Liquid cement melted styrene questions

[Dukat, S.G.]

Folks,

Per another modeler's advice, I used liquid cement and a partially melted styrene solution to fill some large gaps in which I needed something sturdier than air-dry putty but with more control than epoxy putty.

Several days later, those areas remain somewhat soft; I can take a fingernail and leave a visible gash in the area touched.

I'm wondering if this stuff will ever harden, or, given a few more days, should I scrape it off and go with another filler?

[Johnnycrash]

It will harden. Depending on the ratio of styrene/solvent, it could be hours to weeks. The solvent must completely off-gas.

[Rocketeer]

My experience with solvent-melted styrene has been poor. It seems to go on shrinking forever.

[Rogviler]

I've also never really liked it. It can take foreeeeeever to dry. There are very few situations where I can't use putty, stretched sprue (or different sheet thicknesses), or CA (with baking soda if needed) to fill gaps. In fact I can't think of any.

Once in awhile I'll use sprue goo for surfacing, but I keep it thin.

-Rog

[Kylwell]

All depends on the cement to styrene ratios. I prefer a fairly high level of styrene in my liquid cement. It's much thicker, more like Aves, and cures faster.

The type of cement also makes a difference. Tenax or ProWeld cures faster than Tamiya or Testors.

[USSARCADIA]

I made a batch when our old pal Woody gave me a recipe. I used MEK and threw in some sprue and plastic forks. It took a week or so to turn into a goo, and I used it on the master for the Kestrel kit. It seemed to dry fine, but I think I would just use epoxy putty If doing it again. Too much of a toxic pain.

[Kylwell]

The big reason some folks I know use it is when doing texturing on the plastic itself.

With the modern abilities of things like Aves and Mr. Surfacer there really isn't much need unless you're stuff in some place like, say, Cambodia.

[Dukat, S.G.]

Thanks for the solid feedback, all of you.

My stuff completely hardened in four, maybe five days, and I agree with y'all: it's more trouble than it's worth. I wish I'd just used Milliput or Tamiya epoxy (need to get me some Aves, I know). But the results weren't so bad. If anything, they were pretty good. I won't rule out ever using it again.

[naoto]

Of course, with model like the Interplanetary UFO Mystery Ship (and you want to retain the glow-in-the-dark aspect) I'm not sure if there would be such a thing as glow-in-the-dark filler putty.

[Kylwell]

Of course, with model like the Interplanetary UFO Mystery Ship (and you want to retain the glow-in-the-dark aspect) I'm not sure if there would be such a thing as glow-in-the-dark filler putty.

Very true.