Superglue

[anduril]

I've used superglue to assemble some of my models but I've found out that it seems to not hold for a long time. What I mean is that I've assembled a model and then months later, it comes apart.

What do you all think?

[Kylwell]

Superglue age hardens and becomes brittle. This is one of the reason I recommend the rubber impregnated Gorilla CA. Less brittle and less likely to pop apart.

[gsb5w]

For styrene I would recommend Tenax, Ambroid or Tamiya extra thin.

[PACinT]

For plastic Tamiya all the way thick and thin.
I use the lemon scented one(Limonene) their regular stuff smells like Death in a Bottle.

Super Glue I use to attach small PE or Resin parts.

[Rogviler]

I've never understood the fascination with CA on model kits. If it's plastic, solvent weld it and it'll never come apart. CA only glues things you don't want glued.

-Rog

[naoto]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9SWB1usr0M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSHxyJQUcXw

[anduril]

I've learned an important lesson. I used CA because at the time, it held fast and strong. Luckily I have some plastic weld to fix these. I just had no idea that this would happen.

[PACinT]

CA was designed to glue flesh and skin, good pull but no shear strength.

Hence not feasable for attaching heavy parts.

[naoto]

CA was designed to glue flesh and skin, …

Hrm... I always thought that cyanoacrylate was originally developed for optical purposes (e.g. making lenses)...

[thetraveler7819]

A good buddy of mine turned me on to JB Kwik for my resin builds. Holds fast and strong, and makes an excellent seam filler as well. Just run a wet Q-tip over the excess to pick it up and it's good.

[naoto]

Let's not forget that cyanoacrylates emit Eichner radiation

[Joseph C. Brown]

Let's not forget that cyanoacrylates emit Eichner radiation

Which apparently helps heal Exacto oops and slices. No scarring yet on me from those 'bandages' and no loss of hair. Yet.

[naoto]

Let's not forget that cyanoacrylates emit Eichner radiation

Which apparently helps heal Exacto oops and slices. No scarring yet on me from those 'bandages' and no loss of hair. Yet.

... and the growing of extra limbs has its uses too!

[Lt. Z0mBe]

CA was designed to glue flesh and skin, good pull but no shear strength.

Hence not feasable for attaching heavy parts.

Urban legend told among us modelers.

It was originally designed for making acrylic-like optics on anti-aircraft guns as well as manned machine guns on aircraft (like those on bombers). That was in the 1930's and into the early war years. But the results were disappointing. The gubmint experimented with a different formulation of cyanoacrylate (ester versus gamma or somesuch I think) during the Vietnam war for field medics but the results were, again, deemed disappointing for whatever reason.

I use CA all the time for stuff, but it is a delicate art to be sure. For regular bonding, I use the regular old Loctite "normal" viscosity in the clogproof triangularish bottle you get at Wal-Mart. I place a drop on a palette and apply it from their with a scribing punch or straight pin. You can even get it to feather along an edge by grabbing a drop on the clean, tapered tip and walking the pin/punch along the seam you're trying to glue - the seam will pull the glue down into and along it when this is done, allowing for minimal cleanup later. The dried glue I just "flick" off the scribe or pin with the back of a blade, the edge of tweezers, or the side of a chisel.

For a lot of gap-filling, I use the same Gorilla rubber-impregnated CA that Robb speaks of. He and others turned me on to these types of CA. I started out with the expensive Japanese stuff but found the Gorilla to work just as well or better.

I hope this helps.

Kenny

[Saturn]

I've all but abandoned CA altogether because of its abbreviated shelf life. Lost count of how many hardened CA bottles I threw out.

Still have a few cans of CA accelerator. I don't think that stuff ever goes bad.

[Lt. Z0mBe]

I've all but abandoned CA altogether because of its abbreviated shelf life. Lost count of how many hardened CA bottles I threw out.

Still have a few cans of CA accelerator. I don't think that stuff ever goes bad.

Try the old Wal-Mart Loctite in the clear, conical bottle with black ribbed cap. They last for years, even with daily use and the exposure of constantly having the cap removed.

Kenny

[Kylwell]

Avoid BSi or Bob Smith Industries products. Mercury Adhesives is the Bentley cyanoacrylate with a price to match but it'll never dry or clog up on you. Gorilla is the best compromise I've found. I have had a bottle get too thick to pour out but it was 5 years old by that time.

[modelbldr_207582]

I hope that this is the correct place to post this reply

While working on my 1/1000 scale USS Enterprise - I was wiring the Nacelles and used Super Glue for the wires through the Nacelle Pylons. It did not turn out very well. I had to strip the wires out and sand our the Super Glue, then I needed to retrench the Pylons so that the wires for the Nacelles were able to run down to the Lower Hull

This was a leaning experience and found that using Testors Glue worked very well, it took a little more time than Super Glue but the time it took was less time than have to rework everything when the Super Glue was used.

[EVApodman]

If I have difficult parts to glue together that will only come meet with me holding them tightly, then I will use a small amount of superglue to hold the parts together tightly until I can glue the whole piece. Other than that the only thing I use superglue for is to fill seams and such.

[modelbldr_207582]

with the use of this product. Hypothetically if you were to use a SA product, which in time becomes brittle and becomes unstable; if you use this product to hold a model part in place, then follow it up with other longer lasting adhesive Testors, Tamiya or other product, would there be any benefit to using a SA product in this application?

[Lt. Z0mBe]

with the use of this product. Hypothetically if you were to use a SA product, which in time becomes brittle and becomes unstable; if you use this product to hold a model part in place, then follow it up with other longer lasting adhesive Testors, Tamiya or other product, would there be any benefit to using a SA product in this application?

I don't really understand what you're asking. I would say, however that you're kind of conflating two issues - brittleness and stability. CA gets harder over time which means it's more brittle but not necessarily more unstable. For example, iron is harder and more brittle than aluminum. However there are times when you absolutely want iron beams and rails instead of aluminum. On the gripping claw, there are other times when the aluminum is more desirable.

As the CA gets harder, it becomes more susceptible to sheering but less susceptible to tensile forces. Most CAs will actually get harder after 24 hours than the styrene they're stuck to, making sanding and feathering them into plastic a chore. Rubber impregnated CA and Wal-Mart Loctite I mentioned earlier in this thread are two exceptions I can think of.

I hope this helps a bit.

Kenny

[modelbldr_207582]

Thank you Kenny,

Sorry for the late reply have been busy with a number of issues and haven't been here as often as I once was.

Yes your comment/reply is very helpful, forgive me I'm new to the use of these adhesives and was getting feed back to others that have used these products and their/your experiences with them.

Once again, yes it helps and I thank you for your reply

Joe

[DaveVan]

Superglue age hardens and becomes brittle. This is one of the reason I recommend the rubber impregnated Gorilla CA. Less brittle and less likely to pop apart.

I've moved to Gorilla for a few reasons but have had no issues and use it on everything.

[Kylwell]

Superglue age hardens and becomes brittle. This is one of the reason I recommend the rubber impregnated Gorilla CA. Less brittle and less likely to pop apart.

I've moved to Gorilla for a few reasons but have had no issues and use it on everything.

Me too. Love the stuff and you can get it most places in the US.

[DaveVan]

Superglue age hardens and becomes brittle. This is one of the reason I recommend the rubber impregnated Gorilla CA. Less brittle and less likely to pop apart.

I've moved to Gorilla for a few reasons but have had no issues and use it on everything.

Me too. Love the stuff and you can get it most places in the US.

I found it when I ran out of the 'hobby' CA.....complained to my son who menages a Rite Aid and he said he sells a lot of Gorilla CA so I tried.....15 minute drive to Rite Aid was better than 3 hours to hobby shop (needed it ASAP) Worked so well just stayed with it.

[naoto]

... but is this Gorilla glue actually made from gorillas? And if so.. how long before PeTA gets involved?

[DaveVan]

... but is this Gorilla glue actually made from gorillas? And if so.. how long before PeTA gets involved?

People Eat Tasty Animals??? I'd think they'd be happy!!!

[naoto]

... but is this Gorilla glue actually made from gorillas? And if so.. how long before PeTA gets involved?

People Eat Tasty Animals??? I'd think they'd be happy!!!

We'll all laugh at this... then the Kanamits arrive...

[Tesral]

I've use Zap for years, and hated the stuff. The bottle lasts much longer than most. The Devil's Brew. It has uses to be sure. But I never use it if sheer forces are going to be in play. From the recommendations Gorilla will be tried.

One use is to soak cardboard or wood. The end result is a fibrous plastic. I've used this to make whole models. The auto industry used to use it for rapid prototyping.

A friend of mine, William Wardorp, is the master of this. Check him out here. He taught me the method. He has made working submarines from raw cardboard.

[Kylwell]

The Gorilla glue has a superior cap to Zap. Lasts much longer and rarely, I've been using it for years, clog up. Mercury Adhesives is even better but harder to find.