How do you prep your glue surfaces???

[Vinny G]

Just a quick question on how you do something...

Two surfaces that will be joined with glue should be bare plastic. With this being said, do you just paint and then scrape off the paint or do you mask off areas that keep paint off the areas where glue will be???

Any other tips on this are appreciated. Please direct to existing posts if necessary.

Thanks,

Vince

[StevenGuthmiller]

I don’t scrape anything.

Haven’t for probably 40 years.

 

I use MEK glue for bare plastic prior to paint, and 2-part epoxy for virtually all assembly processes, and have no issues.

 

 

Steve

[Bainford]

I sometimes mask surfaces to be glued, if it is convenient to do so, but mostly I scrape the joint surface clean before gluing.

[R. Thorne]

I used to scrape the paint off with various devices but, now I just use ca glue in thin, medium, or thick, to vary the drying time.  If strength is a major factor (seldom for me), then scraping and model cement is the answer.

[NOBLNG]

I rarely mask attachment points anymore. I either scrape the paint off and use Tamiya thin if it’s a structural joint, or use epoxy or CA over the paint.

 

[StevenGuthmiller]

19 minutes ago, NOBLNG said:

I rarely mask attachment points anymore. I either scrape the paint off and use Tamiya thin if it’s a structural joint, or use epoxy or CA over the paint.

 

I agree.

Since I’ve begun using the glues that I use, joint strength has never been a problem.

As a matter of fact, my models generally get handled quite a bit initially, and often get dragged 300 miles or so, one way, multiple times during a season to a number of shows, and in all honesty, over the past ten years or so since I’ve begun going to shows, I’ve never once had a part fall off in transit.

Apparently the paint and glue bond is pretty good to be able to withstand 600 miles of bouncing around on bad Minnesota roads, and that’s just one trip of several.

Sometimes I think glue joint strength gets a little over emphasized.

We build static models that aren’t supposed to get a lot of rough handling anyway, so how strong does it need to be?

 

 

 

Steve

Edited April 23, 2024 by StevenGuthmiller

[Bills72sj]

I use a variety of adhesives dependent on the job at hand. I generally scrape and use Testors red thinned with Plastruct Bondene for extra "bite" I hate when pieces fall off of models. Though I have been migrating to clear two-part epoxy more and more.

[Pierre Rivard]

Tamiya cement for anything that can be pre-assembled before paint, 2-part epoxy, CA or 560 Canopy glue for painted parts (depends on the specific need). I never scrape paint off.

[bobss396]

Anything that needs strength I will pin it in place. I drill holes while things are in the raw plastic state, pin one side with brass rod, aluminum tubing or stainless steel pins (1/32"). Then I use as little CA glue as possible. I rarely ever scrape paint off anything.

[Nicholas]

if painted i sometimes scrape and use c a glue,or sometimes no scrape and ca glue

[StevenGuthmiller]

3 hours ago, bobss396 said:

Anything that needs strength I will pin it in place. I drill holes while things are in the raw plastic state, pin one side with brass rod, aluminum tubing or stainless steel pins (1/32").

There is that.

Most small exterior parts, (ie, door handles, mirrors, antennas, etc, and sometimes interior parts such as window cranks) get pinned.......although I don't deal much with metal for this, or any other purpose.

I use primarily thin plastic rod, or stretched sprue for this purpose.

But in any event, it not only helps in the strength department, but it makes the parts much easier to locate and glue into place, eliminating any problems with parts sliding around and smearing glue all over the place.

Takes a little more time and forethought, but it makes for a cleaner model in the end.

 

 

 

 

Steve

[bobss396]

19 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

There is that.

Most small exterior parts, (ie, door handles, mirrors, antennas, etc, and sometimes interior parts such as window cranks) get pinned.......although I don't deal much with metal for this, or any other purpose.

I use primarily thin plastic rod, or stretched sprue for this purpose.

But in any event, it not only helps in the strength department, but it makes the parts much easier to locate and glue into place, eliminating any problems with parts sliding around and smearing glue all over the place.

Takes a little more time and forethought, but it makes for a cleaner model in the end.

Steve

I started using paper clips and staples, which are not even close to being round items. Then onto floral wire which is strong enough and cheap. I use a lot of .093" Evergreen tubing that has an .048" hole thru it. I can use plastic or brass rod to make strong joints.

In general my go-to metal items are 1/32" and 3/64" brass rod. I have a few lengths of .031" stainless steel pins that come in handy. Most used lengths are 1/8", 3/16" and 1/4".