Photo-etched parts

Another one that works very well is clear nail polish(basicly the same as clear enamel, just thicker). Mostly I use thick CA follwed by accelerator, when I have the part just so. DON'T use Testors liquid unless you like parts to fall off down the road. Sorry don't like to contradict anybody, but the main thing to remember is you are after a mechanical bond(material 1-adhesive-material 2). Testors and similar "glues" are really solvents. They don't produce a mechanical bond, but rather a weld.

I have used gloss varnish to attach intrument bezels, I find this a great way to attach them as it is easier to work with than CA, and the gloss provides a nice 'glass' effect for the instrument. I usually use CA for other types of PE, but for flat items the gloss varnish idea works well as long as strength is not so important.

Double sided sticky tape might work as well

Also when you use super glue, use an accelerator. Put a little on a toothpick and drop it on the super glue while holding the part in place. Sets up almost instantly.

I have been experimenting with different materials to glue PE parts on to models, and have found a very acceptable method. I use 'Testors' liquid cement. Just place a tiny ammount where you want the part to sit, then place the part. (if the part is very small, I use saliva on a tooth pick to hold the part while placing it on the model). You have a few moments to postiton the part before the glues dries. Of course this only works on bare plastic. It holds better than white glue and does not leave the mess that the super glues can.

I don't have a lot of experience with p/e, but I have attached some small parts with Future. It doesn't work very well for parts that are 'vertical' to the attached surface, but it they lay flat, it works quite well. The only issue is that it takes quite a while for the Future to dry. Super glue and other methods will result in much quicker drying times.

M.

Try using a gel super glue. You can use a pin or a toothpick to put a dot of glue right where you need it, on the part being glued or the place where the part is to be glued. No muss, no fuss.

i have had huge sucess with microscale crystal clear (or i think that is what it is called) i used this for all my PE dashs and any clear parts that need attaching.

With respect to super glue I use the thin stuff. It can be difficult to work with. I start by putting a drop on a mirror or piece of glass. I picked up a cheap mirror from the store and removed the frame. Then I use an x-acto blade that has a curve in it. Not sure what the number is. Just get a little on the edge of the blade and put the edge where you want to glue to flow. Capillary action will draw the glue in between the PE part and whatever you're attaching it to. Careful using this around clear parts though. The suggestion on using the clear paint is an excellent idea and one that I will try on my current project.

Getting back to the mirror. The glue is easy to clean off. I first try to wipe off any unused glue before it has a chance to set up. But then once it's dry I use an x-acto chisel blade to scrape the dry stuff off. I then use alcohol to do the final cleaning.

Hi again guys!
Well I tried the CA super glue, but is was hard to work with. I switched to the craft Elmer's glue and that was very much better to get the very small parts to stick and stay where I put them. Thanks again for your help!

Pats

Future makes a great gloss cote...but I don't think I've ever heard of it being used to apply PE parts. I have heard that super glues will sometimes cause a clear canopy to fog up (permenently) but if they are coated in Future before hand this doesn't happen. Of course I'm not an aircraft builder so maybe a couple of them can give a little more clarity to this.

Thanks so much guys! I didn't want to use the wrong stuff and kick myself! I also had someone e-mail me and suggest also using futrue floor wax to appy them, any thoughts on that?

Thanks again!
Pats

Yepper, super glue, epoxy and... clear enamel? Cool! I never thought of that!

Another thing I use that's more suitable than one might think is plain-'ole craft glue. Basically the same as white glue, this stuff dries to a rubbery consistency and will not lose it's grip on the PE, even if the model gets jarred.

Many times a few models have gotten tossed around in the car on the way to a show because of someone's stunt driving and the other guys had broken pieces when we got there. I've had really good luck to this point with craft glue and breakage, or lack thereof.

Th downside to using this stuff is the slow drying time. Other than that, it's almost perfect for most brass applications.

Fade to Black...

I use three types of adhesive. 5 minute epoxy, super glue, or clear enamel. Hope this helps.
Lee