discussion Speaking of gluing parts .....

[Gern]

I have a similar request to Steve.

Does anyone know what sort of glue I need for soft plastic 1/72 figures? Most of these are made from some sort of polyethylene and none of the glues I have will create a permanent bond.

I've heard of a two part adhesive which involves priming the parts with one chemical and then using another to actually stick them together, but from what little information I've come across they can be tricky to use and very expensive.

Gern

 

[Guest]

As a start, as know nuffing about it, put polyethylene glue in browser search & it will come up with loads of answers. Be interesting to know how you get on Dave.

Laurie

 

[Guest]

I used normal contact adhesive to stick some 1:32 soldiers (the soft airfix ones)

Had to rough up the surface to get it to take, not sure how easy that would be in 1:72

 

[Gern]

I used normal contact adhesive to stick some 1:32 soldiers (the soft airfix ones)Had to rough up the surface to get it to take, not sure how easy that would be in 1:72

I've used CA to hold parts together (eg riders on horses) which works reasonably well, but I got some parts that need to be joined with very small pins pushed into holes. As the pins are very slightly tapered, they tend to push themselves out of the locating holes, and CA won't hold; which is why I need a something more permanent.

Also, as the pins are so tiny, the surfaces are too tiny to get them rough.

Gern

 

[Gern]

As a start, as know nuffing about it, put polyethylene glue in browser search & it will come up with loads of answers. Be interesting to know how you get on Dave.Laurie

That's where I got my bits of info from Laurie. A lot of the sites are too general and include suggestions which I know don't work - such as using ordinary polystyrene glues like Tamiya Thin and Contacta. A couple of them were too technical for my simple mind. Ideally, I'd like to hear from someone who's used something that works and can tell me how to use it and where to get it from.

Anything I do find, I'll put some sort of post here to let everyone know how it goes.

Bearing in mind that figures made of this type of material have been around for decades, and the number of folks who have been doing wargaming etc. with them, I'm quite surprised how difficult it is to find an answer. You'd have thought someone would have come up with a solution long ago which should be common knowledge by now.

Gern

 

[Guest]

Gern,

I was under the impression it was not possible to get a strong bond (adhesive), due to the chemical composition of polypropylene.Now I am a Mech.Eng.not a chemist but I did work for a pharmaceutical company up to 1989 not going into details we used to make devices that used polypropylene valves at that time the only successful way of getting a strong bond was to use a form of welding I think this might still apply. Obviously these bonds could not fail as you could potentially kill someone.(a bit of superglue or pva was not really acceptable:wink.My view would be that you might get a bond of sorts with a flexible adhesive such as a contact adhesive which I think you may have tried,whether it would last any length of time or have much strength is a different matter.I do remember articles in the modelling mags of the sixties and seventies complaining about Airfix using this material. As an aside Dragon released a model of the Bismarck a few years ago which for some reason had it's funnel moulded out of this stuff,as you can imagine it was not very popular. Bottom line I think you might have to use pinning with thin brass or steel rod, it all comes down to how strong a bond you want.

Malcolm

I would just add I think the figures are made out of polypropylene

 

[Gern]

That's pretty much what I've managed to find so far Malcolm. It's hard to stick 'cos it's chemically inert - which is why it has so many uses. I guess it must be cheaper than the usual styrene stuff kit manufacturers use 'cos I can't see any other advantage in modelling (mould details are not as sharp, parts which bend tend to stay bent and it's a nightmare cleaning up flash and mould lines).

Based on what you say, I'll try narrowing my search to polypropylene rather than all the other 'polys' I've seen.

I have read about some two part adhesives but I'm having difficulty getting information that I can understand. I'll keep looking though and let you guys know what I find.

Onwards and upwards I hope!

Gern

PS Just started looking again and found loads of ads for adhesive tapes - made of polypropylene! What adhesive do they use on the tape?????

 

[Guest]

If Malcolm's presumption is correct and they're polypropylene then it'll be the same stuff that the specialist containment was made of when I was part of the gang that wired up the new labs at astrazeneca in loughborough

The answer is 3M Scotch weld !!

 

[spanner570]

Dave, can't help with the glue question, but to remove mould lines and any excess poly, sling the figures in the freezer.

When they have hardened up, scrape the stuff off....Work quickly and ever so carefully......One from the Steve (stona) stable, and it works!

Ron

 

[Gern]

If Malcolm's presumption is correct and they're polypropylene then it'll be the same stuff that the specialist containment was made of when I was part of the gang that wired up the new labs at astrazeneca in loughboroughThe answer is 3M Scotch weld !!

Hi Colin. Just had a look for scotch weld. There are several different types that 3M make ranging from a kind of CA (About £15 for 20 gms!) to a two-part resin. Which one were you thinking of?

Gern

 

[Gern]

Ron, I'd forgotten the freezer trick! I'll give it a try.

Gern

 

[spanner570]

Ron, I'd forgotten the freezer trick! I'll give it a try.Gern

To be honest mate, it was only when I read your tale of woe that I remembered it!!

 

[Guest]

The one we used was a single thinnish liquid, almost laquerish in texture.

All we did was run it around each of the joints, wait a few seconds, and it bonded almost instantly like a poly cement when the two parts were placed together or pipes were inserted in the joiners etc.

It got a little warm as it cured

Acted like a contact but you could just splash it on one part and it would still be effective.

 

[Guest]

Gern,

Please don't take my word that they are made out of polypropylene,as I am not a chemist but from my memory of the material I think that is what they are made of.Where is a chemist when you need one eh? Well actually I do know an industrial chemist if I see him over the weekend I will ask the question.

It was my understanding that they were made out of this type of material so they could withstand the knocks they would get when played with,if a harder plastic had been used you would of ended up with a load of legless and armless soldiers after they had been trodden on or worse!

Malcolm

 

[Guest]

Well its a high possibility thats what they could be made of because the containment was chosen for its ability to withstand excessive trauma and extremes of weather and temp without losing its physical properties.

 

[spanner570]

Well its a high possibility thats what they could be made of because the containment was chosen for its ability to withstand excessive trauma and extremes of weather and temp without losing its physical properties.

Yer wot?!

 

[Gern]

It was my understanding that they were made out of this type of material so they could withstand the knocks they would get when played with,if a harder plastic had been used you would of ended up with a load of legless and armless soldiers after they had been trodden on or worse!

Malcolm

Hadn't thought of that one, but it makes good sense. Most of these figures are made as toys rather than scale models - but I don't want to go down the road of "What's the difference between a toy and a model?"

Gern

 

[Gern]

The one we used was a single thinnish liquid, almost laquerish in texture.

Well at least that eliminates the two-part ones. Thanks Col. Back to the web!

Gern

 

[Gern]

I'm beginning to wish I'd known how many worms there are in this can!

Gern

 

[Gern]

Yer wot?!

I can sort of follow what Col said, but you should see some of the gibberish on the web!

Gern