need glue advice

I use dichloromethane.
It is not very nice stuff and you must not inhale the fumes but it is the best 'glue'
that I have ever used. It is sometimes called Plastic Weld.
I got a litre from my pharmacy about 10 years ago and it is still going strong.
I pour small amounts into a perfume sample bottle and that lasts for one kit.
I have hardly used any filler at all since I started using it.

A similar cement is Methyl ethyl ketone or MEK, it was sold in the UK as MEK PAK
also available from your pharmacy.

Pharmacy? I've been buying Tenax for years...and it's possible to get the same chemical at a pharmacy in greater amounts? Tell me this is true! And tell me it's cheaper!!

Dana

Waaaaaaaaaaaaay cheaper

inpw1,

I use a combination of cements, depending on what I'm trying to accomplish. For stuff that I need to move around to get proper alignment AFTER applying the glue, I always use tube glue (usually Testor's non-toxic cement [smells like oranges]). For attaching landing gear, I use superglue. For cementing fuselage halves, wing halves, ANYTHING with a long seam, I use Tenax-7R. With this glue, you hold the two halves loosely together, and use a small paint brush to apply the glue to the entire seam, then press the seam together tightly for about 15 - 20 seconds. You should see a small bead of plastic appear along the entire seam. Just sand off that bead of plastic, and NO SEAM TO FILL!! I love that stuff. Make sure that you only glue a small portion of the seam at time, though, as trying to glue an entire wing or fuselage at a time will only cause the glue to dry before you press the entire thing together. I will also use 5-minute epoxy to attached nose weight in tricycle-gear aircraft. Hope this helps you more than confuses you!! Happy Modeling!!

Like Gary, I use several. The best glues I have found is Tamiya liquid cement. I understand it comes in both thin and extra thin. I personally like the extra thin stuff. It also comes with a very fine brush applicator. Testors' liquid cement is also quite good, and dries slightly slower than Tamiya's glue.
For attaching PE and other non-plastic components I use superglue. For clear parts it's Elmer's white glue or a product that used (?) to be made by Microscale, called "Krystal Kleer".

Just my opinion, but glues containing dichloromethane (methylene chloride) should be avoided. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and the National Toxicology Program (NTP) now both list this material as a confirmed animal carcinogen (insufficient human data). In addition, this material has known human mutagenic (reproductive) effects.

Gip Winecoff

Am I the only one who likes using tube glue? I apply a thicker than usual amount on one half (of a fuselage for example) then press the two halves together. If I've applied the right amount, a bead of glue will also push out just like Tenax. After about 20 minutes or so this bead is extremely user friendly when it comes to shaving it off with a good Xacto blade. I then let it cure completely. After that it just takes a couple of light swipes with a fine sanding stick and no filler is needed!

Eric

echolmberg,

When using Tenax-7R, a bead of PLASTIC comes out, not glue. The glue is actually welding the plastic together. It only takes about 20 seconds tops for a strong joint. Using tube glue for the same effect (in my experience, anyway) just causes glue to get all over everything if you're not EXTREMELY careful (and I'm usually not!!).

But, I do like using tube glue. As noted in my last post, I use it when I need to align parts after applying the glue. I mainly use it on interior parts and things without alignment pins. It works very well. The only downfall to tube glue is that it takes a long time to dry.

As long as a bead of something comes out, it can be removed and given a light sanding to achieve the same results. You don't have to be EXTREMELY careful when using tube glue. Just be as careful as you would with any other glue. Like any other glue, don't get it on your fingers nor the parts of the model which are to not get glued! LOL! I like using CA also but like you said, Gary, tube glue is nice when I may need to make some small adjustments during the curing process. I wouldn't call the longer dry time a "downfall". It allows me to work it to get just the right result. On top of that I can place that part off to the side and move on to other parts as it sets.

Eric

Eric,
Unlike the liquid cements offered by Testors, Tenax, Tamiya and others, which acually "weld" the plastic together, tube glues bond, or stick, the surfaces together. Over time, the bonded seams will have a tendency to separate. This can be seen really well when modelers want to restore some old kits previously assembled using tube cements. Previous posts in these forums have shown that putting an old model in the freezer makes it very easy to pop the pieces apart as part of the initial restoration procedure. This procedure doesn't work (or at least not very well) with those kits glued with liquid glues.

The bead that you see coming out after using tube cement is part of the glue that you have applied. These glues have plasticizers and other organic materials which help facilitate bonding of the parts. What you wind up shaving off is mostly dried glue. The bead that comes from the liquid glues is actually melted styrene which comes from the "welding" process. What we sand off is residual styrene from the joined seam, and that's a pretty big difference.

If you want your models to last, you might want to consider switching from tube to liquid.

As a side note, there are many on this forum that use superglue for everything involved with the assembly phase, and will highly recommend it. Please feel free to try it and see how it performs for you. There are only two disadvantages to superglue that I've encountered:
1. It has great tensile strength, but poor torsional capabilities. In other words, you can't pull the pieces apart, but you can twist them apart. Of course, I'm not sure you'ld want to do that with a plastic kit part. This point may be moot.
2. Cyanoacrylates are sensitizers. You can develop an allergic sensitivity to them, if you happen to be a susceptible individual. Once you've been sensitized, smelling the vapors or skin contact can trigger an allergic response--anything from itching skin to asthma-like symptoms. I've only "seen" one affected individual in these forums. Of course, that doesn't mean there aren't others. I'm not trying to be an alarmist, it's just that I think we should be aware of any potential hazards associated with the stuff we use.

Hope this helps you some.
Gip Winecoff

Hi. My name is Eric. I use tube glue. I need help. (all in unison: "HI ERIC!")

HI, ERIC!

I used to use tube glue, too, until someone approached me and convinced me I had a "Problem". LOL!! So I kicked the habit and am ecstatically happy using liquid cement... :-)

Gip Winecoff

I think I'm going to just quit building models altogether.

Like many others, I use a variety of glues depending on whether or not I need more or less time to get things in alignment. The amount of gap that needs to be filled is also considered.

Tenax, Weldon #1, #2, and #3, and Tamyia, dry quickly and bond (weld) very well. Plastistruct and testors liquid glue dry a lot slower and give you more time to make adjustments.

Cyanacrilics (Super glues) come in various thicknesses and can cure almost instantly or very slowly, bond very strongly, and are necessary for resin parts and photo etched metals.

White glues, like Elmers, Micro Scales "Crystal Clear", and Testors are useful for clear parts.

Epoxies are useful for glueing in nose weights, and epoxy like J B Weld can be used to create shapes.

Be careful about buying chemicals like M. E.K. from the drug store, or hardware store. The chemicals can be hazardous to your health, as well as a serious fire hazard.

You can make your own liquid glue with acetone by mixing in plastic sprue. The sprue will disolve in the acetone. The more sprue you mix in, the thicker the "glue" becomes. I do not do this anymore because of the fire hazard and the health hazards.

Once you get used to using liquid glue for general construction you will not want to use tube glue. I have not used tube glue for well over thirty years, and I do not miss it!

Experiment with a few of the glues mentioned by the folk that responded to your question and find out what works best for you. rangerj

For years I used a product called IPS Weld On 3 - drys slightly slower than Tenax 7 but I like that cause sometime I need to make adjustments - But Weld On 3 cost about 3.95 for two ounces - Then I found the commercial version of Weld On 3 - Pleximent or Pleximent Chloride - I was running low last week and bought a gallon for $27.95 (US) - thats 128 ounces of the stuff (should last 10 years)

Good discussion all around. I'll add my quick thoughts:

As Gip mentioned, some of those chemicals are pretty nasty so be sure you're well informed about what your buying/using. I have developed a 'sensitivity' to CA glues as Gip mentioned. Whenever I use the stuff for extended times, I get totally congested and can't stop sneezing. I think that's my body telling me something...


Murray

Murray,

Maybe you're allergic to modeling. Wouldn't that be a hoot!!

hahahahahha.....alergic to modeling...(the horror).
Thanks everyone for all the advice, it sounds like i need to just try different glues for the different situations (except the carconagenic ones ) too see what works best, but atleast i have some info to start with now. once again thanks
jim

Thanks for all the great input. My problem appears to be around removing excess seam glue/plastic material and retaining any model details (rivets, plate designs etc). Suggestions.