Hi all!

I was wondering is anyone tried aerosol glues for styrene sheets ?

My problem with the plastic cement (tamiya , plastruct) is that these ones doesn`t spread evenly on the surface and evaporating too quickly. My scratchbuild project contains lots of relatively big flat surfaces what needs to be glued together firmly. Since the top layer of the element uses 0.2mm thick polystyrene sheet , it is dries up before I can place the elements in place , also gets bumpy because the not even spread of the glue. I was thinking to try some aerosol glue from 3M or something similar. Has anyone tried this before ?

Cheers
Karoly

Karoly,

Maybe you can try MEK (Methyl Eythyl Keytone)A couple of guys in my club use it to glue model parts together when they build. It might work well for you since you have such a large area to cover. It's really nasty stuff but should work, if you can get it in the UK.

Hi Monte

As I have read MEK evaporates really quickly , and this is my main problem , plus the not even coverage.But thanks for the tip !

Karoly you may want to try the old style tube gun which has a longish drying time, you could put some on the surface and then use a scraper to spread it over the surface.
Depending on the size of the sheets being joined you can use Tamiya extra thin or MEK by putting the sheets together and applying the glue too the edge of the join and letting capillary action draw the glue in between the sheets.

I have used the 3M spray contact cement to glue sheet styrene to plywood and laminate for diorama bases (35th scale ship decks). It looks good for a while but eventual (in a few months to a year) bubbles up in the center and peels up at the edges even though I burnished it down with quite a bit of force.

I would recommend also MEK. Yes, it evaporates rather quickly but it you get any solvent based on this component on a hardware store (I use a PVC cleaner), you can use a large brush to spread it.

Use it on a well ventilated area though...

Be warned that "trapped" solvents will continue to attack the plastic, causing it to sink in the middle long after you think it is dry! (Found this out years ago when skinning a building with thin brick-effect sheet...)

If you can, try drilling lots of vent-holes in the backing piece to let the glue fumes out. These can also be access points to add glue to the middle. Then you can run a bead of glue round the edges to finish off. Note that such laminations also have a tendency to warp, so are best if the backing piece is reinforced to resist curling up.

Contact cement is good in the short term, but eventually lets go. If you drill vent-holes, you can use the contact spray to fix the skin in place, and then "seal the deal" with some liquid poly applied through the holes and around the edges for a permanent weld. Best to experiment...

I believe Tamiya cement has two different visocity?

Try the thicker ones. It may take a big longer to dry.

The extra cement evaporates a lot faster and is not really good for large areas.

Alternatively, have you tried PVA glue?

Regards.

For large areas you are better off using a DF Tape. I use this all the time for adhering Aluminum to Acrylic for Signs. This stuff sticks forever, then you can glue to your styrene as you wish.
Here is a Sample shot from Amazon.(Don't buy it here way over priced) Look around your area for Sign Supplies. It comes in 2ftx3ft sheets for $10 -$15 a sheet.
If you're in the states google Denco Sales and they carry it.


https://www.amazon.com/super-strong-double-sided-discounts-digitizers-3M9474-all/dp/B00D459M8E?th=1&psc=1