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Modeling in General
General discussions about modeling topics.
Anyone Use Superglue Instead of Cement?
chip250
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Posted: Friday, June 13, 2003 - 06:16 PM UTC
Does anyone here besides me use superglue instead of model cement to bond pieces together?

I have built 7 model planes exclusivly with superglue and have had no problems. Is this normal or should I seek help?

~Chip #:-)

By the way, those seven are absoulute works of art. I even had an admirals aide tell me. I hate to brag, but its not that easy being the best. HA HA HA, Yeah it is. It sucks!!! Such high standards to live up to.
Merlin
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AEROSCALE
#017
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Posted: Friday, June 13, 2003 - 07:53 PM UTC
Hi Chip

I certainly use superglue for attaching metal & resin parts or where solvent is going to "eat" delicate plastic parts. I also use it as a filler, but be sure to sand it within a 1/2 hour or the superglue becomes much harder than the surrounding plastic!

There's no reason why it shouldn't work for the whole kit - with resin models I use superglue or epoxy (which allows a bit more time to position parts accurately.

One reason I don't rely on superglue more is that the stuff has always gone hard in the tube just when I need it!

Still, if it works for you, carry on - you must be doing something right!

All the best
scoccia
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Posted: Friday, June 13, 2003 - 10:03 PM UTC
In my models I use much more cynao than "conventional" glue. I think that if you're quick enough in positioning the parts (or using cyano with longer bond time) you get hold of building your model quite a lot faster than with standard glues...
Ciao
brandydoguk
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Posted: Friday, June 13, 2003 - 10:44 PM UTC
I certainly use superglue for glueing small parts, for larger pieces such as fuselage halves I sometimes use a drop or two of superglue to "tack" the halves together and then run liquid polly down the joins. I do this so that when I squeeze the halves together I get little beads of disolved plastic protruding out which when sanded down reduces the need for filler. (another tip I picked up from the guys here on Armourama)
AJLaFleche
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Posted: Saturday, June 14, 2003 - 12:11 AM UTC
Since I do a lot of figures in resin and metal, CA is [i] de rigeur. [/] When doing AC and armor, I use Tenax or Platruct's liquid cement, depending on what was available at my local shop.

As to whether you need help, you're putting together bits and pieces of plastic and hanging out here... #:-)
didiumus
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Posted: Saturday, June 14, 2003 - 03:15 PM UTC
There was a time when I used cyano for almost all assembly work, but I don't anymore. Cyano is much too brittle for many applications, such as main airframe work.

It is preferable to old tube cement, but I use a combination of MM liquid cement, Tamiya extra thin cement, and Ambroid proweld. I still use CA to tack and hold small parts.

HTH

Scott
BoarHead
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Posted: Saturday, June 14, 2003 - 03:24 PM UTC
I hate using cyanoacrylate to bond pieces together (except for metal and resin parts). The whole piece will:
1) Be much more fragile since the parts are not bond together
2) The separation lines between parts will be visible. If you know how to handle standard model glue correctly, you can take advantage of the excess overflowing to eliminate those ugly gaps without the need of putty
Grasshopp12
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Posted: Saturday, June 14, 2003 - 03:28 PM UTC
I echo what DVX said.
blaster76
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Posted: Saturday, June 14, 2003 - 06:14 PM UTC
Ditto superglue is a last resort
Easy_Co
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Posted: Sunday, June 15, 2003 - 06:06 AM UTC
I use it for small parts and those lovely parts that kit manufactures put in that defy gravity all the best.
csch
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Posted: Sunday, June 15, 2003 - 01:35 PM UTC
Only for PE or metal or resin parts and for some parts of the kit where I need a strong adherence.
Sometimes (rare) I use cement and after a couple of minutes I put CA to make a strong adherence, I do this in some armor builds, specially when I have to glue the upper and lower hull (not always you can do this).
chip250
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Posted: Sunday, June 15, 2003 - 07:16 PM UTC
I ahve to agree with PhantomMajor. It really speeds up production time, and I am finding myself strangly in the mood to work on models instead of hanging our at Armorama.
I just hope there isn't something that the public wasn't told about superglue. Something to the effect of "It will lose its bond in 5-10 years" I would go nut, well I already am, but.

~Chip #:-)
Siggi
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Posted: Tuesday, June 17, 2003 - 08:45 AM UTC
I use CA only where necessary, and to hold heatsinks to chips (which, considering the heat and vibration, leads me to believe it'll probably hold it's own over time with a plastic kit).
Savage
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Posted: Tuesday, June 17, 2003 - 09:06 AM UTC
Superglue for PE resin and 'when in doubt', Humbrol precision poly cement for the other (no name dropping intended I just like the stuff).
AIRB842586
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Posted: Saturday, June 21, 2003 - 09:48 AM UTC
I'll use CA as often as I can get away with it, I like it because it's odorless. It's a real comfort knowing I'll be able to wake up the next morning without a headache from smelling fumes all night. That's also a large reason I use mostly acrylic paints.
Marty
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Posted: Saturday, June 21, 2003 - 10:12 AM UTC
I certainly use superglue but not exclusively. I only use it to bond metal parts or those that have been painted.
Machu
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Posted: Saturday, June 21, 2003 - 01:42 PM UTC
Regular cement is probably better in the long run because it fuses the plastic together, but superglue is good for glueing things that are awkward or when glueing plastic to a material besides plastic. However, I don't use superglue any more because of the new plastic cement I've been using (Ambroid ProWeld). It very fast and extremely strong.
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