Fingerprints

[Brickie]

It doesn't matter how carefully or sparingly I use Liquid Poly, I always manage to mould my fingerprints into the kit somewhere.

Short of wearing surgical gloves, how can I not do this, and how best to remove them once I've done it?

 

[BarryW]

Do you use ultra thin cement?

Apply to joined parts with a brush and allow capillary action to draw in the cement. Keep fingers away and hold it in a position so gravity will not make surplus cement run into detail. Running the brush for instance along a wing join with the join downwards and held from above.

Types of cement other than the hard to get Tamiya version are Mr Cement S (from MDC, Google them) and Plastic Weld (available from John)

 

[snapper41]

I find the only way to remove fingerprints when using poly cement is to sand the area down. If using CA glue, the foolproof way is to use Cyano Wipe - excellent stuff; just pour some on the offending area then wipe off. Simples!

 

[Edgar Brooks]

1/. Don't use the "decorator's paintbrush," supplied with the bottle, for anything other than flat surfaces, which you're going to press together after applying the glue.

2/. Get an old, or cheap, OO (or finer) paintbrush, and dedicate it only to applying the glue, then practice on some lengths of sprue. Press them together, and take a small drop of glue onto your brush, then gently apply it to the join. Watch the glue run along the join, and, where it stops, apply a second small drop. Note the emphasis on small drops; if you don't overload the brush, there'll be no extra glue itching to run across your model, searching for your fingers. If you have to use the glue for a knife-edged join (e.g. wing trailing edges,) hold the parts vertically, with the fingers/thumb above the point to which you're applying the glue. The glue should run down the join, away from your digits; if it should run across the surface, leave it alone, until it dries, then remove the mark with some very fine wet-and-dry paper, used wet. If you can find Micromesh, the cloth-backed abrasives are so fine that you can bring plastic back to a glossy finish. The same material will remove your fingerprints off plastic, as well; I've removed them from the "glass" front of an instrument, leaving it as good as new.

Edgar

 

[Brickie]

If you can find Micromesh, the cloth-backed abrasives are so fine that you can bring plastic back to a glossy finish. The same material will remove your fingerprints off plastic, as well; I've removed them from the "glass" front of an instrument, leaving it as good as new.Edgar

This stuff?

MICRO MESH / MICROMESH POLISHING KIT 9 SHEETS 6" X 4" | eBay

 

[stona]

That's the stuff,it goes up to several 1000 grit! Very fine indeed.

Edgar has given a very comprehensive answer but I'd like to emphasise that you must let any boo-boos dry thoroughly before polishing them out. If you don't you'll end up with a bigger mess to fix.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Brickie]

Yes, I've found that before - "oh no, a dribble of glue - quick, grab the kitchen roll and wipe it off!"

Mistake.

 

[Edgar Brooks]

This stuff?MICRO MESH / MICROMESH POLISHING KIT 9 SHEETS 6" X 4" | eBay

That's it, as Steve said; make sure it goes to 12,000 grit, though (sounds a lot, but American grit sizes vary from ours.) I'd recommend that you use it wet, and be sure to follow the instructions to use the sheets in straight lines, with successive grits at 90 degrees to the preceding.

Edgar

 

[mossiepilot]

Hey Matt.

I've done this in the past and I found some nail buffing blocks in my local pound shop.

These come as sponge blocks with successivly finer grits.

When I last finger printed a model I buffed it out with one of these no probs.

A lot cheaper too.

Tony

 

[kaiyudsai]

Yes, I've found that before - "oh no, a dribble of glue - quick, grab the kitchen roll and wipe it off!"Mistake.

I hear ya...... I think the worst thing you can do is try to fix the problem immediately..... once the solvent hits the styrene.. its done.... only thing that can be done is let it dry and hit it with superfine grit sandpaper after......

I used to have alot of fingerprints when I used mostly liquid cement...... Ever since I started using plastic welder.... with the needle pipette applicator..... my gluing has been ALOT cleaner.... I find I use ALOT less solvent than I did glue... and I have better bonded parts..... I always fit the part first then touch the needle and allow the solvent to suck up into the joint.... It is a MUCH better system and havent used glue in months.... other than CA... Now I still have problems with overapplying CA when doing PE work..... but i am making one of those sewing needle applicators(I had been using fine silver wire curled up at the end of a 3 inch long handle.... but I have been finding blods of wet CA in the strangest places...... I didnt realize they had a CA solvent.... I will get some....

 

[tecdes]

Could not agree more Marc.

Made my modeling life a bit more near heaven using the thin solvent Plastic Weld & the applicator. Very clinical way of glueing. Also fitting before you glue is so much more accurate. No finger marks. On the present model I have not used the old thick glue at all.

Also used Tamiya thin glue with the brush application. Works well for difficult places to get into. No problem with the glue marking the suface as it is so thin & sucked inot the joint & goes off so quickly.

Also after scribing lost panel lines I clean them up & apply the Tamiya glue to the new lines scribed which smooths them out & you lose the sharp edges.

Laurie

 

[stona]

goes off so quickly.Laurie

Yes,but it doesn't harden for about 24 hours and continues to cure after that. I leave a minimum of 24 hours,ideally longer,before sanding a seam for example. Maybe that's why construction takes me so long! I don't usually suffer from the results of rushing like 'ghost' seams,and use very little filler. If I had a quid for every post I've seen about dodgy seams.........

Cheers

Steve

 

[tecdes]

Phew Steve I do not work that fast.

Laurie

 

[stona]

Phew Steve I do not work that fast.Laurie

Me neither Laurie,with very rare exceptions. A friend and I knocked up a couple of 1/72 models over a festival week-end a while ago,the results were predictably average,though it was good fun! In our defense,with the exception of Halfords primer,we only used what came in the boxes.

I typically leave a couple of days between glueing major components like fuselage or wing halves together and sanding them.

Cheers

Steve

 

[tecdes]

Actually Steve your reply regarding the glue setting period. (Actually it is not a glue really there must be a word or expression as the glue for our work with plastic is more like a catalyst but that is just me being a pedant. Is there an expression ?).

But interesting about the setting period. I use during the winter a modified gardener's propagation unit to place model bits to dry as my garage where I work gets cold when the heating is not on. I have noticed that the glued parts under heat (no more than about 75 degrees) do initially set rapidly & allow further work on the same piece. But if I leave them out over night they seem to cure much more quickly at a lower temperature.

Laurie

 

[stona]

The glue is a solvent plain and simple. It actually dissolves the edges of the parts to be joined. We often call that ooze 'molten' plastic but of course it isn't molten but partially dissolved. The joint then dries and cures as the solvent evaporates. Anyone who has left their pot of glue open knows how quickly it evaporates exposed to air which explains the fairly rapid setting time.I once lost virtually an entire pot of Tamiya Extra Thin that way! It takes much longer for the solvent/glue to evaporate completely from the dissolved plastic layer and that's the process we call curing.

Cheers

Steve