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[justboatonic]

OK folks, what's your recommended liquid polystyrene glue for building styrene card superstructure, that gives a strong long lasting joint and doesnt evaporate before it does its job? Card thickness upt to 2.5mm.

By liquid, I mean the stuff you 'paint' along a joint with a brush instead of squeezing out of a tube! Mek seems to stink and Tamiya stuff seems expensive (or maybe Im just a tight wad!).
TIA

[Baldrick]

Plastic Weld ( Methylene Chloride )  from an art shop. Joins by capillary action

[Colin Bishop]

Not all the 'plastic weld' type adhesives are equally good on all types of plastic. I have several of them and some are definitely better than others depending on what you want to glue. Nothing is ever simple!
Colin

[KitS]

I use a mix of Revell Contacta, the one with the 'hypodermic needle' dispenser sticking out of a blue bottle, to start off with, and then going over the joint after assembly with MekPak or Plastic Weld. The liquid glue re-energises the Contacta and makes for a pretty good joint.

[Colin Bishop]

I think the Mek type seem to be generally best.
Colin

[RST]

EMA, MEK-PAK, dichloromethane, MEK, etc.  There are subtle differences.  For sticking very very small parts together Revel Contacta professional any day.  Humbrol do a yellow bottle version of contacta but it's a bit lacking in my opinion.


...Otherwise liquid poly in tubes is no good at all!!

[david48]

EMA do a tool for applying their solvent weld, it is a glass tube with a syringe needle at on end. Fill the tube then just run the needle along the joint and by capillary action the joint is made. Have a look on EMA  web site to see how it works. If you use a brush and you get the liquid on he styrene sheet it melts and it then becomes another problem when painting.
David 

[tica]

I'm using Plastic Magic from Deluxe Materials with good results.

[Tugtower]

I’ve used EMA very successfully for many plastic type build projects however I have recently discovered another brand that works equally well gluing styrene and other plastic types to each other (abs to styrene)


It’s called model X pro and I would recommend that over EMA given my recent successes when using both styrene and abs materials together, it also successfully a glues 3D printed materials to abs or styrene too..


I can not recommend this product enough!


You can pick up on eBay and compretitive prices to EMA.

[Brian60]

I use dichloromethane but the trouble is it can be almost instantaneous - you need to put multiple applications if its a big join. But I like the way it grabs and you can move on to the next part quickly instead of waiitng for other adhesives to set up. I have a bottle of Humbrol and a bottle of Tamiya thin, they take far too long to become rigid for my liking.
I buy the dichloromethane in 1 litre bottles from the scientific section of ebay around 8 quid. The same stuff is sold in model shops called plastic weld, around a fiver for just 60ml.

[Big Ada]

This is from an ex Plumber, go to a Plumbers Merchants and ask for the Solvent CLEANER not the Glue used on Plastic Soil and Waste Pipes. I use this all the Time, you get more for your money. Plumb Centre or Grahams etc. 

Len.

[ballastanksian]

I will try both of these products over time. I have bought my Plastic weld from EMA in .5litre cans in batches of ten to twelve cans for about eight years now but if as good/better for cheaper then I will certainly look into these.


EMA sell a dispenser with pump action basin on top for chemicals that I have had since 1998, and it is fab. I bought a second one a few years later for home use, but it seemed to leak through the ball valve despite a careful look.

[JimG]

If you are using dichloromethane (methylene chloride), especially in the large quantities some are talking about, make sure that you have very good ventilation. In laboratories it was always used in a fume cupboard with a good airflow (tested yearly) extracting either through a filter or to the outside.If you check the MSDS for the chemical it shows the usual effects of a volatile solvent and is a possible carcinogen. If you should start feeling a bit lightheaded then it is past time to get into some fresh air.MEK is also hazardous although not a known cancer risk, but again needs good ventilation.
Jim

[ballastanksian]

I have used it for twenty odd years now and try to have a window open with draught when using it.

[Stan]

HI  justboatonic just a few pictures of 1062 the bulk of the superstructure is made from 1mm plastic card  and glued using humbrol styrene glue. I had to fit internal bracing to give extra strength on the joints. Hope this helps . Pictures by kind permission of R Simpson

Stan.