Tamiya cement guestion? Please explain..

[rattle can man]

Bottom Line: read the label and the MSDS. If unsure which to use, test it. Each of these glues need different methods. But the quality of your bond depends on clean, bare plastic surfaces for the best joint possible.

It has been a long time since I tried citrus-based glue, but I remember it did not work that great. But perhaps newer formulas do.

[Bainford]

2 hours ago, TDHofstetter said:

I may predate you here. The red/white pre-inhalant-freakout Testors tube stuff was in fact solvent cement with some quantity of polystyrene already dissolved into it to make it gloppy. It absolutely melted the plastic surfaces it got onto and wrecked them if it got onto places where it should not go; there was no way to remove it like you can always remove glues.

I agree entirely. I'm not sure what oldracer is referring to, but the stuff in the old familiar red & white Testors tube is absolutely plastic-welding cement. Any one who has struggled with ripping apart an old glue bomb, or as a kid, having used too much of it to glue in the windows only to have the roof develop some unsightly divots weeks later, can attest to that. He also suggests it's not available in Canada, but it is certainly readily available on the East Coast.

[Chris V]

Speaking from long experience, I mainly use Tamiya’s Liquid Cement (White cap), Extra Thin Cement (Green cap), and Quick Setting Extra Thin Cement (Lime green cap) for various modeling purposes 

Apart from their consistency, the three types have different properties: The thicker the consistency, the longer the drying time AND the stronger the bond: 

Extra Thin (Green) is suitable for most purposes. As noted above it’s applied through capillary action: you hold the parts to be joined together and apply a tiny drop of cement to the seam. Howeever when an extra strong bond is required (e.g. bodywork) I apply Liquid Cement (White) and “zap” the seam with a dab of Extra Thin Cement (Green) after mating the surfaces. 
Quick Setting (Lime green) is extremely useful for tacking parts in place but gives a significantly weaker bond. The great advantage is that it evaporates and sets very quickly. The glue seam can be sanded and painted over within 24 hours without sinking/ghosting under the paint. Apart from the weaker bond it has the additional disadvantage that it’s hotter solvents can turn plastic brittle, making it less than ideal for applying thin styrene strips to curved surfaces.

Finally there’s Taniya’s ABS glue (Blue cap): The consistecy is close to the regular Liquid cement (White cap). Apart from ABS it’s suitable for gluing some other “oily” types of plastic, including Cycolac which was used for AMT Promo models in the sixties and seventies.

 

As a general note I strongly recommend sanding away any plating or paint from surfaces to be joined with plastic cement. Even if the cement can dissolve the paint and underlying plastic, the paint residue will result in a weaker bond and a glue seam more prone to cracking. 

[Bugatti Fan]

I think I might need a degree in chemistry to differentiate between all those Tamiya liquid cements !   Lol.

My adhesive armoury is very simple EMA Plastic Weld, Tamiya Extra Thin Liquid, Humbrol Tube Cement, Fast and Slow Setting Epoxy, Runny and Gel CA, PVA Wood Adhesive, Card Glue, Super Phatic Wood Glue and a General Purpose Contact Adhesive.  These basic adhesives serve all of my needs generally.

Not really interested in a chemistry lesson about the subtle nuances of liquid cements or about their odours, interesting though they may be.  All I am actually bothered about is having stuff to hand that works !

 

[peteski]

No need for a chemistry degree, but knowing at least the basics of the chemicals you use makes you a better informed and overall better modeler.  This is especially important with paints, but understanding adhesives is also very helpful.

[Bugatti Fan]

Oh!   I have never really bothered to learn about the basics of the chemicals I have been using for making my models for 60 plus years. My goodness! I didn't realise I have been so ill informed in all that time ! 

As for making me a better modeller, having won a number of awards at national competition level over the years I must have just been plain lucky given my ignorance.

By the way Pete, this post of mine is just a tongue in cheek wind up !      Lol.

Edited February 27 by Bugatti Fan

[peteski]

12 hours ago, Bugatti Fan said:

Oh!   I have never really bothered to learn about the basics of the chemicals I have been using for making my models for 60 plus years. My goodness! I didn't realise I have been so ill informed in all that time ! 

Whatever . . .

We all do things our own way. We're all individuals!

 

[Bugatti Fan]

Life of Brian.        Brilliant film !         'What did the Romans do for us?'