STYRENE PLASTIC
Styrene sheet or more commonly called plasticard is available in different thickness. The advantage of plastic
over wood is that it has a smooth finish that requires no filling (other than on joints) to give a non-grainy finish.
With many vessels in steel, wood with a grain does not look right. Plastic does not splinter and smooth holes can
be drilled.
Before applying a primer or paint, it is always best to flat off a shiny surface. 800 - 1200 grit Wet or Dry works
very well, especially if you wet it first and work with a gentle, circular motion.
Printed Plastic: Using a steel rule, lightly score the material with several
strokes. Place your thumbnails either side of the score, and with your
fingernails on the underside, raise this line up towards you. This will cause the
plastic to fracture along the score line and then simply bend away from you
and the part will snap out.
Complex shapes can easily be 'chased' along all pre-scored lines. Cut well
outside the marked outline of a curved component, then file or sand back to the
correct profile. If a raised ‘burr’ is left along the cut edge it can be removed by dragging a Stanley blade along
that edge.
Bending Plastic: Place the area to be bent in hot water and gently bend.
Alternatively, place the area over the edge of the bench and run it back and
forth. If you have to curve strips of plastic along their length, hold between
finger and thumb at the centre, pull your hands apart bending down as you pull
- this will curve the strip to a gentle radius.
Drilling Holes in Plastic: Styrene does not like heat and a power tool that runs fast generates heat. It is advisable
to use a hand drill or a slow power drill.
Assembling & Gluing Plastic: Assemblies can be made easy if the
parts are held together and built up using 4-5mm strips of masking tape. This will ensure close tight joints and
most of all, allow you to stand back and check for accuracy before applying the glue.
The best type of glue is liquid polystyrene glue of which there are several
brands available. Mek is one.This is applied either with a bottle cap brush supplied or a
small paintbrush. Simply brush along the inside of the joint and the liquid glue
will 'capillary' along a good fitting joint. Keep the glue away from taped areas.
After a few minutes the tape is removed and the joint can be re-glued on the
outside. A note of caution: avoid using excess adhesive - it works by dissolving
the plastic and too much will create deformation. This glue will evaporate
quickly if uncapped.
If a joint looks stepped or untidy, it can be fettled, sanded and scraped clean (with a Stanley blade) after a few
hours when the glue has thoroughly dried. If done well the joint is almost invisible! Practice on scrap plastic in
order to perfect your own technique. When gluing the deck to plastic deck supports, always rough the surface of
the plastic to give it a key.
http://www.modelslipway.com/Catalogues/tips%20n%20tricks.pdf