There are a ton of glues out there. Not only are there many different types of glues, but many brands within each type.
Here are a few
Each has its own characteristics and it’s own ‘strong’ points. I’m going to break each down and give it’s strengths and general uses.
Cement – Tube Glue
This is what I grew up with – Testors is the most common. This glue is thick gummy medium dry time glue. It becomes tacky quickly yet remains ‘workable’ for a minute or two. Its main ingredient is toluene which chemically alters the plastic surface it’s applied to. This glue creates a great long term bond.
There are a few drawbacks. One is that it can be messy. It creates spider web string that can ‘fly’ out of control and land on your kit. It is thick and can ooze out of your seam and create lumps and blobs when you apply pressure to the two pieces.
Super Glue – CA
Super glue is a ubiquitous term. It covers a wide range of glues. From gap fillers to thin glues. CA stands for cyanoacrylates. It works through evaporation and creates a bond between two pieces. Interestingly this glue needs water to work. Trace amounts of water cause a molecular change to take place and as the water evaporates the resin is left in strand form in all the nooks and crannies. So with this in mind you need to consider two things in the use of CA. One, a rough surface to give the glue something to ‘bite’ and two, a bit of water content in the materials – plastics, ceramics, resins, they all have a bit.
This is a very common glue with lots of variations, from thicker gap filling style to thin capillary type glue.
These glues are common and easy to use. The biggest drawback is the placement time is short. By that I mean the time you have from putting the glue on the piece to when you position the piece. The dry time is very short also. You just have to test fit (see previous MGU threads).
liquid glues
These are very thin ‘welding’ type glues. On the surface they appear similar to CA but aren’t at all. They work by chemically altering the plastics and literally welding the pieces together. These glues are great when you are careful. You only have to use a little bit. The application of these is different than most glue. Most glues you put the glue on one piece then put the two pieces together. With liquid glues you have to hold the two pieces together and apply the glue to seam. Then capillary action will draw the glue down the seam and the glue welds the pieces.
The up side of this glue is that it is FAST, effective and leaves you with a great looking seam.
The down side is that you need fairly uncommon tool to apply, either a very small pipette or syringe of some type. Some come with a long applicator which makes them a better choice. Another downside is that you typically need three hands to use these glues. Two hands to hold the pieces together and one to apply the glue.
These aren’t for beginners, practice is key with these glues.
two part epoxy
These are heavy duty glues. One part is a hardening agent, the other is a resin. You have to mix equal parts of both and use the mixture on your parts. There is usually a 15 to 20 minute ‘work time’ after you mix it. Then a cure time of roughly 24 hours. These materials create a bond between the two surfaces relying on nooks and crannies to hold. Therefore, your surfaces should not be smooth and its best if the materials are porous.
The good side of this glue is its strength; it creates a very permanent strong bond.
The downsides are that it has a mixing stage. This is not terrible; it’s just one more thing to do. Normally, because of its strength it gets used for larger pieces. This puts you in the position of holding two large pieces together until the glue cures.
White Glue
White glue is a also commonly referred to as PVA (polyvinyl acetate). This is a bonding agent also so it is best if your materials are porous. It’s not an overall strong glue. Is has dry time of anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour. Although you can work with it sooner as long as its tacky.
The up side to PVA is its cheap, it’s everywhere, and it dries clear. This means it can be used for airplane canopies, car windows and such.
The downside is that it’s not very strong and not water resistant. So if you do use it for canopies make sure your model does not get bumped.
Here is what I use these glues for and have seen them used for
Tube Glue – injected mold plastic models. During assembly I use this up to 76% of the time.
CA – detail parts on resin kits or injected plastics. Scratch building styrene sheets. PE detail sets. Diorama details of almost any variety, wood, plastic, metal, leaves etc.
Liquid - I use this on scratch building materials and on injected mold pieces
Two Part Epoxy – I use this on plaster kits and resin kits and where strength is key. I use this quite often when gluing figures to bases when only one foot is touching the base.
White Glue – I use this in diorama projects on wooden assemblies, plaster assemblies. I use this in a wash to cover large areas that will have debris dropped on them. Any paper product gets PVA.
How I use any glue is simply a variation on a theme. The theme is never use glue straight from the container. You have more control over the glue and you reduce the change of a big mishap and you have less clean up of the kit.
I usually have a soda bottle lid, or yogurt tin, or scrap piece of plastic that I drop glue on first. Then I use a piece of stretched sprue, or a toothpick to dip in the glue drop and then apply small amounts to the kit parts.
what do you use and how do you use it?
