discussion Favourite plastic cement?

[Tim Marlow]

I buy my plastikard direct from them..................https://slatersplastikard.com/plastikard/mekpak.php
Dave

Trouble is Dave, they changed the formula of Mek Pak about twenty years ago. It has the same name, but is not the same stuff :disappointed2:. Modern Mek Pak is very close to EMA. Plasticard (aka bextrene sheet) is still the same though, still goes brittle over time . Evergreen sheet and strip is much more stable in the long term, especially the strip, which is actually square with no cut ridges.

 

[Guest]

Evergreen (…) strip, which is actually square with no cut ridges.

Unlike their rod, which is not circular in cross-section, at least not in the somewhat larger sizes

 

[Tim Marlow]

Unlike their rod, which is not circular in cross-section, at least not in the somewhat larger sizes :sad:

Interesting. Not found that myself, but not used it for years. The thinner slaters rod is awful to use though, very hard to cut and shape, and splinters easily. Not sure what it’s made of really, seems like extruded styrene rather than the normal stuff.

 

[yak face]

Sticking my head above the parapet here but , Ive used Tetrosyl cellulose thinners for the last twenty years . A 5 litre tin now is about £12/15 . I fill up an old Marmite jar ( oops more incoming !) and use a Reeves nylon hair brush to apply it . It sticks no problem and behaves the same as any liquid cement . Also good if the airbrush needs a deep clean ( only if youve got ptfe seals though as it will swell rubber ones )

 

[Guest]

Use mainly TET have also VMS slow and the normal one. A black , can't remember off hand .
When they all run out might try the Tamiya cleaning .

 

[The Smythe Meister]

I'm probably going to be proved a Luddite here,.....
.... But I like Revell Contacta... If that fails,then,TET... if THAT fails...
Everbuild mitre glue kit.

 

[Guest]

Interesting. Not found that myself, but not used it for years.

I’ve got a pack of Evergreen 2 mm rod, and even turning it between your fingers, it’s clear that it’s not perfectly round. Not enough that you’ll notice it just looking at it, but it made things a bit difficult when I wanted to put some though a hole drilled in some part.

The thinner slaters rod is awful to use though, very hard to cut and shape, and splinters easily.

I will keep that in kind, I hope, should I ever come across any The only common brand I see is Evergreen, and sometimes the odd seller that has Plastruct, but that’s about it.

 

[spanner570]

I hunt down cheap Airfix Starter kits.

Apart from paint and a brush, they also contain those small Humbrol toothpaste type metal tubes of glue. I ooz the glue from the nozzle and apply it with a cocktail stick....Or if I'm feeling posh, I decant the stuff into a used, but cleaned out Revell contacta glue applicator.

Smile you might and naff stuff you might think, but it works for me and has done for decades.

Bin Snifin Aggin.

 

[Lee W]

I have Revells contacta but seem to be collecting it rather than putting it to good use soooo I use Poundlands own superglue, it works, it holds, its good enough!

 

[stona]

TET. I kinda like the smell, which is worrying. :tears-of-joy:

I quite like the smell too, but can't afford to leave the bottle open. I did that once, overnight, with predictable results.

 

[stona]

Thanks for all your answers!

Obviously a lot of other people are using Tamiya Extra Thin too.

I'm not planning on changing anytime soon. I think that most of these products are made up of blends of similar solvents and that at the end of the day there's not much in it.

 

[Guest]

EMA for me, I find that if using the glues with the little brush it can get stuck up your nose, but with EMA it fits so well in the nostril....
Seriously when I worked as a pro modelmaker, we used to buy TET and EMA by the gallon, and the glue dispenser pots. When working on production facilities like oil plants where you had to install a line of pipes, the the brush dipped in the pot made the job so much easier.

 

[minitnkr]

Gorilla super glue & Zap-a-Gap green for resin & PE, and Testors tube & liquid for plastics. They are readily available & reasonably priced.

 

[Guest]

I think that most of these products are made up of blends of similar solvents and that at the end of the day there's not much in it.

Eh … that difference in the blends (and types) of solvents is exactly why it pays to have a couple of types/brands of glue, IMHO.

 

[yak face]

Forgot to mention I also use revell contacta and humbrol poly cement if i want a stronger joint , but most of the time its the thinners .

 

[Tworrs]

I mostly use Zap-A-Gap medium and thin, and some Tamiya Extra Thin.

 

[stona]

Eh … that difference in the blends (and types) of solvents is exactly why it pays to have a couple of types/brands of glue, IMHO.

Yes, but the performance is very similar.

 

[Tim Marlow]

Not really Steve. Daywat Poly is far hotter than TET, for example. It will bond ABS as well as styrene. If you have a joint that needs to be really secure, that’s your best shot. Use it on thin parts though and it could completely dissolve the plastic. It’s sold (at least it was, not bought any for many years, but I still have a bottle) by C and L for construction of their ABS plastic scale railway track parts.