Glue Suggestions

[Swifster]

OK, so I'm just getting back into the model car stuff for the first time since being a teenager in the late 70's & early 80's. I'm just going to start with the basics and work my way up. I'm going to start with a kit I got at a garage sale. It's a semi-unopened AMT '67 Mercury Comet Cyclone. I say semi-unopened, as the plastic pieces are still in plastic bags even if the box was opened.

My first need will be glue. After 30 years, what are suggested brands of glue? Back in the day, all I remember using was Testors orange tube of glue. Is there anything better? Anything to watch out for?

[charlie8575]

Hi, Tom. Welcome back.

Testors tube cement still has its uses. It's good for slow drying time when you want to fiddle with things. Yes, it can still get a little stringy, but it's still the best choice out there for those type of assemblies.

For liquid, I also use Testors, although a lot of people like Tamiya Extra Thin cement. I'm probably going to try it sometime, as it's supposed to work quite well. Ambroid Pro-Weld, if you can find it, is also very good.

I like gel-type superglue for assembling components that end up being painted prior to assembly, like suspensions and some engine assemblies.

For attaching clear parts, Testors clear parts cement, which is akin to white glue with a small amount of plastic solvent, is quite popular. It has just enough solvent to fuse the parts, but is mostly white glue, so it won't fog the clear plastic. Other people have used the "craft" glues, such as Aleene's, commonly available at most variety stores, Wal-Mart, craft and art suppliers, and the like.

Charlie Larkin

[Monty]

I keep about five different kinds of glue in my work area.

Due to its slower drying speed, Testors tube glue is useful for situations where you may want to reposition the parts before they're fully bonded. It also has decent strength once fully dry.

Liquid glues (Model Master, Tenax, Ambroid etc) are great for things like engine block halves. Model Master's version has a thin steel tube that helps prevent excess glue from being applied. The others, if still available, have a built-in brush to apply the glue.

CA type glues (crazy glue) are extremely popular, although I only use mine for difficult-to-bond issues. From what I've seen, they don't "weld" the plastic together like regular model glues, but they have the advantage of creating an almost instant bond. They also come in thin, medium and gap-filling formulas, which comes in handy too. IIRC, they may cause fogging on plated parts and model glass.

Canopy glue - this is the stuff to get for model glass applications. If you've ever felt the disappointment that comes from a glue smudge on a windshield or had a headlight lens turn solid white from glue fumes, this is the stuff to buy to prevent it from happening again. Some say Elmer's glue works, but I'd be concerned about bond strength on windshields and back glass.

Heavy white craft glue (Basically a thicker Elmer's glue). This is the stuff to use when you're just mocking up an assembly. It has enough "hold" to keep things together while you're contemplating your decision, but comes apart easily.

Fortunately, none of these glues are expensive, so it wouldn't hurt to have at least a couple of them on hand.

HTH

(Wow, I spent so much time editing my reply Charlie beat me with virtually the same answers)

[Swifster]

Thanks guys. To start with, I'll pick up some regular Testors and some of the liquid. I'll pick up some CA while on my travels. The canopy or Elmers I won't need right away, so I'll get that when I'm ready to pop in the windows. I'll pick up other stuff as needed and located (I do a lot of driving for work).

Thanks for the suggestions and help.

[charlie8575]

(Wow, I spent so much time editing my reply Charlie beat me with virtually the same answers)

For the record, Monty's warning about superglue is clear parts is very accurate. DO NOT do it.

Charlie Larkin

[MonoPed]

I use Plastruct Bondene liquid cement, Zap thin CA (super glue), Formula 560 canopy glue (flexible white glue, dries clear), and 5 minute epoxy, depending on the application.

[sjordan2]

I'll just interrupt the glue question for a second to say that if you're just getting back into modeling, it can't hurt to have a bunch of other how-to knowledge on hand. Here's a great start:

http://www.italianhorses.net/Tutorials/tutorials.htmd

We now return you to your program, already in progress.

[Swifster]

I'll just interrupt the glue question for a second to say that if you're just getting back into modeling, it can't hurt to have a bunch of other how-to knowledge on hand. Here's a great start:

http://www.italianhorses.net/Tutorials/tutorials.htmd

We now return you to your program, already in progress.

Added to my favorites list. Thanks!

[MikeMc]

I'll just interrupt the glue question for a second to say that if you're just getting back into modeling, it can't hurt to have a bunch of other how-to knowledge on hand. Here's a great start:

http://www.italianho.../tutorials.htmd

We now return you to your program, already in progress.

Skip....your link drew a blank.........

http://www.italianhorses.net/Tutorials/tutorials.htm

Edited July 31, 2010 by MikeMc

[sjordan2]

Skip....your link drew a blank.........

http://www.italianhorses.net/Tutorials/tutorials.htm

Very odd. I just clicked on the link copied in your own response and it took me right there.

This is Alex Kustov's site, and maybe it will help if you just Google Italian Horses.net, then click from whatever comes up.

[Swifster]

Skip....your link drew a blank.........

http://www.italianhorses.net/Tutorials/tutorials.htm

Mike, it did for me to. But if you trim down the link to just 'italianhorses.net', it'll take you to the base website, and the tutorial option is along the top.. There are a lot of great 'how-tos' on that site.

[KurtS]

After mistakenly using CA glue on clear parts and fogging them up, I found out about some stuff called "Gator Glue", which works great on clear parts!

[Lyonsperf]

Has anyone else had issues with the Testors clear plastic cement? Everytime I use it it seems to be seperated in the bottle and have to squeeze out quite a bit until the white stuff starts to flow. If you shake it first it just creates bubbles.

Also, how are you guys applying Tenax? I tried the brush method but it seems to evaporate before getting to the part. I had one of those capillary tube applicators but it clogged and I can't get it to un-clog.

[crazyjim]

I usually use Micro Krystal Klear for windows.

The same thing happened to me with the Tenax applicator. I followed the directions to clear it, but that didn't seem to work.

[Deckerz]

i use humbrol glue, it can eat away at paint but its recomended by most model manufacture to scrape the paint off the part your gluing. It dries clear so i use it on windows too, i just use a toothpick and apply a very thin line to the window frame on newer cars, on older cars its eaiser because most of their windows go on the inside.