discussion Not so super; superglue....

[BarryW]

We often see pictures of line of nicely fixed p.e. to models and these sets are very popular. I have never really liked p.e. and now avoid such sets but nevertheless I still have to use it as many kits have some p.e. included.

I am always having trouble gluing it...

From what I have read c.a., superglue is the most commonly used agent used to fix p.e. to plastic.

But why does it often not stick?

I have a p.e. band to fix around my Dragon 1/32 Bf109. I tried two bottles (newish) of c.a. and neither worked.

The plastic was cleaned of grease, I started at one end and tried working around the part but it would not stick!
View attachment 301946
Now this fuel tank does not matter as I have decided not to use it for various reasons but I have some kits in the stash where it will be important to stick p.e. with c.a. so what is the secret?

 

[Guest]

I am finding this more and more with so called super glue. I don’t know if it has a shelf life (even new bottles must have been stored) but I usually buy ‘decent’ brands in thin, normal and max strength but rarely can I hold two pieces together for the suggested few seconds and get a bond. I do find using an accelerator does help but holding two small parts together then picking up an aerosol Can is often beyond my two handed limitations.

 

[Guest]

I hate using PE too, but given my choice of kits it’s a necessity so I have no choice.
What I’ve found required for a good bond is that both surfaces must be miticuliously clean and don’t overdo the amount of CA you use (less is more).
I always start a build by gently rubbing the photoetch sheet with a sander to lightly roughen it up and remove any residue from it (this also helps with paint adhesion) and I do the same to the plastic/resin where the photoetch is being attached.
Also, where possible, I solder PE parts together, which obviously makes them a lot stronger.

 

[Gary MacKenzie]

I use ''151 hard as nails'' superglue , which works.
I sometimes just use ''tamiya extra thin'' which partially melts the plastic , then if a band of pe i hold it tight against the plastic and the melted plastic welds it in place.
I find that some plastics work better than others when it comes to using superglues.

 

[Dave Ward]

I use a fibre-glass pen to clean the back of the PE, and the plastic where the PE is going to attach. The CA? Well, I use Loctite CA, and keep it in the crisper drawer of my fridge - cheaper brands work OK, but seem to lose grab quickly, so the more expensive stuff is cheaper in the long run.
Dave

 

[peterairfix]

Currently on my spit that I am doing I am using cheap poundland super glue and i have no problems

 

[Guest]

I use a fibre-glass pen to clean the back of the PE

I usually sand the areas of the part where glue will go, or even the back of the entire sheet of PE, with medium-grit sandpaper, in random directions so the scratches don’t all run the same way. This gives more surface area for the glue to stick to, and IME improves adhesion.

Blowing on the glue as it sets will also help it harden, because cyanoacrylate sets in the presence of water (actually, of hydroxide ions, OH(-), which are present in all water) — the moisture in your breath will make it set faster.

As for the glue itself, I tend to use either Bison or Pattex, since I can buy those brands in hardware stores. I’ve tried other brands in bigger bottles, but my experience is that I usually already have to throw away half of a 2-gram bottle because the nozzle blocks up, so I’m certainly not going to waste even more money on a larger bottle that will get blocked at the same rate as a smaller one.

 

[Si Benson]

This is a question I’ve seen pop up a few times in various places.
I don’t degrease, clean up or score anything prior to glueing PE, but I do know less is best!
I’ve been using this brand for a good few years now
View attachment 301957

My latest build has seen a good amount of PE. I always use bare minimum and patience.View attachment 301958

 

[Dave W]

Ive had trouble with superglues myself. Ive found the cheapest brands seem to work better than Loctite etc. And it has to be used sparingly

 

[Steve O]

I've never had much luck with super glue in the past with PE, i've always done better with clear glues like microscale or similar, just a tiny dab with a cocktail stick or an old brush.
In fact i don't use super glue for anything these days.

Steve.

 

[Guest]

Zap-a-Gap Medium is the type I use and most modellers in Australia use. Not once have my PE not bonded, from Eduard high quality PE to trumpeter low quality PE (and I use PE extensively for my builds). Highly recommended. It is the green bottle
John

 

[Gern]

I had a similar problem with my Dora build - all 3000 parts of it as it's moulded in ABS which my normal glues wouldn't touch! As the guys have said, CA is homeopathic - less is definitely more. You need only the tiniest smear and a way to hold the parts still for the necessary few seconds.

 

[Guest]

You need only the tiniest smear and a way to hold the parts still for the necessary few seconds.

And once it’s tacked in place and the glue has set, you can add more to make sure it stays there.

 

[Steve Jones]

Barry

Some very helpful replies to the age old problem of PE and CA glue. I think also the issue here is the ability to keep a long circular piece of PE in place while the CA is drying as you need to keep uniform pressure on the band while in place. Using a clamp or elastic band (be careful of sticking this on the part) try and place the part in place on the plastic part. Then using CA "thin", drop a few droplets around the band and let it find its own path around the band. Leave it overnight and then remove the fixings. The key here is to have uniform pressure over the entire band. Good luck

Steve

 

[BarryW]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions...

 

[Guest]

In this particular case, what does the PE part actually add to the fuel tank? From the photo it looks like it’s no more than a simple band around it, in which case you could probably just replace it with a bit of plastic strip of the right width.

 

[RonGlass]

I use a fibre-glass pen to clean the back of the PE, and the plastic where the PE is going to attach. The CA? Well, I use Loctite CA, and keep it in the crisper drawer of my fridge - cheaper brands work OK, but seem to lose grab quickly, so the more expensive stuff is cheaper in the long run.
Dave

interesting about storing the stuff in the crisper drawer Dave, will give that a try myself.....

 

[Wouter]

CA glues lose performance when opened, it's a sad fact. I already had to throw away two bottles of thin fas drying ca because it lost it's power. About keeping the ca in the fridge, I did that in the past, but I read that once a bottle is opened it's not a very good idea because of condense in the bottle. CA reacts to water and can degrade faster as well.

Cheers

 

[Thorbrand]

Currently on my spit that I am doing I am using cheap poundland super glue and i have no problems

I use that too, you get 5 bottles for a quid! does the job for me and it's stuck everything i've needed it to so far, including my fingers.

 

[Guest]

You wanted to stick your fingers together …?