with CA accelerator fluid, which then sets the glue almost instantly.

I do keep regular CA on hand, for those few joints on a plastic kit that have truly matched, flat contact areas.

 

Hi Mark !

 I specifically use Tamiya Extra Thin Quick setting . I went to it eight years ago and don't regret the shift from Testors liquid . I still use C.A. and Testors and my favorite C.A.( the one in the oval bottle with the Hobby Shop name on it .) but my chosen is the Tamiya .I have found on 1/700 ( Gasp ! ) ships , this is the best . Especially on the small parts ! T.B.