Hey guys, want to give Tenax or Ambroid Pro-Weld a shot, and was thinking about how to apply it. A lot people have mentioned just using a regular paintbrush, which sounds easy enough. Question is, what do you use to clean the brush with afterwards?
My first guess is that most of the liquid cements are pretty toxic, and probably not respond well to just water. Any opinions?
dupes, I have a small jar of lacquer thinner and it seems to work just fine ! I use it for both paint & cement loaded brushes. Just make sure you are using a “hair” bristle and not a cheap plastic type brush.
You don’t have to clean a brush used to apply solvent cement. The solvent just evaporates. I do recommend you use an old or cheap brush, as the solvent will dry the bristles out and make them brittle. I modified several small bottles with glass applicator rods in their caps, removing the rod and replacing it with a nylon brush with nylon bristles. The brush stays in the bottle, and even when in use, setting the cap back on the bottle reduces evaporation.
But the best method for application of a solvent cement isn’t a brush. Get a Touch-n-Flow applicator. I have one for SC-125 (methylene chloride, or dimethyl chloride, which is what Tenax is) and a second for Weld-on No. 3, which is methylene chloride modified with slower solvents.
And yes, they are toxic. Avoid breathing the vapors and getting them on your skin.
Ahhh, the infamous touch-and-flow. I’ll have to see if my LHS carries those. In the mean time, I’ll give it a shot with a brush.
Thanks guys! [:D]
Yeah, Thanks Ross, here all this time I have been cleaning a "Phantom " [%-)] . Oh well you learn something new every day ! Thanks for the storage tips [tup]
I should also mention that the brush may eventually pick up dissolved styrene. Using my technique, the brush is “cleaned” of this automatically. If you use a separate brush, and are not carefull, you may need to clean the styrene out of it occasionally, especially if you slather the solvent on a large piece. Cleaning is obviously done with more solvent cement. The solvent “cement” never stays in the brush. In fact, calling it a cement is inaccurate. It should be called a liquid or fluid welding agent. Fat chance—cement it will remain.[X-)]
[tup]
Works for me.
Ross - do you know what company makes the T-N-F? Turns out my LHS does not stock them - but can probably get it if I come up with a name. [;)]
They’re apparently made by Flex-i-file. Micro-mark also sells them. I think Sprue Bros. and Roll Models have them too.
Sweet. I know my LHS can get all the flex-i-file products, so he has to be able to score a touch-and-flow.
Thanks Ross! [:D]
Just my [2c].
I have tried the Touch-N-Flow and it doesn’t suit me well. It does produce very good results but I constantly had problems with a clogged tip and got tired of cleaning it out. I also seem to have a talent for breaking the applicator. I like using a natural red sable brush purchased for the sole purpose of applying liquid welding agent [:-^]. This has worked well for me I simply dip the brush in the bottle and wipe it clean on a paper towel to clean it. I actually wipe on some of my wife’s hair conditioner from time to time and let it sit like that until I am ready to use it again, clean it with mineral spirits, and off I go!
Mac,
YMMV! [8D] Although I like the TnF, I had similar problems. I also hated the springiness of the applicator tip. So I cut half the length of the hypo tube off with an abrasive cutting disk and beveled the end to a rounded contour. As supplied, the tip of the tube is cut square to the long axis. Dragging that tip along the seam has the same effect as adzing with a hobby knife—and the plastic has been softened by the solvent. With the modified tip, I can “run” a long seam. However, the best technique I’ve found is to use a touch (Touch ‘n’ Flow) with a slight pull away from the seam. Even thus, the modified tip works better. Again, YMMV.
Hello dupes,
Have been using Slater’s Met-Pak liquid cement for ages now, so easy to use and apply, I simply use an old sable brush, never cleaned mine, works fine every time. Lovely thing about liquid cement is that if you do have a horrendous accident, ie: dropping the loaded brush on your model (Tell me about it), do NOTHING and the glue just evapotates away, a polishing sander will remove any blemish in a trice [:D]
All the best,
Mick C.
I use a technical drafting pen, all metal construction. Any build up can be simply scraped off. It’s similar to the item second from the bottom on the left. There are always some on e-bay. They essentially last forever,
