OK, does anyone have an alternative to super glue for attaching PE to plastic? So far, I’ve been able to glue everything to everything else that’s not what I’m trying to bond. It doesn’t seem to wick, dries too fast or too slowly and in general is a great mess. I’m not trying to bond anytning too difficult; it’s a flat piece of PE going on a flat piece of plastic!
Ideally, this alternative material should be readily available here in flyover country, like maybe at Walmart.
My final solution to this problem is to s–t can this POS kit.
Hoping for a couple of recommendations from the community. Thanks in advance
There are different types of Super Glue. I do not know your leveling of knowledge of adhesives but some are better formulated for either plastics or metal, chemical reactions take place depending on their use. As well you may be using the very liquid type. I’ve seen some types of Super Glue are a more of a gel type, which makes it easier to control and not as likely to end up on your fingers.
I got my last Super Glue at Michaels craft store and they had a good selection. Not many other types of glues will work as well as Super Glue for this type of application.
Again my apologies if I’m saying anything you already know, but this is my experience with the same problem.
Epoxy or white glues are alternatives to CA when your using photo etch. White glues have very little tack and slow drying times though. I have not used epoxy myself so I can’t comment one way or another on that stuff.
I was just going to ask this question, as the next kit I’m tackling has a bunch of PE, and I’ve never worked with it before, so thanks for the advice on the types of glue to use.
Frankly I use Gator’s Grip Glue for all my PE now, I rarely if ever use superglue for anything anymore. The GGG is a white glue like Elmer’s but glues pretty much anything. And it cleans up with soap and water.
M1, I understand your frustration, but super glue tends to be the first choice when gluing PE to plastic and resin. I am not an expert on CA glues but I know and have personally experienced that they have a limited shelf life and so expire ; 1yr. unopened and 1 month when opened. Several formulations also exist which may influence bonding and or chemical reaction between the two dissimilar materials being joined. If expiration or the formulation is not applicable then take PANZERJAGER’S advice. A step back is a good idea especially if it prevents one from being completely abhorrent to the use of PE.
Let’s clear up some things here . I have bulk C.A. that I bought from the Mfgr .It is now over four years old . Still works great ! I will say this though , I NEVER use any kind of glue but ALEEN’S Tacky Glue to install P.E. Dries good , Lets me get the part exactly right and is invisible and or paintable after drying . I do keep the C.A. in a cool dry place , always !
We had a club meeting last night and this subject came up when a member needed help with some PE that had to be attached to a canopy glass. The immediate response was gator glue. Up until last ight I had never heard or noticed it at the store. Come payday I’ll have ot get some to try out.
You have to use a good Super Glue GEL—what’s termed “thick” on the label, Get some from a Hobby Store—don’t just get some generic brand. Set up time is long enough to allow you to manuever the devilsh piece into place and move it around to find its spot. I’m currently struggling through my own PE nightmare on the Vorpanzer kit, so I heartily sympathize!
M1GarandFan: Maybe we can help you diagnose your problem?
Like others have said, CA (super glue) comes in 3 consistencies: thin (water like), medium (cream like consistency) and gel.
The setting times are approximately: thin (3-5 sec), medium (7-10 sec), gel (30-45 sec)
I solely use medium viscosity. Thin wicks and dries too quickly. Gel gets too messy.
What I do is create a holder/palette for a few drops of my medium CA. I make a fingertip-size impression on a slip of aluminum foil and squeeze a few drops onto the foil. From there, I transfer the CA onto my PE or plastic part using the tip of an old #11 blade or sometimes a bit of stretched sprue or a needle, chucked into my pin vise. If I have no aluminum foil handy and am in a pinch, I flip over a glass paint bottle and use the concave bottom of the bottle to be my CA palette.
Invariably, the CA dries on the palette. I either scrape it off the paint bottle bottom or make another indentation in my aluminum foil and repeat the process. Also keep your applicator (knife, needle, etc) clean by scraping off any accumulated dried CA.
If you find that you’ve applied too much CA to the parts, try to wick off some of the excess with some typing paper scraps. Less clean up afterwards.
I really don’t have any issues and use CA and tons of PE all the time. Perhaps you’re trying to apply the CA directly from the bottles/containers/squeeze tubes? Try my method instead.
I, too, use gel superglue - Loctite brand since I like their squeeze bottles. I keep a bottle of accelerator nearby to insta-cure the stuff once my part is placed. If you’re using the thin glue, it’s VERY easy to get it all over everything including yourself. As it was originally invented to glue human flesh to itself (as a battlefield suture in the Viet Nam war), it’s extremely easy to glue yourself up but good.
I use CA exclusively, Bob Smith industries medium (rarely, thin) to be accurate. Similar to T26, I will place a small drop on the clear plastic sheet the sprue’s come in and use a toothpick to apply the glue, or dip the part itself in the the drop and attach it to the build. If I want a faster cure, I will either apply a drop of accelerator to the target area of the build prior to attaching the glue laden part to it, or attach the part and then apply the accelerator with a different toothpick. It doesn’t take much.
Since Cyanoacrylates (CA) were invented as a skin bonding agent for surgery and wound repair, water will also act as a slower acting accelerator.
The only thing I don’t use CA on is canopies. I use Mod Podge for that.
I use SLO-ZAP thick CA - which I believe is also a gel type super glue? Can also agree with placing a drop or two on a separate surface, and then transferring that to the part that needs to be attached. This limits the amount of time the bottle is uncapped and greatly adds to it’s shelf life. I’ve had the same bottle for over three years now.
I use medium thickness Hobby Lobby brand CA, and for a palette, a piece of 6" ceramic tile. By placing a few drops of glue on the tile and transferring it to the parts to be joined with a sharpened tooth pick, mess is kept to a minimum, as is wasted glue. When done, my “palette” is quickly cleaned up by scraping the dried glue off with a single-edged razor blade. I use the same palette for paint, works great.
I also use Gators Grip ( the correct one, as Gamera hot-linked to) in most cases. One of the greatest things about it (IMO) is the ease of cleanup of overgluing and ‘ooze-out’.
If I have to use CA, it will only be CA gel, like so many mentioned above. My CA of choice happens to be BSI Gel, but for no particular reason other than it’s the gel I started with and I like it.
I use the super glues so rarely, they’re usually all dried up by the time I get to use them. For PE, my favorite is clear enamel paint. If the part has to have any structure to it, or support anything, then I use 2-part 5-minute epoxy.
