Another "returnee" question. What kind of glue? I'm running out.


J

JimT

Member
Tonight I was working on some cars from my junk car box (all that there were left, haha) and I casually grabbed my square Testors 1oz bottle & brush out of my tool chest. The scent is intoxicating (meaning fun smell not glue sniffing) anyway I began to wonder. When I finished my work kinda meaning let the parts dry I was working on I went and found my "liquid stuff box". Lots of great stuff. But one opened 1/2 full bottle of testors and one unopened 1/2 plus bottle. I poured the 1/4 full one into the bottle I was using wondering if it was still available.

I did an eBay search on "testors model cement" and "model cement" and out of hundreds of aucions was a single bottle of "vintage" Testors like mine for 17.95 plus 6.00 shipping, "buy it now" no less. Well I didn't.

For the question, what should I try when I'm out of my old stuff (if I live to be out) ? Seems like a silly concern but? BTW I have a local Hobby Lobby for purching if that helps. Thanks ahead of time for your thoughts.
 
What glue depends on what material you are working with.

OK,

superglue (CA, cyanoacreylate) is a good all rounder. However it will 'frost'. That is, leave white vapour residues on surfaces. This is a nuciance particularly on clear surfaces like windows, but can ruin a nice paint job too.


PVA or craft glue is good for windows as it dries clear. There are hobby specialist glues for this too. The fellows at the hobby shop can help you with that.


epoxy glues, such as arydite, are strong but not that safe. Use gloves and good ventilation. Some applications need this stuff.


weld/solvents for styrene (MEK, methyl, ethyl kentone) is handy for styrene construction tasks. Again not the safest stuff. Need ventilation and surigcal gloves. Someone suggested an good alternative but I have forgotten what it was. Acetone or something like that (can anyone help?).


model cement as you have. Plenty of brands still out there. Some of this stuff seems to weld styene just like MEK. I wonder if it might be a similar chemical? so stuff I used years ago wasn't a solvent but was very stringy. So there seems to be different types.


In summary, I find I can get away with just superglue and PVA, though I have been using model cement (Revell liquid) and MEK recently on some styene building kits.

Oh, in adtion to glues, a soldering iron for metal stuff and electonics is indispensible. I have a variable temperature station of a cheaper brand. Get Weller as it is better quality. Also I use a pin vice, drill bits, taps and mini screws and bolts for fastening things such as couplers to cars.

Hope that helps


free tip: a short length of brass wire, maybe 0.5mm diameter or less, only a few millimeters long can greatly stregthen any glue joint. But you need to drill holes using the pin vice and then insert wire and glue joint.
 
No one mentioned GOO!
I found it handy for lots of things .. Carefully used of course.
For wood I use Elmer's or Tight Bond (the yellow kind is best).
 
The short answer to your question is yes, Testors liquid cement is still available. Now it comes in a round 1 ounce bottle called Plastic Cement, #3502. Not the price you remember but not anywhere close to the 17.95. Any place that sells plastic kits of any kind and stocks Testors products should have it.
 
NH Mike said:
The short answer to your question is yes, Testors liquid cement is still available. Now it comes in a round 1 ounce bottle called Plastic Cement, #3502. Not the price you remember but not anywhere close to the 17.95. Any place that sells plastic kits of any kind and stocks Testors products should have it.
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Thank you Mike, that's what I was hoping for. I should have written more clearly. I've been to the dollar store and have CA (super glue) In my liquids I have accellorator and debonder. Goo, got some, Solvoset have some. Zep stuff, boxes of it, Zeke Justice (now passed) was agreat friend and mentor. The list could go on. The new bottles and tubes mostly survived the 25 year hibernation. I was worried about tried and true liquid Testors.

Thank you everyone for your thoughtful answers!
 
While on the subject. Have any of you used what seems to be a new product marketed by Deluxe Materials (deluxematerials.com) called Super 'Phatic. I see it being advertised in RC magazines lately and sold exclusively by Horizon Hobby in U.S.A. and Great Hobbies in Canada. It's compatible with wood, foam, plastic, carbon fiber, GRP.
 
PaulB said:
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weld/solvents for styrene (MEK, methyl, ethyl kentone) is handy for styrene construction tasks. Again not the safest stuff. Need ventilation and surigcal gloves. Someone suggested an good alternative but I have forgotten what it was. Acetone or something like that (can anyone help?).


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Paul,

Although I have been an MEK user for over 20 years, I have used in the past acetone & lacquer thinner. I started using MEK because for years it was the base chemical in most liquid plastic cements. Its only when I have a very large area to glue, that I will substitute something else like lacquer thinner, that doesn't dry as fast. (The large area I need to glue at times are things like the Revell 1/96 sailing vessel's hulls. Some of those are almost 3' long!)

You must use it in a well ventilated area, and unless you're a real klutz no need to wear gloves. It will evaporate before its absorbed, and normally there is no skin reaction.
 
I'm another MEK and lacquer thinner user for styrene. I have some Slater's Plastikard patterned sheets and Slater's liquid glue for styrene is MEK. Additionally a quart of MEK from a big box store is about $5.00 to $7.00.I am 65 and I doubt that I will model enough more years to use up the rest of the quarts of MEK and lacquer thinner that I got years ago. A quart is a LOT!!! I refill one of those little Testor's bottles for convenient usage.
 
Thank you all for your answers, and compairisons. I like the MEK best, I'll just keep my little glass bottles full after a trip to the box store. There was also a easily found chemical to thin Floquil lacquer, anyone remember that one?
 
I build almost exclusively with wood and still use ambroid glue which is interesting stuff. It was originally made in 1911 and was used as a glue to build or repair canoes. These days , it's made in Swanzy NH and the company has nothing to do with the original Ambroid. Ambroid made its entry in to model trains in about 1949 selling cars that were actually built entirely by Jim Doyle of Northeastern Scale models at the time. Ambroid was wanting to go from model airplanes and expand into Model railroading and Doyle was only building in "S" gauge until that point. Northeastern has been a remarkable invisible hand in fine materials for craftsmen for well over half a century now.

You should be able to get Testor's at Michaels or the equivalent at competitive prices. . "vintage for $17.00 bucks?" Is this a great country or what? I have some great "vintage " Ambroid glue" which came in a lot of the boxes for their models in the 1950's. It should say " Special dried glue flakes, just add adhesive". they crunch and everything.
 
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