Just wondered if anyone had any suggestions for fixing a vacuform windscreen to an unpainted aircraft??? Namely a bashed Monogram P-40-B…
I’ve tried every adhesive I have except CA… There just isn’t enough surface on the thin vacuform to achieve a strong bond… I’ve even used watch crystal cement (which works on the bonding issue, but dries clumpy and uneven). I even thought about thinning the watch crystal cement with thinner, etc. I did plan on smoothing the dried windscreen seam with kristal kleer…
Hey footcav,
This will be a shot in the dark for me(yuck on vacuform[:(]) but have you tried to apply the CA(super glue) to the model first with a tooth pick.
From there apply the vac canopy so you dont have to worry about appling to such a thin surface.
Hope this works and if not you did NOT hear it from me ok[:p][:p]
Flaps up, Mike
Why not try giving future a shot? At best it’d work, at worst, it wouldn’t and you’ll be right where you are now. I have read about people using it to stick canopies on before.
Use the watch crystal glue and then use white glue to fill in the other areas around the canopy. The white glue can be smoothed out using a brush dampned with water. Super glue or CA will melt or distort the thin vacuform canopy. I found out the hard way.
Another item you can use is clear epoxy. Mark the area on the fuselage and apply a little epoxy. Let it reach the almost cured state where it is still tacky and then install the canopy. This will prevent damage to the thin plastic of the canopy.
Here’s one more idea. First apply Future to the canopy then let that set. After it has cured you can now use superglue to attach the canopy. The Future will prevent the clear plastic from getting hazed. Trust me! It works! I was very surprised (and happy) when I tried this on my models. Now it’s pretty much the only method I use to attach a stubborn canopy. Also, white glue is my favorite product to use to go back and fill in any small gaps.