Styrene and Cement to Model

[toyota00]

I tried putting styrene on my model last night but it would not stick well. I have ProWeld, I bought it off Towerhobbies.com. It doesn't hold that strong. What is something good that will hold styrene to my model very solid so I can sand it when it is glued to the model. Thanks -Toyota00

[toyota00]

Anyone? Thanks

[cartuner]

best way is the first way. just use testors glue with the styrene it will hold the best and strongest. it's all i use on my models and when i work with styrene.

[mike@af]

I use Testors Liquid Model Cement mostly, sometimes I'll use Ambroid Proweld. I havent had any problems yet. How are you applying it? I've noticed the Ambroid evaporates a lot faster than the Testors so it takes a little bit more help soften the plastic.

[RallyRaider]

If the ProWeld is one of the liquid styrene glues it is strange it doesn't work for you. How are you applying it?

Tamiya's extra thin liquid cement is the stuff I generally use. Works great, makes a really strong joint, basically fusing the two pieces of styrene together.

[toyota00]

It has the brush built onto the cap so I just dab it in the glue and put in on the styrene. Then I tried putting some on the model and styrene onto it that way. Niether way works, and it really isn't dry when I get it there, it just doesn't hold the styrene on it... Is there any type of glue for plumbing or something at a local hardware store that will work? Thanks

[D_LaMz]

Use use Tamiya regular cement

[drunken monkey]

did you just say that it isn't dry when you get back to it?
and you still decide to sand it when it is wet?

[RallyRaider]

Hmm, sounds like you aren't doing anything wrong. Liquid styrene glues work by disolving the surface so it melds in with the plastic of the other part. For best results you need to apply it to both parts before fitting. Or, if you can fit the part then use capilary action to make the extra thin style glues flow into the gap.

Maybe you have the wrong type of glue? Try some Tamiya or Testors if you can find it.

[sileightsix]

I'm pretty sure I know how to solve this problem.

The two pieces you are trying to join together need to be prepped before assembly. The adhesive needs something to grab and hold onto. This is done by lightly sanding the sufaces of the two parts that will be joined with 80-180 grit sandpaper. Here's the key. APPLY SCALE PRESSURE. This is a concept I recently became aware of while removing sprue remnants from the trimmed pieces of a model kit. Don't sand too hard or in the wrong places. Think "1/24 amount of actual force required to create tiny grooves that adhesives can use to fulfil your request." Also, try to know the limitations/ratios of the parts your are manipulating. By this I mean attempting to glue some part that is too heavy for the amount of adhesive utilized will be futile. Ya falla'?

Hope that helps some.

[drunken monkey]

there shouldn't really be a problem with the surfaces of the material as he seems to be using a plastic cement which works by melting the surfaces which bond when the solvent evaporates.
he says that it is still wet when he gets back to it which leaves me with two lines of thought:
there is a problem with the Proweld
he isn't letting it dry properly.

the other possiblity that I can think of is that your model isn't plastic.
hmm.... you are trying to join two bits of bare plastic, right? You're not trying to join a non-painted part to a painted part, right?

[toyota00]

It IS NOT wet when I come back. This is when it is dry. I will try a couple things metioned above. Maybe I just need a different glue. Thanks a bunch for helping. Does anyone know if there is a good type of glue at hardware stores? Thanks again

[JTRACING]

when you use liquid glue, you hold the 2 parts together and then apply the glue to the seem, let it run down the joint and hold for a few seconds. then let it sit and cure.

[SteveK2003]

I use the Testors cements exclusively, and they all seem to hold pretty well. The glue in the orange tube and the needle-point applicator are good for most applications where the glue joint is large, and the liquid works well in most other applications.

The liquid is strong in the end, but it takes a while to cure. I asked at the LHS about the Tenex and other types of cements, and I was told they bond more quickly, but aren't as strong. I was also told MEK (Methyl ethyl ketone) was basically the same thing and you can get a large jar of it for much cheaper than buying them in the LHS.

Also, one of the brands of plastic-stock is not styrene, it's something else, and they sell their own cement for it.

[mike@af]

Originally Posted by SteveK2003

I use the Testors cements exclusively, and they all seem to hold pretty well. The glue in the orange tube and the needle-point applicator are good for most applications where the glue joint is large, and the liquid works well in most other applications.

The liquid is strong in the end, but it takes a while to cure. I asked at the LHS about the Tenex and other types of cements, and I was told they bond more quickly, but aren't as strong. I was also told MEK (Methyl ethyl ketone) was basically the same thing and you can get a large jar of it for much cheaper than buying them in the LHS.

Also, one of the brands of plastic-stock is not styrene, it's something else, and they sell their own cement for it.

Plastruct does that, but they usually label it as PVC and ABS for whichever is suiting.