Model kit glue

[Spartan]

I know this will have been asked many times. So here goes which liquid glue is best to build ones models. Is Tamiya liquid any good.
Sorry for the silly question.

 

[zuludog]

There are several brands of liquid glue on the market, and IMO they are all much of a muchness as far as actually sticking parts together
Tamiya and Mr Hobby have finer brushes and I would choose either of those
So yes, Tamiya liquid glue is OK

 

[Spartan]

Thanks zuludog for the help.

 

[AlanG]

I have a few different glues for different things.

Superglue and Gators Grip Acrylic for PE and aerial wires
Micro Kristal Klear for canopys/clear parts
Mr. Hobby Cement S and Revell Contacta for general modelling

 

[Spartan]

I have a few different glues for different things.

Superglue and Gators Grip Acrylic for PE and aerial wires
Micro Kristal Klear for canopys/clear parts
Mr. Hobby Cement S and Revell Contacta for general modelling

Thanks Alan the advice is a great help.

 

[zuludog]

Here are a few comments on my way with glues -

Liquid glue is simply a solvent which will dissolve polystyrene. When it is applied to a joint it dissolves the surface of the parts, which mix & mingle with each other. When the solvent has evaporated the parts will be stuck together
In use you hold or tape the parts together, then apply liquid glue to the join, and the glue flows along it by capillary action. For smaller parts you apply a small drop with the brush
The disadvantage is that if you apply too much glue/solvent it runs all over the place; you just have to learn by experience

Tube glue is liquid glue/solvent with clear plastic dissolved in it to make it thicker and prevent it running too much. This is the stuff that's often called 'polystyrene cement' by the kit makers
The disadvantage is that it is difficult to apply in small quantities
It is less popular now among experienced modellers, but I still like it for large parts, like fuselage halves and wing - fuselage joints

I make up my own mixture by dissolving a few pieces of clear sprue in a bottle of liquid glue. This makes it a bit thicker than 'pure' liquid glue, but nowhere near as thick as tube glue
I like it for small parts as it performs very similar to liquid glue, but does not run as much; just apply a small drop with the brush

That means I have 3 types of polystyrene glue - tube, liquid, and my own mixture
All these glues are intermiscible in any proportion, so you could, for example, empty an old tube of glue into a bottle of liquid glue if it's leaking or stopped sealing very well. It will, of course, make the liquid glue a bit thicker
You can buy liquid glue in bulk - well, bigger than the usual 40 ml or so bottles - and top up a brush-bottle

I like Tamiya and Mr Hobby, mainly for the bottles - they are squat and less likely to tip over; the brushes are fine; and they do not have those frustrating and irritating child proof caps

Micro Kristal Klear. This is a good quality PVA glue. It can be used to make small windows, and also to attach canopies without their being damaged by polystyrene glue
The disadvantage is that it's a bit slow setting

Search YouTube for 'scale modelling glue' There are several videos which discuss the types and demonstrate the techniques, though I haven't watched them all

I make rigging and aerial wires from stretched sprue, applying them after painting. Polystyrene glue will not stick to painted surfaces, so I use Kristal Klear to attach them

I don't use photoetched or any other metal parts

 

[AlanG]

I make rigging and aerial wires from stretched sprue

EZ Line is far easier to use

 

[Jakko]

For the Dutch people in the audience only, I suppose:

€7.50 or so for 250 ml, and glues just as well as liquid cement that costs a similar amount of money for 30–40 ml.

 

[zuludog]

The most commonly used polystyrene solvent is methyl ethyl ketone, often shortened to MEK, also known by its more modern name - butanone

You can find it quite easily on t'Net, typically around £6 to £8 for 500ml and £10 to 13 for 1l; then you're into real bulk quantities - 5l, 10l, 25l, etc

When my current bottles run low I might just buy 500ml, that should keep me going for the forseeable future

 

[AlanG]

The most commonly used polystyrene solvent is methyl ethyl ketone, often shortened to MEK, also known by its more modern name - butanone

You would be also wise to point out that MEK is VERY flammable and also VERY toxic. The vapours can cause you a lot of damage to your nervous and breathing systems. MEK was the replacement Trichloroethane or Trich as it's known (now banned). Ventilation is paramount and the use of a recognised vapour mask is also advised. I am saying this as i have a first hand knowledge of just how bad MEK is. I was placed on oxygen because i was overcome by the vapours. I was also witness to an explosion when MEK vapours ignited due to a static discharge. It's not a liquid to be messed with.

 

[JR]

You would be also wise to point out that MEK is VERY flammable and also VERY toxic. The vapours can cause you a lot of damage to your nervous and breathing systems. MEK was the replacement Trichloroethane or Trich as it's known (now banned). Ventilation is paramount and the use of a recognised vapour mask is also advised. I am saying this as i have a first hand knowledge of just how bad MEK is. I was placed on oxygen because i was overcome by the vapours. I was also witness to an explosion when MEK vapours ignited due to a static discharge. It's not a liquid to be messed with.

Al , top man, I'm glad you pointed this out, I would have ordered some had I not read you timely post. As an asthmatic it would have probably finished me off !
Thank you .
John.

 

[yak face]

For the Dutch people in the audience only, I suppose:

€7.50 or so for 250 ml, and glues just as well as liquid cement that costs a similar amount of money for 30–40 ml.

At last someone else who uses thinners . Ive been using cellulose thinners as a liquid glue for years . I get a 5 litre tin for about £15 ( this will last me years and years) then decant some into an old marmite jar then apply it with a reeves synthetic hair brush , it sticks in just the same way as any proprietary liquid cement by melting the plastic . Obviously thinners can be a bit smelly but in the small quantities no more so than any other liquid cement.

 

[BattleshipBob]

I use to use tamiya thin but got banging headaches. Now using Deluxe materials plastic magic, comes with 2 brushes, normal and thin, works well and the thin brush is great . very little smell but does evaporate quickly

 

[Spartan]

I have just bought some Tamiya extra thin which should be fine for my modelling. Thanks for all the information regarding glue liquids.

 

[Bortig the Viking]

After reading all this about odour etc I opened my Tamiya glues, thin and extra thin, new unopened, wow all I can say my wife had to pick me up off the floor, it stinks really bad, guess that's why it's difficult to get outside of Japan, for me anyway.
I'm gonna try deluxe as other stuff I have is low odour. Bit off the subject but why do tamiya paints also have a strong odour.

 

[Jakko]

The most commonly used polystyrene solvent is methyl ethyl ketone, often shortened to MEK

This is one of the constituents of the ontvetter (“degreaser”) I posted above, IIRC about one-third by volume.

You would be also wise to point out that MEK is VERY flammable and also VERY toxic.

The risk depends a lot on how you use it and how much. If you have a small bottle of it that you keep closed when you don’t actively need it, the risk is rather smaller than, say, having open vats of it standing around. Given the quantities modellers use and the small openings on glue bottles, the risk should be pretty low.

At last someone else who uses thinners .

I was given the tip to use this Bison stuff about 25 years ago by the late J.L.A. de Grave (well-known to many Twenot members), and never bought a bottle of model cement again until, I think, two years ago when the brush on my old one finally gave up the ghost entirely.

I get a 5 litre tin for about £15 ( this will last me years and years) then decant some into an old marmite jar

One of these 250 ml tins lasts me a couple of years, I think. I just top up my liquid cement bottle (originally an Italeri one, now a Gunze Sangyo) when I can’t reach the fluid inside anymore with the brush.

 

[JR]

Reading all the replies I get the feeling we've been ripped off all these years. I've got some cellulose thinners for cleaning my Mr Hobby metal primer brush, will try it tomorrow.

This is one of the constituents of the ontvetter (“degreaser”) I posted above, IIRC about one-third by volume.


The risk depends a lot on how you use it and how much. If you have a small bottle of it that you keep closed when you don’t actively need it, the risk is rather smaller than, say, having open vats of it standing around. Given the quantities modellers use and the small openings on glue bottles, the risk should be pretty low.


I was given the tip to use this Bison stuff about 25 years ago by the late J.L.A. de Grave (well-known to many Twenot members), and never bought a bottle of model cement again until, I think, two years ago when the brush on my old one finally gave up the ghost entirely.


One of these 250 ml tins lasts me a couple of years, I think. I just top up my liquid cement bottle (originally an Italeri one, now a Gunze Sangyo) when I can’t reach the fluid inside anymore with the brush.

 

[Deleted member 7181]

Thinners, now that's interesting. We always have a few 25l barrels knocking around at work and I'm sure they won't mind me having a few ml here and there. I should never need to buy a "thin" glue again.

 

[Archetype]

Thinners eh.....interesting. Might give it a go.
I always use revell contacta. To me it smells like pear drops (which i love).

I did get a bottle of cement which was made by the shop I bought it from. I didn’t note what was it in, just that the advice was I use a brush with natural hair fibres. When I got it home and read the warning on the label that it was carcinogenic, I took it straight back.

 

[Tim Marlow]

If you have trouble sleeping you could always use Ether! Chloroform works as well....both MEK and Cellulose thinners have MSDS exposure limits, but MEK use only advices good ventilation, not respiratory protection. You can minimise exposure in use by decanting the bulk to a small narrow necked bottle so reducing evaporation.
Back to the real world though, not all MEK/Butan-1-one solutions are the same....the old school Slaters MEK PAK was the most user friendly of them all, but I can’t find it now. Daywat poly is much “hotter” melting plastic much more quickly. Others I’ve tried seem closer to Daywat. These days I mostly use EVA as a MEK type liquid glue. It has properties that are similar to MEK PAK, so is less aggressive, but seems slightly harder to control, not coming off the brush so cleanly. I have both Tamiya glues but have never opened them....to use the liquid types I use cheaper hair based number 1 paintbrushes. For long joints I have a cheap number 1 rigger as it holds more glue. I think if you use rule one for chemicals, “if you can smell it you need ventilation” , you should be fine for modelling use.
Cheers
Tim