Why do you always stick instantly when I don’t want you to, but then not stick instantly when I do want you to?
Laughing. I totally agree! I just experienced the issue of sticking instantly. I had to pry it off and try again. After doing that three times in a row… I said, ENOUGH! I have a new method for applying PE. I am using sprue-goo. It works great! It gives you time to position the piece, and it has a pretty decent hold. Probably not as good as superglue, but good enough.
[:)]
Please elaborate on using this “spru-goo” on photo etch.
Sprue-goo is a homemade concoction using liquid cement to melt sprue. If you Google it you will find several references to it. I posted below just one of the links available. You can use it as a filler, and now I am using it to attach PE. It’s use for PE will be dependent on the pieces you are gluing. Mostly–based on where it needs to be applied and if it’s a visible area. CA glue is less visible. A glop of sprue-goo may not always be the thing to reach for.
In times past, I had mixed results with sprue-goo. It was not until I tried making a batch using Tamiya Liquid Cement that it really came to life for me. It seems to cut the plastic beautifully. Also–with the previous cement that I used–it for some reason caused air bubbles in the mixture. With Tamiya–I see very little of that. And–if you use the Tamiya jar–it comes with that handy applicator. That works really well for applying this stuff to tiny areas.
Updated: You don’t have to put a ton of it on. I wipe the excess from the applicator and apply a thin coat to the backside of the PE. Apply as much as you can without it oozing out when you press the piece down. Then you can position the piece exactly how you want it and let it cure. It works great as a filler too. And it sands nicely. This is quickly becoming my go-to product.
thanks for that steve , I’ve heard of it , but never seen it used . Going to make some now .
Share the frustration. Currently I’m using Microscale Krystal Klear to tack the rail, then come back with runny superglue when its positioned.
Ha-ha, I know that scenario all too well! (I think we all do.). But yeah, why does superglue do that? When the part is mispositioned, the glue sets up immediately and takes on the grip of epoxy or urethane adhesive. When you try to attach that super delicate fiddly part, it turns to snot. Then sets up all over the place as you try to wipe up the gooey mess. That’s why I only use CA when absolutely necessary.
For PE that is going to take a minute to get in the right position like rails I will use gator grip glue. It has a work time of a few minutes and holds just as well as super glue.
I notice that CA glue sticks to my fingers much better than model stuff.
And why do I keep putting my hobby knives down on the bench exactly where the pallet for CA glue is?
Hello!
Once I’ve read that CA glue was originally developed for medicine, to glue wound edges and stop bleeding - wouldn’t this explain why it glues fingers a lot better than plastic?
I have one tip for all of you that use CA - give the surfaces to be glued a quick wipe with lacquer thinner. After that CA bonds much faster and stronger, too!
Good luck with your modelling projects and have a nice day
Paweł
Laughing. That happened to me once or twice too. Then another time a piece of PE jumped out of my fingers right into … you guessed it. It went into the CA on my pallet. No matter that I keep the pallet well away from where I am working. It magically found its way there, like a fly to rotting meat. What are the odds?
Laskdji, I’ve stuck lots of parts and misc things to my fingers and post-note glue pallets to my fore arms. I use slow ca and accelerator alot, more forgiving. AARDVARK
I also use the slow gel CA. But I don’t notice at the time where I set the tool down, so it is usually too late by the time I see it 
Or when glue seepage dries instantly to my tweezers, but not my intended location…
[dto:]
CA was originally formulated for IS used for surgery. The moisture is what accelerates the drying time, but not too much moisture. That’s why it sticks to your skin so fast and not so fast to plastics and metal. It uses the moisture in the air to harden so a day with higher humidity will make it dry faster than a dry day. I have used water (usually successfully) as an accelerator. The manufacturers accelerator works much better but once its on the plastic, that area will be almost impossible to CA again should the part break off. That’s why use accelerator as a nuclear option, if all else fails.
FROM THE DESK OF SUPER GLUE
Dear Laskdjn,
I’m sorry I stuck your finger’s together, and not your part’s.
I can be a “Fickle Misstres” sometime’s, but I can be Helpful as well.
I hope I can make up for this by giving you the neccessary “Stick-to-it-ivness” that you require to complete your model.
As other’s on this Forun have mentioned, you are not the only one to “Feel My Rath” ( just ask Little Timmy about the time I stuck an exaust pipe to his eyebrow)
Hope we can still be friend’s ,
Your’s Truely,
SUPER GlUE
I once squeezed a tube (with a blocked tip) too hard and it burst all over my hand. Not knowing any better at the time, I stuck my hand under a tap to wash it off and was rewarded with an instant rock-hard second skin. That’s one mistake I’ll never repeat.
Yes, moisture is one key factor. The other is contact area between the two pieces being joined.The bigger the contact area and the closer the contact, the better the join.
That’s hilarious.
As an aside, I didn’t know water could accelerate CA glue.
That’s Right !
The idea was low scarring by using this product .The moisture in the skin is what makes it so super sticky . Now for P.E. I use either slow set C.A. or Aleens " sticky " White craft Glue !
i have used sprue glue , But , This version is like honey and works great . What I like about Slow Set C.A. Is I take it , Line my part up and using a toothpick , Put dots where I need them .Then I hit them with a skewer point full of accelerator !
Done ! And the accelerator causes the C.A.To " wick " and spread the glue without a mess .