There are different types of Super Glue. I do not know your leveling of knowledge of adhesives but some are better formulated for either plastics or metal, chemical reactions take place depending on their use. As well you may be using the very liquid type. I've seen some types of Super Glue are a more of a gel type, which makes it easier to control and not as likely to end up on your fingers.

I got my last Super Glue at Michaels craft store and they had a good selection. Not many other types of glues will work as well as Super Glue for this type of application.

Again my apologies if I'm saying anything you already know, but this is my experience with the same problem.

Epoxy or white glues are alternatives to CA when your using photo etch. White glues have very little tack and slow drying times though. I have not used epoxy myself so I can't comment one way or another on that stuff.

Take a step back,

Calm down,

We have all had to work out a process of using P.E. on models.

Good tweezers, and other tools help.

I, as well as the rest of my club have found that the "Gorilla Glue Super Glue" works best.

It is a little slower to set up and holds like iron when dry. It also seems to shrink back some, leaving less residue beyond the part you applied.

You can also use 30 minute epoxy, which gives you time to apply several parts before the batch you mixed cures.

Good luck!

And remember if your getting mad at modelling.....You're doing it wrong...

PANZERJAGER

I was just going to ask this question, as the next kit I'm tackling has a bunch of PE, and I've never worked with it before, so thanks for the advice on the types of glue to use.

Frankly I use Gator's Grip Glue for all my PE now, I rarely if ever use superglue for anything anymore. The GGG is a white glue like Elmer's but glues pretty much anything. And it cleans up with soap and water. 

M1,  I understand your frustration, but super glue tends to be  the first choice when gluing PE to plastic and resin. I am not  an expert on  CA glues but I know and have personally experienced that they have a limited shelf life and so expire ; 1yr. unopened and 1 month when opened. Several formulations also exist which may influence bonding and or chemical reaction between the two  dissimilar materials being joined.  If expiration or the  formulation is not applicable then take PANZERJAGER'S advice. A step back is a good idea especially if it prevents one from being completely abhorrent to the use of PE.

Good luck.

Okay Now :

Let's clear up some things here  . I have bulk C.A. that I bought from the Mfgr .It is now over four years old  . Still works great ! I will say this though , I NEVER use any kind of glue but ALEEN'S Tacky Glue to install P.E.  Dries good , Lets me get the part exactly right and is invisible and or paintable after drying . I do keep the C.A. in a cool dry place , always !

We had a club meeting last night and this subject came up when a member needed help with some PE that had to be attached to a canopy glass.  The immediate response was gator glue.  Up until last ight I had never heard or noticed it at the store.  Come payday I'll have ot get some to try out.

The real Gator's Grip is only available direct from Gator Masks.

www.gatorsmask.com/gatorglueorder1.html

Gorilla Glue and those other names are not the same stuff.

Rex

You have to use a good Super Glue GEL---what's termed "thick" on the label, Get some from a Hobby Store---don't just get some generic brand. Set up time is long enough to allow you to manuever the devilsh piece into place and move it around to find its spot. I'm currently struggling through my own PE nightmare on the Vorpanzer kit, so I heartily sympathize!

I use Super Glue GEL from Dollar Tree.

     Three-pack for a Buck

   Nail polish remover for debonding......   another Buck.

However, I use ZIP kicker  from Pacer Technology.

                     I never spray it on either.

the doog

You have to use a good Super Glue GEL---what's termed "thick" on the label, Get some from a Hobby Store---don't just get some generic brand. Set up time is long enough to allow you to manuever the devilsh piece into place and move it around to find its spot. I'm currently struggling through my own PE nightmare on the Vorpanzer kit, so I heartily sympathize!

disastermaster

I use Super Glue GEL from Dollar Tree.

     Three-pack for a Buck

   Nail polish remover for debonding......   another Buck.

                                  

              

However, I use ZIP kicker  from Pacer Technology.

                     I never spray it on either.

I also use this method for some PE parts 

M1GarandFan: Maybe we can help you diagnose your problem?

Like others have said, CA (super glue) comes in 3 consistencies: thin (water like), medium (cream like consistency) and gel.

The setting times are approximately: thin (3-5 sec), medium (7-10 sec), gel (30-45 sec)

I solely use medium viscosity.  Thin wicks and dries too quickly.  Gel gets too messy.

What I do is create a holder/palette for a few drops of my medium CA.  I make a fingertip-size impression on a slip of aluminum foil and squeeze a few drops onto the foil.  From there, I transfer the CA onto my PE or plastic part using the tip of an old #11 blade or sometimes a bit of stretched sprue or a needle, chucked into my pin vise.  If I have no aluminum foil handy and am in a pinch, I flip over a glass paint bottle and use the concave bottom of the bottle to be my CA palette. 

Invariably, the CA dries on the palette.  I either scrape it off the paint bottle bottom or make another indentation in my aluminum foil and repeat the process.  Also keep your applicator (knife, needle, etc) clean by scraping off any accumulated dried CA.

 If you find that you've applied too much CA to the parts, try to wick off some of the excess with some typing paper scraps.  Less clean up afterwards.

I really don't have any issues and use CA and tons of PE all the time.  Perhaps you're trying to apply the CA directly from the bottles/containers/squeeze tubes?  Try my method instead.

I, too, use gel superglue - Loctite brand since I like their squeeze bottles.  I keep a bottle of accelerator nearby to insta-cure the stuff once my part is placed.  If you're using the thin glue, it's VERY easy to get it all over everything including yourself.  As it was originally invented to glue human flesh to itself (as a battlefield suture in the Viet Nam war), it's extremely easy to glue yourself up but good.  

I use CA exclusively, Bob Smith industries medium (rarely, thin) to be accurate. Similar to T26, I will place a small drop on the clear plastic sheet the sprue's come in and use a toothpick to apply the glue, or dip the part itself in the the drop and attach it to the build. If I want a faster cure, I will either apply a drop of accelerator to the target area of the build prior to attaching the glue laden part to it, or attach the part and then apply the accelerator with a different toothpick. It doesn't take much.

Since Cyanoacrylates (CA) were invented as a skin bonding agent for surgery and wound repair, water will also act as a slower acting accelerator.

The only thing I don't use CA on is canopies. I use Mod Podge for that.

I use SLO-ZAP thick CA - which I believe is also a gel type super glue?   Can also agree with placing a drop or two on a separate surface, and then transferring that to the part that needs to be attached.  This limits the amount of time the bottle is uncapped and greatly adds to it's shelf life.  I've had the same bottle for over three years now.

regards,

Jack

Lots of stuff here....

I use medium thickness Hobby Lobby brand CA, and for a palette, a piece of 6" ceramic tile. By placing a few drops of glue on the tile and transferring it to the parts to be joined with a sharpened tooth pick, mess is kept to a minimum, as is wasted glue. When done, my "palette" is quickly cleaned up by scraping the dried glue off with a single-edged razor blade. I use the same palette for paint, works great.

I'd like to second Gamera's technique.

I also use Gators Grip ( the correct one, as Gamera hot-linked to) in most cases. One of the greatest things about it (IMO) is the ease of cleanup of overgluing and 'ooze-out'.

If I have to use CA, it will only be CA gel, like so many mentioned above. My CA of choice happens to be BSI Gel, but for no particular reason other than it's the gel I started with and I like it.

I use the super glues so rarely, they're usually all dried up by the time I get to use them.  For PE, my favorite is clear enamel paint.  If the part has to have any structure to it, or support anything, then I use 2-part 5-minute epoxy.  

Gene Beaird,

Pearland, Texas

Interesting to read all of the different preferred methods here.

Thanks to all of you who have responded to my post on P.E.! I really appreciate you all taking up your time to help. I will certainly give several of your suggestions a try.

It appears that I need to try using my medium CA or the gel as I've been using only the thin stuff.

Yes, I've tried to apply it right from the tube/container so I won't be doing that anymore.

Yes, Panzerjager, I realize that if this isn't fun there's something wrong.

Think I'll take a break from the kit with the P.E. and work on one of the others.

The main problem you are having is using thin CA which is sometimes ok to use depending on the application but for the most part you need to use thick viscosity. It depends on the application and the part but I generally use either thick CA or Aleene's Tacky Glue. Aleene's is a very thick white glue that grabs and stays put producing a fairly strong bond and dries clear.

If you goof and don't like how it went just either reposition the part or let it dry then carefully remove the part and the glue can be removed with a toothpick without damaging the paint or the surface.

Gator Glue has been mentioned and I guess is similar to Aleene's.

M1GarandFan

Thanks to all of you who have responded to my post on P.E.! I really appreciate you all taking up your time to help. I will certainly give several of your suggestions a try.

It appears that I need to try using my medium CA or the gel as I've been using only the thin stuff.

Yes, I've tried to apply it right from the tube/container so I won't be doing that anymore.

Yes, Panzerjager, I realize that if this isn't fun there's something wrong.

Think I'll take a break from the kit with the P.E. and work on one of the others.

Hang in there, M1,

I hate to admit it but it took me three years fighting on and off to unlock the secrets of assembling German tool clamps for WWII German tanks.  But now that I have it figured out, it's child's play...

PANZERJAGER