How do you photoetch freaks apply your instant glue?
Most of the time, I make a mess, big glue spots, fingers melted together or so few glue that the photoetch comes off…
Once, I used a supermarket brand of instant glue that came with a applying brush, but the quality seemed pretty questionable. I came back to Loctite but no brush there. I keep it in the fridge to make it last?
What is the best way to do it according to you? Which tools help?
I’ll be in the shame corner if somebody cares to dignify this with an answer [:XX]
I use a toothpick with medium ca glue . it give’s you a bit of time to position your piece . some guy’s here use elmer’s white glue , don’t like it myself , too messy . but something a bit slower drying and a small tool .
I use a piece of thin wire, i normally use 5amp fuse wire. I also tend not to take my glue straight from the bottle, but instead put a small amount on a piece of wax paper. If i have a long piece that need glue along an edge, i can simply touch the piece to the blob of glue.
He uses Teflon radio-control control sheathing tube and stretches it like you would a piece of sprue (Didja know that when you stretch sprue the shape remains? Square remains square, but finer. A tube remains a tube, but f**iner.)
Put the unstretched end of the tube over the spout of liquid CA. The hair thick tube delivers a pin-point sized drop with good control.I use this to run a bead of glue along the gutter rail of PE railing.
Teflon is not affected by the glue. But if the tip clogs just nip back to a good point, often 1/8 inch or less.
I bought a 24" inch length of RC tubing for less than $5.00 at the local Hobby Town and was able to make a couple dozen tips.
Ditto on the gel CA, but I also use white glue at times, again applied with a toothpick. It depends a lot on the piece and its location. I apply the white glue with a toothpick also, so it isn’t that messy. The light weight of PE means you don’t need a lot of strength.
With either glue I sometimes put the spot of glue in the spot it will go, other times on the PE piece. Really depends strongly on where I am putting the piece, and what the piece looks like.
I made a few applicators using different sizes of sewing needles. Clip off about 2/3 of the eye and drill the appropiate size hole in the end of a section of 1/4" dowel that is comfortable to hold. Shove the sharp end of the needle in the hole, can put some CA in the hole first if you want.
Just scrape and pick any hardened CA off the needle with a blade.
Great stuff but so expensive! I just buy the little tubes of super glue regular and gel in the multi pack. I dispense on a plate, use some wire to apply. It costs $3.00 at hobby Lobby for 3 tubes.
I agree they’re expensive but I find it laughable to your comment. It’s like calling the kettle black. It’s no different than buying the best brand in kits, paint, and tools. Just saying…
Just as an aside,I use Insta-Cure from Bob Smith Industries .Local Hobby Shop label .I preferthe Insta -Cure + type .
I apply it with a fruit skewer ( small ) you can get a pack of small ones for about a buck at Dollar General Stores . They are small ( about a third of the diameter of a pencil ( Wood ) and you can cut and re-sharpen the pointed end with sandpaper till it’s to short to use !
I use the gel ca also, for spot gluing on things like railings. Then I go back to white glue thinned 1:1 with water for the whole thing. The white glue takes too long to dry- a few spots of ca gel make it easier. I also use a toothpick for the gel, and a homemade applicator for the white glue, a large needle with eye ground in half to make a fork, and jammed in a piece of dowel.
Hobbie, hope you don’t mind that I piggyback off your topic.
On the subject of CA. I often use CA to join parts after painting, especially when adding final details like pitot tubes, landing gear etc. So my question to the folks here: would you remove the paint from the surfaces to be glued? Or just apply CA to the painted surfaces?
I would think removing the paint makes for a better bond. However sometimes scraping off the paint results in the fit becoming not as good, as some plastic will inevitably get shaved.
Or does it not make much of a difference, and I’m just worrying over nothing?
I always remove the paint. As an alternate to scraping, for small parts I drill a little dimple or two through the paint layer. I don’t trust the strength of the paint bond.
Funny we are talking about CA. I just had a horrible away from home repair experience with CA an hour ago. I hate the stuff, I’m mad, I have fingernails glued to skin, my nose burns like a 15 yr old with severe acne, and if I was home I’d go downstairs and throw every container of the gad-dunged junk away. (except the Bob Smith CA Gel, which I love)
It’s dangerous and I can’t understand why it has not been criminalized in California yet.
So there. [:P]
Hey, back to your topic, back home I have some neato CA applicators I bought at the Nats in Cincinnati a few years ago. There are a PE set, they clamp into an exacto blade handle, work great and after use you just hold them over a lighter flame, the hardened CA burns right off and you’re good to go again. I’m looking for them online, if I find them I’ll pass along to you, Edwin.
