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What’s your favorite glue or adhesive?


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I don't have one favorite glue, I use various glues for different reasons. But the glue I like that probably cant be found any longer, for permanent assembly of the main parts, is/was Model Master black bottle.  Or if there will be some form of stress, like door hinges, I like the black bottle glue. When mine runs out, not sure what I'll use then. The Testors orange tube isn't bad but not as strong as the black bottle. If you think you might want to pop the model apart, just tack glue together with the orange tube.

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I usually use lacquer thinner as a thin liquid cement and regular Gorilla brand super glue for stuff I can't use the thinner on.

My favorite brand super glue was Ross brand but I haven't seen any in a few years.

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Tamiya thin and regular cement. Bob Smith Industries gold, as it won’t fog clear parts. Watch crystal cement also for certain things like windows and headlights . I also use two part, 5 min epoxy most of all, as no scraping of paint or chrome to bond. Elmers white glue for mock ups, but I did try the micro liquid tape, but tossed it in the trash after I had a heck of a time removing it from a build. 

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3M Scotch brand superglue for most assemblies.  Testors liquid adhesive for things I want to weld together permanently (like engine blocks), their clear parts adhesive for windshields and lights and liquid version of the tube glue for stuff I want to place precisely and can take time to dry.

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Man, I use all kinds of stuff! For bonding styrene, I use Weld-On 4 (straight), the same, cut about 50-50 with Testors liquid cement, and straight Testors. I use them differently, depending on the situation, and working time needed. I use both thin super glue, and gel super glue from Loctite. I prefer contact cement for gluing sheet metal (but, most have no need, for that). I also recently started using GS Hypo Cement. It's clear and non-fogging, and can be used for "glass".

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Also, I've used several brands super glue. But for thin supergule I've found Zap to really work well. And I like the Gorilla gel super glue for some things. These besides what I already said in my other post.

For clear parts, I like the Testors clear parts glue.

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Like everyone, I use all types of glue for different material combinations and fitment situations. My favourite for styrene to styrene joints has always been Tamiya extra thin quick setting if the fit is good enough. Lately I find myself using CA more and more…mostly because I am too impatient to wait for other glues to dry.😬

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I use the Revell Contacta Professional as above for bare styrene, but I don't know if they've changed the formula as it seems a bit thin now? I use Loctite superglue gel for small chrome parts like door handles, and PVA for glazing.

Funny this topic has come up as my Mum gave me one of those UV cure glue kits yesterday, has anyone tried them on a build?

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3 hours ago, Mattblack said:

Funny this topic has come up as my Mum gave me one of those UV cure glue kits yesterday, has anyone tried them on a build?

I have tried Bondic and one other brand. I wouldn’t really call them “glues” because they don’t really adhere to any solid surfaces. 

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i use CA (super glue) with a kicker (since the 80's) that way im not waiting hr's or days for the glue to dry. i can move on to the next step in seconds once i hit it with the kicker. i like a thick or medium the best, but i do keep a bottle of thin around and a bottle of debonder is a must...i also keep a bottle of plastruct plastic weld around for strength if im scratch building say like a oil field truck frame.

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humbrol poly cement for plastic but its been hard to find recently so i've been using revell. its a little thinner than the humbrol. for resin, pe and prints i use the cheapest superglues from the pound shop. if theres less than 8 in the pack i dont buy them. i've been experimenting with tamiya glues but i'm not ready to use them on a model yet. for flocking i use humbrol gloss enamels in a close colour and for small pe i use sometimes use clear enamel

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Very much a matter of availability and habit, I know people who build nicely and well using classic tube glue. I myself use Revells almost exclusively, ethylacetate like Tamiya's thin I moved almost completely phased out, Super glue only if it is like metal pins. I like Revells glue because it gives strong bonding and I feel that body modifications are both stronger than with super glue which is brittle, the glue joint gets the same properties as the plastic. In addition, I find that the Revell glue joint releases the solvent faster than when I glued with thin liquid glue.IMG_8836.webp.231132a0542ff68e2573307516e5ed9e.webp

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1 hour ago, slusher said:

I bought some Testors liquid glue with the brush.  Anyone else use it?

I always have a bottle on the bench. It works fine for plastic to plastic (styrene). It's a little slow. I like to speed it up a tad by mixing it with Weld-on 4, but, it's fine, by itself.

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7 hours ago, Straightliner59 said:

I always have a bottle on the bench. It works fine for plastic to plastic (styrene). It's a little slow. I like to speed it up a tad by mixing it with Weld-on 4, but, it's fine, by itself.

A little slow is good for me, so I can get in my 6 attempts to get something to where I perceive it as straight lol. Slowish allows for wiggle room factor. It's not just my 74 years, it's always been if something grabs instantly a seam line will be off or whatever else. Double astigmatisms don't help.

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