Lacquer Thinner versus MEK

[Foghorn Leghorn]

Got 12 empty bottles of Testors Liquid Cement and gallons of lacquer thinner plus a quart of MEK.

Is one better than the other for joining styrene?

 

[jas1957]

I don’t know about using lacquer thinner as glue but MEK works very well.

[Snake45]

Testor Liquid Cement basically IS MEK with a few additives. I'm not sure what the additives do but MEK will work fine as a cement. 

LT might or might not work. I'd only bother trying if I had absolutely nothing else to use. I do use a lot of the stuff for airbrush thinner for Testor enamels, though, and airbrush cleaner. 

[peteski]

Like snake said, lacquer thinner might or might not work. It is a blend of several solvents. Different brands use different blends. Some do have some MEK in them, but not all.  Some more recent lacquer thinners are probably rather "mild" (due to all the environmental concerns and restrictions).

MEK by itself works ok as liquid cement for styrene, but the blends sold specifically as plastic cement work better than plain MEK.

Tamiya liquid cements use acetone and other chemicals.

For best results I would just use the ready-mixed cements from hobby manufacturers, but if you want to "go cheap" then MEK will likely work better than lacquer thinner.  I find it amusing that generally speaking the automotive modelers have very tight pockets.

Edited July 18, 2021 by peteski

[Straightliner59]

1 hour ago, peteski said:

Like snake said, lacquer thinner is a blend of several solvents. Different brands use different blends. Some do have some MEK in them, but not all.  Some more recent lacquer thinners are probably rather "mild" (due to all the environmental concerns and restrictions).

MEK by itself works ok as liquid cement for styrene, but the blends sold specifically as plastic cement work better than plain MEK.

Tamiya liquid cements use acetone and other chemicals.

For best results I would just use the ready-mixed cements from hobby manufacturers, but if you want to "go cheap" then MEK will likely work better than lacquer thinner.  I find it amusing that generally speaking the automotive modelers have very tight pockets.

I just keep a small can of Weld-On 4 around. It works great, for most styrene/styrene bonds. It's also much less expensive than dedicated hobby cements.

[Snake45]

1 hour ago, peteski said:

Like snake said, lacquer thinner is a blend of several solvents.

I said no such thing, but I could have, because it's true. Probably the two most common solvents in lac thinner are toluene and xylene. 

[peteski]

8 hours ago, Snake45 said:

I said no such thing, but I could have, because it's true. Probably the two most common solvents in lac thinner are toluene and xylene. 

Sorry, I have no idea why I wrote that. My brain must have been on "neutral".   I corrected my earlier post (since that was what I really meant to write).

[Pete J.]

If cost is your primary objective then you can't beat Weldon 3 or 4.  It is about $25 a quart.  You can get it on line or at your local plexiglass fabricator's.  Every model I have built in the last 20 years was assembled with that stuff.  I have a small 1/4 pint can that was my original purchase and just refill it from the quart bottle.  A quart lasts me for years.  Just never ever leave the top off overnight.  The 1/4 pint will be gone in the morning.  I also prefer the Touch n Flow applicator I got from Micro Mark for application.  Very precise and easy to control.  

[peteski]

Yes Pete, I also have a small arsenal of liquid cements.  I use Weld-ON 4SC and also 3.

4SC actually mentions Polystyrene, while 4 does not.

Both of these are based on Methylene Chloride (similar to the old Tenax cement), and they evaporate *VERY* fast.  Sometimes it is too fast. That's where MEK-based cements come into play. When a longer open time is needed, I use MEK-based cements like Testors.  They are both useful, in different ways.

[Classicgas]

I use MEK and acrylic glue. Both work well.  Mek evaporates quickly. 

[peteski]

5 hours ago, Classicgas said:

I use MEK and acrylic glue. Both work well.  Mek evaporates quickly. 

But not as quick as Methylene Chloride. That is why I like to have both types of cements available.

[Snake45]

45 minutes ago, peteski said:

But not as quick as Methylene Chloride. That is why I like to have both types of cements available.

Same here. Sometimes you want/need an instant "weld" bond; most times you don't really. Also, the MC will work on some kinds of plastic that MEK won't. 

[Pete J.]

11 hours ago, peteski said:

Yes Pete, I also have a small arsenal of liquid cements.  I use Weld-ON 4SC and also 3.

4SC actually mentions Polystyrene, while 4 does not.

Both of these are based on Methylene Chloride (similar to the old Tenax cement), and they evaporate *VERY* fast.  Sometimes it is too fast. That's where MEK-based cements come into play. When a longer open time is needed, I use MEK-based cements like Testors.  They are both useful, in different ways.

Never heard of SC.  My large can is empty so I will seek it out.  

[peteski]

I'm pretty sure they are all based on Methylene Chloride. Probably the ratio of secondary ingredients is different between all those variants.

To be honest, I originally had the "3".  I picked up the 4SC because that was what a dealer had available at one of the model shows couple of years ago.

[Classicgas]

Both mek and acrylic  cement have worked well on every kit I've worked on since I started using them.  It's a good idea to have a  couple options available depending on the quickness of setting and positioning time you need.