What glue to use?

[Swooshiex]

What glue should I use to glue together the plastic parts of kits?

Is this glue sold on Amazon?

Thank you!

[Jefuemon]

Personally, I use Tamiya Extra-thin as my main glue, and Mr Cement as a secondary glue.

I've used Ambroid Pro-weld in the past and liked it, but it's neigh impossible to find that in Japan.

[jardann]

I primarily use the Tamiya Extra Thin as well.

Sometimes I use the Testors liquid cement, This is thicker than the Tamiya and can give you a longer working time to align the parts and it won't run down every little nook and cranny on the parts. Make sure you get the black bottle with the black label. It has a metal applicator tip that doesn't clog. Stay away from the orange labelled bottle. It has a plastic tip that clogs and becomes useless after a couple of uses, I don't even know why they sell it in that bottle.

Any of the various plastic cements actually melt and fuse the plastic parts together so that they kind of "weld" the parts together creating a strong bond and if done properly, fills the seams where two parts meet.

I know several people who use CA (super glue, there are various brands in varying degrees of thickness etc.) for all of their assembly. I only use it for certain applications like when joining non-plastic parts etc. It can help fill gaps, but it eventually cures harder than the plastic, so sanding it can be difficult after a while.

For clear parts, I usually use plain old white glue (Elmer's brand etc.) It doesn't mar or fog the clear plastic and it can fill small gaps around the edge of an airplane canopy. Sometimes I just flow a bit of Pledge/Future acrylic floor polish around the edge and let that hold the clear parts in place. That is not as strong, but easily removed or corrected if needed and very gentle to the plastic.

[MechTech]

This should help: http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?showtopic=38794&page=1 - MT

[Swooshiex]

Thank you all! What are the downsides of using Super Glue?

[Vifam7]

Thank you all! What are the downsides of using Super Glue?

Less forgiving if you make mistakes.

Also more expensive.

[Swooshiex]

Less forgiving if you make mistakes.

Also more expensive.

hmm i thought it'll be cheaper? i can get a tube at the 99 cents store.

[Vifam7]

hmm i thought it'll be cheaper? i can get a tube at the 99 cents store.

Those tubes never last. At least in my experience.

The ones in the plastic bottles are better but the more times it's used, the crust on application tip starts to impede complete seal of the cap which then leads to the glue going bad. And it's hard to get that crust off.

The Tamiya and Testors liquid cement bottles last much much longer in my experience.

[Kylwell]

Tenax 7R myself. Not sure who carries it online.

[modelglue]

...What are the downsides of using Super Glue?

Besides those points already mentioned, superglue will fog your canopies and other clear parts, and can sometimes fog plastic and painted parts. I have used Proweld, Tamiya liquid cement (in the clear jar with the brush), and gel superglue with success. I think you are best off with a thin glue like Tenax or proweld, which have 'welding properties' and can diminish seams like jardaan mentioned.

I would stay away from the .99 superglue, this is great for that one time you want to glue the teapot handle back on, but it is hardly economical or handy for building models.

modelglue

[Swooshiex]

Does it matter whether the plastics are ABS and PVC? Do I need to use a specific glue for specific plastics?

Right now I'm leaning towards getting the Tamiya Extra-Thin.

[Noyhauser]

Yes there are specific glues to plastics. However virtually all models are styrene, toys are different.

I personally suggest you get a basic glue like tamiya (square bottle, white label) or gunze glue AND extra thin. I find extra thin difficult to use on its own, but it really helps fix seams and other issues. I use it about 1/2 or a little less than the other glue which is good for major assemblies.

[KH355hamdi]

I believe super glue will also melt the plastic.

[Kylwell]

No it won't. The catalytic reaction may soften it but it won't dissolve it like the plastic glues will.

[MechTech]

If you're looking at other than styrene (or styrene), Plastruct's stuff is good. Use AWESOME ventilations with all of these except the enviromentally safe ones: http://www.plastruct.com/pages/GlueContents.html

Another great line. I LOVE their green and SAFE styrene cement. THE BEST decal aids too. They also cary superglue:http://www.microscale.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=FINPROD

All of these I've used and reccomend. - MT

[EXO]

Those tubes never last. At least in my experience.

The ones in the plastic bottles are better but the more times it's used, the crust on application tip starts to impede complete seal of the cap which then leads to the glue going bad. And it's hard to get that crust off.

I think the common mistake with superglue is that people try to put the cap back on quickly so that it wont dry up but that's exactly why it dries up. The air gets trap inside the bottle beneath the glue at the tip. And since the glue there is a thin layer, it dries up. Just tap the bottom of the bottle to force the glue down and leave the cap off for a couple of minutes and then tap it again to make sure there's no glue left on the tip then cover it.

[PetarB]

Simple advice. Good advice. Nice one Exo!

[mechaninac]

I believe super glue will also melt the plastic.

No it won't. The catalytic reaction may soften it but it won't dissolve it like the plastic glues will.

CA glue will not melt plastic, but it will make it brittle to the point of disintegration if you use an accelerator (effects vary depending on the particular styrene blend being bonded), or rather too much accelerator... found that the hard way. On the plus side, super glue is excellent for adding strength to bonded joints; so long as the surfaces where the super glue, and just a little accelerator, is used are not visible.

[Duymon]

Tamiya Extra-thin is nice but I wouldn't use it as your first glue.

Stick with testors liquid cement. It's a little thicker easier to work-with. Don't get the tube crap, get the model-master one that has a long metal nozzle

Also avoid the non-toxic versions, they don't work for crap.

Use only a little glue, just enough to cover the parts you're joining. Eventually you'll get the feel for it and after you're proficient at using thicker glues you can move onto the thinner glues like tamiya extra thin.

[Swooshiex]

I think the common mistake with superglue is that people try to put the cap back on quickly so that it wont dry up but that's exactly why it dries up. The air gets trap inside the bottle beneath the glue at the tip. And since the glue there is a thin layer, it dries up. Just tap the bottom of the bottle to force the glue down and leave the cap off for a couple of minutes and then tap it again to make sure there's no glue left on the tip then cover it.

Good tip, thank you!

[anime52k8]

Tamiya Extra-thin is nice but I wouldn't use it as your first glue.

Stick with testors liquid cement. It's a little thicker easier to work-with. Don't get the tube crap, get the model-master one that has a long metal nozzle

Also avoid the non-toxic versions, they don't work for crap.

Use only a little glue, just enough to cover the parts you're joining. Eventually you'll get the feel for it and after you're proficient at using thicker glues you can move onto the thinner glues like tamiya extra thin.

I remember those, god I hated that bottle design. so frakking obnoxious to work with. My go to glue is Testors Liquid Cement (the kind that comes in the glass jar with a brush in the lid) for larger parts and Tamiya Extra thin for smaller stuff. This is of course just for styrene, any other kind of plastic (abs, resin, acrylic, etc.) I go use Loctite super glues. I prefer their ultra control gel (black bottle with blue grips), time control gel (black bottle with green grip) and control liquid (grey bottle with red grips).

[Swooshiex]

I remember those, god I hated that bottle design. so frakking obnoxious to work with. My go to glue is Testors Liquid Cement (the kind that comes in the glass jar with a brush in the lid) for larger parts and Tamiya Extra thin for smaller stuff. This is of course just for styrene, any other kind of plastic (abs, resin, acrylic, etc.) I go use Loctite super glues. I prefer their ultra control gel (black bottle with blue grips), time control gel (black bottle with green grip) and control liquid (grey bottle with red grips).

Hmm I'm confused. Will Tamiya Extra Thin damage ABS, PVC, etc.?

[MechTech]

The Tamiya cement is made for styrene and will marr, but not glue ABS, unless you soak it like crazy, then it's no longer a clean seem. PVC, I don't know. That's another plastic when used in models usually needs super glue (CA). - MT

[anime52k8]

Hmm I'm confused. Will Tamiya Extra Thin damage ABS, PVC, etc.?

yeah, it's not that it will damage the plastic, it's that it won't actually bond the plastic. Tamiya Extra Thin (and all other liquid cements) work buy melting the plastic so it physically bonds together. stuff like ABS and resin don't melt properly if at all when you put liquid cement on them. I have no idea what PVC will do either, but seeing as how PVC is often used for rubbery parts, I'd be concerned about it having a negative effect on the flexible properties of the parts.

[Swooshiex]

hmm, i read on Wikipedia that lego bricks are made using ABS.

Any examples of plastic toys that are made using PVC?

[SebastianP]

Pretty much anything that isn't hard - I'm fairly sure a lot of dolls are made from PVC, for example. Think Barbie and Cindy,

Regular model kits are made from styrene (PS), and pretty much any brand of styrene cement will work - that's what it's for. Depending on what I'm doing, I use Revell Contacta in the needle applicator bottle, or Humbrol Liquid Poly from a glass bottle with a brush in it. Generally, the latter is for big seams like gluing airplane halves together. It is actually safe to use styrene cement for clear parts - apply the cement to the non-clear part, blow on it for a couple of seconds to get rid of the worst fumes, then press the clear part on. Works better than trying to use non-solvent glue, in my experience.

Bandai kits are made from mixed plastics, and for those you need either extra strong solvent cement or superglue. I suggest the latter, because the extra strong solvents are nasty and do awful things to styrene, plus they're hard to come by.

Vinyl reacts poorly to solvents - either it doesn't react at all, or it goes completely melty. Or worse, it might crumble to bits after it dries. IIRC, you can melt vinyl bits together with something hot, but it takes a bunch of practice to do right, so I wouldn't try it with anything important to start with.

[Swooshiex]

For plastics like those used in the Yamato plane kit, can I use Tamiya extra thin?

[anime52k8]

For plastics like those used in the Yamato plane kit, can I use Tamiya extra thin?

As far as I'm aware, the Yamato assembly kit's are almost entirely ABS and POM plastic. So no.

[Swooshiex]

What about the Bandai 1/250 gashapon toys? I have no idea what type of plastics that they use.

Thank you!