How about all you so called modeling experts out there give us Neotypes a run down on the various types of glues,cements and other types of adhesives that are recommended for modeling plastics, Like maybe whats good,whats bad and whats ugly. A few hints about applications would be a great help also,( Does one apply adhesive before painting or after?)
Its seems to me that no matter how great the paint job, if your model shows a lousy glue job its all for nought. Of course this is just my opinion,I may be wrong.

Quite a question. Here goes some information - I"m sure there is more

Tube glue - ie Testors. This glue actually melts the plastic and welds it together creating a very strong bond. It takes the longest to dry and can be hard to apply because its so thick. Good for plastic only. Not good over paint.

CA (spelling ??? #:-) ) - Super Glue type - ie Zap Zap itself comes in a number of "flavors" thin and runny good for 'capilary' situtations where the pieces are held together first and the glue is touched to the joint and pulled through. To thick gap filling stuff. Same basic stuff just thicker and can be used to fill in small gaps. This stuff is fast drying and hold well. Is more delicate than tube glue. I apply mine by putting a drop or two in a container (condement or piece of tile) then dip in a piece of wire and touch to the pieces.

There are lots of different brands of CA, they are all basically the same. Packaging and applicators are the draw. Some evaporate quicker than others.

Two Part Epoxy - this is heavy duty stuff. You get two tubes and mix equal parts to form a glue. This is good for diorama type applications to hold bigger heavier stuff together. Creates a weld similar to tube glue and is strong. Hard to mix sometimes and if not mixed well it will never dry.

I never apply glue from original container to the part. I always dip some type of tool (toothpick, wire, glue applicator tool, etc) into the glue then to the part. This keep the glops and blobs away.

Hope this helps and it's only one modelers thoughts - there are more to come.

Hi. Yes, those little excess 'blobs' do kind of put a modeler in a bad frame of mind occasionally.

I mostly use Testors' stuff. Some of the tube glue, but more and more lately the liquid type. I find that if you happen to get some excess of this liquid stuff on, it doesn't show near as much. And it's much easier to sand off once it has dried if you choose to do so. But if you get a bottle of the liquid glue, make a little holder of sorts to put the bottle in because sooner or later, usually sooner, you will knock it over and spill it, usually on the model or a model part, which I have done more than once. Talk about runining your day!!!

I also use super glue for the resin, PE and other assorted parts as well. I'm also using this super glue more and more to fill in areas where the Green Stuff and other model fillers tend not to work as well in larger areas. If you use it as a filler though, get some Zap Kicker that is used to harden the glue up, instantly. That way it can be sanded, filed and such right away. Build a holder to put this bottle in as well. Again, this is experience talking. Ha! Spilling a bottle of this stuff also ruins a real find day as well!!!

I have found that the regular tube glue tends to hold a bit better than the liquid kind, but it takes longer to dry. But this has just been my experience with it.

Also pick up some of those wooden tooth picks and keep good sharp points on them to apply your glue with. This will help cut down on those unsightly 'blobs' if you are using the tube stuff. I also use an old big leather needle to apply glue with as well. I just keep filing on its tip on and off to make sure it stays relatively sharp and more importantly, clean for the next use I put it to.

Whether you glue before or after painting will just depend on what works best for you and your particular model or the way you are putting it together.You'll just have to practice and experiment as you go along to find out what is the best method of glue application that works for you. And you will find lots and lots of real good information on this site to help you along the way in this hobby, no matter how far into it you get.

Good luck and take care, sgirty

He forgot the staple in most modelers arsenal, Liquid Cement. Like tube glue it works by slightly melting the plastic so it fuses together. Unlike tube glue is less prone to globbing up and leaving 'strings'. (EDIT: sgirty got his post in before mine, but I'll leave it as written)

In general practice most of us paint after we cement the pieces. This allows us to look at the piece and sand any seams or fill gaps so we have smooth joins before we paint. Cements also will react differently and leave undesireable results on paint. There are exceptions and you just kind of have to use your own judgement. If it will be difficult to paint once the piece is in place you may want to paint first and just be very careful.

Liquid and Tube cement are 'hot' cements meaning they attack by a chemical reation, this reaction affects paint and chrome too so they can ruin a good paint job in a hurry if you slip and get it on a painted piece.

CA if not done carefully can leave a whitish haze on your parts as well.

Clear plastic reacts badly to almost any type of cement, it looks bad when melted by liquid or tube and gets foggy when CA is used on it, try white glue or one of the glues made especially for clear parts.