I recently tried some Tenax-7R and quite frankly, I’m not impressed. Maybe I didn’t use it right but I feel like I got a better bond with my Testor’s plastic cement. What are your experiences with it?
Works great for me. Did you follow the instructions on the bottle?
I use either an old, fine brush (I replaced the large, clunky one in an old Plastruct Pro-weld bottle with a cut-off of a dead 000 spotter.) or a Touch-n-flow applicator. Press the seam together, touch with applicator or brush. Capillary action will draw the liquid along the seam. I generally do between two and three inches of the seam at a time. Continue to hold parts together for about half a minute.
Tenax is really just methylene chloride, aka dichloromethane. You can buy larger quantities at any plastics supply and manufacturing outfit. I buy it by the gallon that way (lasts a long time). One manufacturer is Caseway, product name is SC-125. They also make inhibited varieties that have a slower evaporation rate.
I’ve been using Tenax for a long time & it works great for me.
Regards, Rick
Ok, I feel really stupid asking this, [#wstupid] so let me swallow my pride and get it over with. Are you supposed to glue the joint with normal model glue first, attach the parts, then apply the Tenax? 'Cause I didn’t, I figured it was supposed to “weld” the plastic together. Ok, you all can start making fun of me now! [8-]
I agree with Triarius. I get my glues from the local plastics supplier. Follow those simple instructions and you’ll have no problem. [:D]
(laughing…kinda?) No. The Tenax is the glue. The point I see was missed is you need a slight gap when applying it. I’m talking about a 64th of an inch gap. Or better yet apply from the inside of the two parts.
Try this. Get two pieces (ie: wheel halves or airplane fuel tanks) and hold the two together lightly with an elastic band. put a razor blade in the seam opening a gap. Using a small brush or applicator, apply a small amount to the edge of the razor at the plastic. Pull out the razor and gently squeeze together. If a couple of small “plastic bubbles” come out - it’s perfect. If nothing does, no problem. Wait a few moments and see if you can get it apart. If the glue got onto the edge of the plastic, it should be bonded. Ta-Da! Try it a few times untill you comfortable on some spare parts. Hope that helps a bit more.
Drew
Thanks, Drew, that does help. I’ll try it again with your tips in mind. Problem is, when I tried it before, I spead it on like glue and joined the parts. I was a bit disgusted when said part literally fell of after what should’ve been adequate drying time.
AH, the infamous drying Tenax. It’s really a solvent not a glue in the way you know it. The Tenax will soften the plastic then evaporate. If you wait too long, a few seconds is too long, the Tenax evaporates and the plastic re-hardens before it can bond. It takes a bit of getting used to, but once you do you’ll never go to anything else.
I used the Tenax for years. But, recently started using the Tamiya extra thin cement and have had better luck. Still like the Tenax, just like the Tamiya stuff better.
does a ‘touch-N-flow’ applicator work with cyanoacrylate glues too and where do you get that stuff triarius is talking about
No. CA glues are true “glues.” They will set up in any tube applicator (including their own [:(!])
Look in your local phone book for plastics suppliers and fabricators.
NO. Don’t use your touch-n-flow with CA glue. If it dries in there, you need a new one.
I get my glue from a plastics supplier. The ones that sell 4X8 ft sheets of acrylic or polycarbonate. It’s normally marked in cans for acrylic bonding. I get mine for about $8 CAD and that fills 4 Tenax bottles. Lasts me a good two years. You can get them in bigger containers, but it evaporates really fast if the lids are not air tight. The longer it sits, the greater chance of it evaporating. It also has a slightly stronger odor to it. HTH
I get awesome results with Tamiya glue. I use regular and extra thin.
I find it helps when using a product like this, essentially a liquid plastic welding solvent, it helps to first tack the two surfaces together (like two slightly warped fuselage or wing halves) with a CNA glue gel (I prefer the brushible Loctite gel I get from Wal-Mart), mainly applying it at the locating pins and corners. Then I come back with the plastic welder brush (I use the Ambroid product), running it along the inside seams, wicking it along gaps, etc., and using some tape or rubber bands to clamp the parts until it dries.
Tom [C):-)]
I used Tenax for a long time and have no problems with it, however Tamiya does evaporate slower and you have a little more time before it sets.
Thad
I just ordered 3 bottles of it based on this post, so it better work! [:P] [;)]
Mike, we forget to say it doesn’t work on bi-planes [(-D] It’s too modern for that.[:-,]
I’ve picked up the hobby after 15 years. I found 2 bottles unopen and 2 open, all is still as good. Using it now with no problems at all.
LOL!! [(-D]