There are a variety of liquid cements on the market.
Plain Old Normal Tube GlueThis stuff was great in the 1950's but this is 50 years later and glues have come a long way.
I haven't used this stuff for many years because there are glues now that do a much better job.
It doesn't stick very well, it takes a long time to dry, and it is just plain messy.
I don't like it, and I don't use it at all.
"Welding" Glues There are several brands of "Welding" glues on the market now.
The most popular appear to be Tenax 7R, Ambroid Pro-Weld, and Tamiya Extra Thin.
My favor is UHU plast spezial (
www.uhu.de/produkte/kunststoff-und-modellbauklebestoffe/detail/uhu-plast-spezial-1.html?no_cache=1&step=35 )
They all behave pretty much the same way.
In general they actually melt the plastic at the joint and when the glue evaporates the plastic solidifies and creates a very strong joint.
These glues are NOT used like most other glues.
The parts to be joined must already be in position. You can't put the glue on the parts and then put the parts together, they must already be together and then you put the glue on the joint between the parts.
These glues are great for taking care of seams because they seldom leave any.
Since they actually melt the plastic together the seam virtually disappears.
A trick that has worked very well for me (my thanks to whoever told me about it) is to squeeze the parts together slightly after applying the glue.
This will cause a bead of molten plastic to ooze out and once it has cured all you have to do is lightly sand it off and there is zero seam to deal with.
A word of caution: Be Careful! These glues are so thin they will travel everywhere.
If you are holding the parts and some gets under your finger it will leave a very nice etched fingerprint in the plastic.
The only way to fix it is to fill it in (if necessary) and sand it down.
Note that Mr. Surfacer works quite well for this purpose (ask me how I know!).
Cyanoacrylate ("Super Glue") or "CA" These glues are the modeler's friend.
They will stick virtually anything to virtually anything else, and they will do it quickly.
There are many brands, types, and viscosities of CA.
Some work quite well others are junk.
I personally stick with the Zap CA or some industrial CA`s, because I know that it works well.
I avoid the general purpose CA's available at hardware stores because I have never had good luck with them.
I usually keep two viscosities on hand, regular Zap CA which is a thin glue that will easily wick into gaps between parts and glue them solidly.
(
www.supergluecorp.com/zap-brand-products/zap-glues )
I also use Zap-A-Gap which is a relatively thick CA, but not as thick as some of the "Gels".
It is excellent for gluing parts that have a minor gap between them because it will cure and fill the gap.
It is also great for actually filling gaps and seams.
Fill the gap and when the glue dries sand it down and the seam is gone.
A word of caution: Be Careful! These types of glue will happily bond your fingers to whatever they happen to be touching.
I've stuck more parts to my fingers than I could ever count, and lost several fingerprints in the process of getting them loose again.
Another word of caution: Use care with using these types of glue on clear parts.
They will create a white haze that is virtually impossible to get off.
If you do use CA on clear parts I highly recommend that you first dip the parts in Future Floor Polish (
coffincorner.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=tips&action=display&thread=13244 ) and let it cure.
This will usually prevent the haze from forming and if it does another coat of Future will usually get rid of it.
2-Part Epoxy These glues create a very strong joint, and like CA glues they will usually stick anything to anything.
They are kind of messy to use and also somewhat heavy (a big deal for flying models) but for resin and photoetch they are great.
(
www.permabond.com/en/en-epoxy-selector.htm )
The joint is stronger than that of most CA glues, but the mixture is quite viscous and if the joint will be visible they might not be the best choice.
I use them quite a bit in places where I need the strongest possible glued joint but won't be visible.
White Glue Plain old Elmer's White Glue (
www.nextag.com/elmers-white-glue/search-html ) also has it's place in the modeler's toolbox.
It doesn't create a very strong joint but it does dry clear and doesn't fog clear parts.
This is good for two things: Gluing clear parts such as canopies and windows, and temporarily gluing parts for painting.
A couple of tiny drops of white glue will hold parts such as panel doors in place for painting but will allow them to be popped off afterwards.
DO NOT use too much or the parts will be difficult to get off and DO NOT use this method on painted areas or the paint will probably pull off.
Another good use for white glue is seam filling.
White glue is water-based and can be thinned with plain old tap water.
After thinning it will flow down into seams very well and any excess can be wiped off with a Q-Tip moistened with water.
It will frequently be necessary to use multiple applications for large seams since as the water evaporates and the glue cures it tends to shrink quite a bit.
I use this method a lot along canopy and windscreen seams.
After the glue has dried I paint over it with the appropriate color paint and it seals the joint between windscreen and fuselage very well.
Gluing Chrome- / plated partsI frequently see posts on forums about whether or not pant or chrome should be removed prior to gluing.
Here are the facts, and they are very simple, decide for yourself.
If there is paint or chrome on a glued joint then you aren't gluing a part to another part you are gluing paint (or chrome) to more paint (or chrome) so the joint is only going to be as strong as the adhesion of the paint or chrome.
If you decide scraping the paint off is too much trouble, that's your choice but don't be surprised when the joint pops apart and takes a hunk of paint with it.
Sure it's a little more work, but so what?
Are you in that much of a hurry?
You spend a good bit of time building a model, why cut a corner here that can come back to haunt you later.
Gator GlueIf you've ever used Krystal Klear, this stuff seems like the same stuff at first, the product looks that same, feels the same, is odorless.
I'm not sure what KK is other than white glue but Gator Glue is touted as an acrylic product, it's label claims it will join dissimilar materials.
On further observation, I noticed when I dip a toothpick in the stuff what's left disturbed in the container holds it's shape, it doesn't level back out like KK does.
On the project it seems to act like KK, it stays in place and beads up, it dries quickly and one has to gauge the speed of work against the speed of the glue.
So far I've attached clear parts with it, it dries clear.
For clear parts I applied a small bead of the product to the edges of the canopy and immediately put the part in place, mushing the product out around the seam and using a q-tip dipped in water to clean up the excess.
Worked like a charm and in fact, the label indicates to use a drop or two of water in the bottle if the product gets to thick over time.
In couple of minutes the product has started to go clear and the part was stuck rather well.
In another use I attached clear parts with the glue with butt joints: I applied the glue to one side of the joint and waited about a minute and a half before joining the parts. I aligned then pushed the parts together and they were immediately stuck. Still flexible but stuck together well enough that I didn't need to hold them.
After my clear parts were dry, I tried to remove them and found that the bond was much stronger than KK or Model Master clear parts cement.
Letting the product dried undisturbed for a minute or so (less time for smaller amounts) then sticking the parts together created an immediate strong bond that I think will work well for small parts and PE because sheer forces will not pop the parts loose like CA.
Bump a lever glued on with this stuff and it will bend, not pop off.
www.gatorsmask.com/gatorglueorder.htmlWatch Crystal Glue ClearThe adhesive bonds well to crystals, glass, and even bonds glass to metal when it is exposed to daylight or an ultraviolet lamp.
This is the thicker viscosity version of this UV glue making it easier to apply limited areas without running and giving you more control of putting glue only where you want it.
It comes with a fine tip that make precision applications a breeze and making bezel application simpler, faster and more efficient.
One really great thing about this adhesive is that only the adhesive in the bonding area will cure and set up, allowing you to easily wipe the excess outside of the bonding area away.
This high quality adhesive dries clear, and will not yellow with time and age.
www.monstermarketplace.com/esslinger-watch-and-jewelry-supplies/watch-crystal-glue-clear-uv-adhesive-thinner-viscosity-white-syringeGS Crystal Hypo Cement Watch Crystal GlueGS Hypo Cement is a professional strength jeweler’s and watchmaker’s glue.
It is traditionally used for gluing plastic or glass watch crystals, but it is also great for jewelry making, bead crafts, ceramic and plastic repair, model making, fine screw locking, sealing knots, and more.
It is easy to use with its precision applicator and it dries clear so it won’t be noticeable when you are done.
Dries clear, Stays clear and will not bond fingers.
www.ottofrei.com/G-S-Hypo-Cement-W-Precision-Applicator.htmlI’ve given you a whirlwind look at the various glues and cements that I use in my own modeling.
I’m sure there are other options out there, so consider this a starting point to do your own research and to apply your own experiences with different types of products.
The bottom line here is that there is no one product that does it all, each one has its strengths and weaknesses, and most of us learn the weaknesses as we apply these products to new situations.
Use all of these products safely and take your time.
