Suggest an adhesive!

[Fetthunter]

I'm gluing .060" Styrene pieces to OTHER .060" Styrene pieces at 90 degree angles, and some are even "edge-to-edge". There are lots of compound curves going on, too.

What would YOU use to glue them together? GOOP is thick enough, but takes too long to dry. SuperGlue is fast, but due to the compound curves not ALL of the edges are 100% flush (therefore a gap-bridging glue would be great).

I thought about 5 minute Epoxy, but I have a *lot* to glue, and it's just not feasible to have to mix and apply that many batches of epoxy. I need something ready-to-use with a fast drying time, with "GOOP-like" consistency.

Any ideas?


Thanks!

 

[sebmodio]

Gorilla glue?

Hrm maybe not cause it expands and that means trimming...

 

[kimncris]

i'd use either gap filling super glue, or Hot Glue.

 

[slave1pilot]

Satellite City makes CA glues og different consistancies
http://www.caglue.com/

that's what the Pros use.

 

[Fetthunter]

Satellite City makes CA glues og different consistancies
http://www.caglue.com/

that's what the Pros use.

Thanks for the suggestions thus far!

 

[slave1pilot]

Satellite City makes CA glues og different consistancies
http://www.caglue.com/

that's what the Pros use.

Just to make it easier on you guys
Green is thick
yellow is thinner
red is even thinner

 

[exoray]

Devcon Plastic Welder... Just a Wal-Mart away or there are other brands of plastic specific epoxy at places like Menards...

 

[mez7]

Satellite City makes CA glues og different consistancies
http://www.caglue.com/

that's what the Pros use.

true....when i was a "pro" this is what we used.....

just be carefull with the thin, it runs really quickly, and youll get it all over if your not carefull.

becasue of this ive seen a guy glue himself to, a model airplane for an airport display....both hands to the inside of an R2D2 body (one of the screen used) and to a oil tanker model....same guy....:lol

 

[Laffo]

Remember the Mascot build? "Loctite Super Glue with Activator for Plastics."
Unbelievable.
Laffo.

 

[slave1pilot]

true....when i was a "pro" this is what we used.....

just be carefull with the thin, it runs really quickly, and youll get it all over if your not carefull.

:lol

QFT
you wouldn't believe some of the things people around here glue to other things.

 

[Fetthunter]

Remember the Mascot build? "Loctite Super Glue with Activator for Plastics."
Unbelievable.
Laffo.

Used them for years! Awesome stuff! Unfortunately, too thin for this project.

I might try that "Special T". We used some of the other varieties at an engineering shop I used to work at.

 

[Fetthunter]

QFT
you wouldn't believe some of the things people around here glue to other things.

I once worked at a place that had several owners (all idiots), and one of the owners in particular was a hot head. He came into our shop one day and started slinging stuff around and knocked over a bottle of SuperGlue and a puddle spilled out (probably the LocTite stuff). He didn't notice it, and after he had his "fit", he put his hand down on the table and leaned on it and started lecturing us about something stupid. When he went to leave, he COULDN'T! His hand was stuck to the table! He was so pissed (and embarrassed), he just RIPPED his hand loose. It left a HUGE patch of skin on the table!!! :sick

Served him right, though! :lol

 

[Fetthunter]

Just ordered some "Special T":

Special 'T'™ is a very thick cyanoacrylate with a consistency resembling cold honey. SPECIAL 'T'™ THICK has a greater gap-filling ability than SUPER 'T'™ and more positioning time after contact of parts. The rate of cure is slow enough, (usually 50-60 seconds depending on the material), to allow precise alignment of parts, after assembly.


I can hold the parts for a minute. It won't kill me. Cold honey consistency + gap filling sounds like what I need...

 

[BlindSquirrel]

How about using some Lacquer thinner? It acts just like the more expensive liquid plastic cement. it'll weld those pieces together.

 

[Fetthunter]

The Special T just arrived (took a WEEK and was only 2 states away! :rolleyes).

Having SuperGlue (CA glue) with the consistency of molasses is interesting. I'll let y'all know how it works out.

 

[Gigatron]

For styrene, you really want to use something like Ambroid Pro-Weld (or something similar). Goes on using capillary action and physically welds the two pieces together. Dries solid in under 20 seconds.

Once you've welded the contact points, you can either use a thick, gap-filling CA, or make a styrene slurry and use that. Take some scrap styrene and cut it into itty-bitty pieces. Mix it with some pro-weld until you get a goopy paste. Use a toothpick to work it into the gaps. When it dries, it has the same physical properties as the surrounding styrene, so it sands easily. CA, if you wait too long, dries harder than styrene and becomes a real PITA to sand and smooth properly.

-Fred

 

[Fetthunter]

For styrene, you really want to use something like Ambroid Pro-Weld (or something similar). Goes on using capillary action and physically welds the two pieces together. Dries solid in under 20 seconds.

Once you've welded the contact points, you can either use a thick, gap-filling CA, or make a styrene slurry and use that. Take some scrap styrene and cut it into itty-bitty pieces. Mix it with some pro-weld until you get a goopy paste. Use a toothpick to work it into the gaps. When it dries, it has the same physical properties as the surrounding styrene, so it sands easily. CA, if you wait too long, dries harder than styrene and becomes a real PITA to sand and smooth properly.

-Fred

Fortunately I'll be using these pieces for structural reinforcement porposes, and the parts being glued will never be seen (they'll be covered with "skins") and will not need sanding.

Also, as some of the pieces have complex curves and do not align 100% perfectly, it might take me a bit longer than 20 seconds to ensure proper alignment. This Special T glue takes about 50 seconds, which is fine. Any quicker than that, and I'd be in trouble! :eek