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[ronnie42]

Bought a new kit. Only problem is that they are happy to sell the kit but glue, a different story. Why should I buy from a British shop if I have to buy glue from Europe. Its ABS glue that's the issue, going to follow the manufacturers instructions for glue.

[Martin (Admin)]

 
Stabilit Express has been the choice for many years ... expensive though!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pattex-Stabilit-Express-80g-2-Komponenten-Kleber/dp/B0000WPL8O

Superglue & MEK also works very well, but not for mechanical joints.

See search for : Stabilit Express - here on Mayhem

[HMS Invisible]

Are you sure it is ABS and not polystyrene?
Hard plastic glue or UHU for polystyrene is at the viscous end of styrene modelling solvent. It is available from poundland, DIY shops and the big grocers like Tesco.

It's worth spending 8 minutes on a refresher about solvent glues in this YouTube presentation.
How does Plastic Glue work? What's in the bottle and what does it do?
Inexpensive-by-volume PVC pipe solvent is available from screwfix & toolstation and possibly B&Q.
It works for ABS to ABS welding and for polystyrene. It's  comes with a huge brush.
If you need a dispenser a polypropylene eye-dropper bottle can be fitted with a capillary tube.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/floplast-sc250-solvent-cement-250ml/14295

https://www.toolstation.com/pvc-pipe-solvent-cement/p23243

The safety data sheet for toolstation brand tells you the solvents

[ronnie42]

Hi  Have had a look at some builds that use ABS. Its Stabilit express and UHU plast special that appears to be the go to glues for ABS.
 Tried Plastic Magic by Deluxe Materials, it works but not tried to break the bond . Ordered the above from Germany last week, why is it not readily available in the UK. PVC pipe glue is quite thick ,might work for a thick coat inside the hull, don't think that you can thin it down.
 

[Capt Podge]

I've used Stablit Express in the past but, like other modellers, I've found the cost prohibitive. I used it mainly for gluing in proptube and rudder tube. I now use 2 part epoxy resin and found it to be reliable and, so far, no failures. Always ensure to key the parts to be glued 


Ray.

[Treble]

I think you'll find Model Shop Leeds sells the UHU product for £3.99.

[ronnie42]

They don't have it, have other UHU glues but not the one I want.

[Treble]

Oh , that's unfortunate , my mistake. . As an alternative  , Amazon sell UHU Allplast for £4.94 if that's the version you're looking for. 

[Bunkerbarge]

I used to install mist lubrication systems for dry ski slopes many years ago.  All the pipework, valves and fittings were made of ABS.  All the joints were glued with Methyl Ethyl Ketone, better known as MEK and also known as Butanone.


This is readily available in the UK from many UK suppliers.  You do not need to buy from abroad.  It is an extreemly low viscosity fluid with exceptionally good capilliary action but it can also be made into a thicker glue by disolving shavings of the ABS plastic into it.


If customs discover any form of solvent based glue in a shipment being sent privately it may well be confiscated.

[Circlip]

Wonder how many times we'll have to repeat this Echoooooooooooooooooooo Richard    Sadly, number of working Muddle Shops vastly reduced thanks to instantnet.


  Regards  Ian.


 Bought my last litre of ketone via T'net.

[Subculture]

Stabilit Express is just a modified acrylic adhesive. You can buy equivalents quite easily and relatively cheaply.

Deluxe Materials Super Crylic
Devcon Plastic Welder

Also various less well known brands online e.g.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/EsportsMJJ-Modified-Acrylic-Adhesive-Plastic/dp/B07FL4V4DG

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/126210429804?hash=item1d62ba536c:g:0j8AAOSwKvtlZfNN&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA0P6L%2Bg4WGQvNNbEytGiJdozrN8g9BFGTu7tsrwm8Tprfos74IGNc9xL31IxYa4bfPgh6Avh7y6lnun7qI8GzYUNRKUyoHwsjZXf%2FpAh5zVgswHOek1IYY7hLa5Vq9k6448IIQscVssAGTkik%2B6McAIRBbNEZkySSNMBmpGI6PzfpROljDYlKCXzTRJ0heCmjFyuItg4q9J198oGUkcSW0Czc%2Ff8GM8HLfYAxocvdndMSioRHFvwxtLuJEYLgWxsO4MzuieA%2FxW%2BrNBD9ZvMKBXE%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR9TP3JSSYw

[Martin (Admin)]

 
Great stuff SubC, in that case, see also:  https://www.jbweld.com/product/plasticweld-syringe

But what about? - Bostik Hard Plastics Clear Glue
 

[Subculture]

Neither of those is a modified acrylic, but will work depending on what it is you're gluing to the ABS.
The JB weld is an epoxy.
The Bostik is a goopy MEK based glue.

[ronnie42]

Going to order this stuff after reading Bunkerbarges post
https://www.pipestock.com/abs-solvent-cement

[Bunkerbarge]

Just be 100% certain the hull is ABS!

[Vintage]

You can purchase ABS pipe cement much cheaper here: https://www.screwfix.com/p/flomasta-pipe-weld-cement-250ml/6368x

But I'd not recommend it as it's thick and will probably damage the profile of the components you're gluing ...

For gluing thin section ABS you need something that's thin so that, through capillary action, it easily floods and melts the joint but then quickly evaporates to avoid the above 

I, in my past life as a professional modelmaker, used to use dichloromethane but you probably can't buy that now because it's not safe to drink 

EMA model supplies should have something although, having just looked, it's not immediately obvious:  https://ema-models.co.uk/

Hope this helps,

Mark

[HMS Invisible]

Mark, I've already suggested that, which does the job nonetheless.
It is thickened.
I used nearly a litre of dichloromethane.
For others who have not, it is very volatile and has to be transferred to a glass container and stored in a safe place like an outhouse. It is not particularly poisonous though you must not drink and you must work in a well vented area. It is no longer used in paint stripper in the USA and causes death by suffocation. The press recently reported another two deaths in Turkey where it was used as a pesticide solvent.
It corrodes steel tins, is best used from the fridge or thickened with the plastic material to be welded.

Going to order this stuff after reading Bunkerbarges post
https://www.pipestock.com/abs-solvent-cement

Ronnie, I did cost capitalisation as a job in the 80s. I know the branding game through sourcing engineering materials, components & chemicals.

Here is the safety datasheet which tells you what you are getting at £30.22 for 500ml tin.
https://www.polypipe.com/sites/default/files/effast_abs_solvent_cement_safety_data_sheet.pdf
It looks like plain old MEK, perhaps with a blue dye and a little dissolved ABS.
You can get 5 litres of MEK from a chemical stockist's Ebay for £19.50.
Search results: https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=mek&_trksid=m5467.l1311&toolid=20004&mkcid=1&campid=5338791379&kw=mek

Top hit: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/295585417403
........................
You can find out the contents of most products by googling the product name + SDS to get the safety datasheet (SDS).

[roycv]

Hi all, Stablit Express.  It is excellent for glueing wood to plastic and also is a gap filler.
Cons are that once mixed you have no more than 15 minutes life of the adhesive.
I would use as has been suggested the solvents for ABS but not too much.
Roy

[ronnie42]

No need for industrial quantities of glue, small tin of ABS solvent will fit the bill as stuff from Germany has arrived.. Cheapest tin is £16 but probably needs Vat added.
The Deluxe Plastic Magic works, tried to pull apart some of the sheet of ABS that has the pre cut parts on and it's a good bond .They have a fast setting version I might buy still £8 for a little bottle.

[Circlip]

Not only pipe cement from plumbers merchants but also Joint cleaner, raw solvent for prepping solvent joints. Pretty good as a thinner for pipe cement too.


  Regards  Ian


 With ANY Solvent, use too much and the results are - - - -

[HMS Invisible]

No need for industrial quantities of glue....

My point is possibly lost while trying to react to each new question and to you saying you will order this branded product while also telling as many people about the SDS resource and giving you direct hyperlinks.
 I should have prefaced by saying whatever glue or solvent you find on the continent of Europe can be sourced quicker, cheaper an with less hassle either from a UK based next day shipper or from Asda, Tesco, Morrisons, Poundland or from a trade counter.

[Niall]

The best cement for ABS is EMA's(Plastruct) Plasticweld, it is available from most model shops.
This is a liquid cement like Mekpak(Slaters) or Tamiya Extra Thin for polystyrene. It will also stick Perspex and polystyrene.

[HMS Invisible]

The best cement for ABS is EMA's(Plastruct) Plasticweld, it is available from most model shops.
This is a liquid cement like Mekpak(Slaters) or Tamiya Extra Thin for polystyrene. It will also stick Perspex and polystyrene.

Off the top of my memory, without checking, Plastic Weld is another inexpensive and widely used solvent mentioned in the youtube video(or mix of two chemically similar).
It is packaged in 57ml bottles at fifty times the price per volume of a 5 litre container available from Ebay chemical distributors.

I'm not knocking your reply. It's the ideal solvent. I'm trying to hammer home that if you look at the YouTube video or find out from googling a branded chemical followed by SDS then you see you get 1 litre or a 300ml tin at the same price of a 57ml bottle.

[Barry]

I don't use ABS myself but if it's Tamiya it's usually good.

[Martin (Admin)]

Topic renamed ....