Ok,what do ya know about glueing clear plastics

Ramjet · Post by **Ramjet** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 8:48 pm

Ok,heres the deal,I have always wanted one of those clear P-51 mustangs,i did have one when i was about eight or nine,back then all there was the tube glue and not the lemon sented one,the real good stuff,hehehe.Well at thet age you didn't care about fogging or crazin the clear plastic,now fast forward thirty years to modern day,i finally got another one.

What do you think I should do to glue this clear monster together,it's not like doing just a clear cockpit window,the whole freaking plane is clear,and my standards are a lot higher now than back then,but glue still crazies the plastic ,no matter if it is CA,tube or bottle.

Johnnycrash · Post by **Johnnycrash** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 10:56 pm

Use a "white" glue, like LePage, or Elmers. There is a glue type that is called canopy glue. It is white, dries clear, and has a little flex to it. It's designed for aircraft canopies, go figure. The slight flex to it is great. If you bump it, the part doesn't just pop off and go flying. Good for auto lights, rear-view mirrors, bumpers and other chrome bits, antennas (antennii??) and the like.

I use regular white glue to hold parts for molding. It holds it well enough to withstand the process, but will not bond permentantly. A little twist, and pop goes the part. Uh, in a good way.

The canopy glue's bond is much stronger than the regular white glue, so popping it off is much more difficult. Great stuff.

caveslug · Post by **caveslug** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 10:56 pm

What about a clear 2 part epoxy?

Johnnycrash · Post by **Johnnycrash** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 11:00 pm

I forgot about epoxy. Yes, that's a great choice too. Test the different ones first. They say they are clear... But that means different things to different manufacturers. Take an old car windshield and snap it, and see if you can get it back together.

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 11:03 pm

All I can contribute is do not use CA. Even small amounts can cause sudden fogging. I used to use Emerls to glue my conopys on til I tired the Testors canopy glue. They've added something to help it bond better with the plastic. And I have managed to use my old favorite, Tennex 7R, to glue clear pieces together but you have to be very, very sparse and very gentle.

en'til Zog · Post by **en'til Zog** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 1:18 am

People keep saying "To keep your can o peas from frosting up with super glue, dip the clear bits in FUTURE".

Might take a bit of FUTURE for a clear Mustang, though.

Shinnentai · Post by **Shinnentai** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 3:49 am

Would also get a bit tricky when the parts form enclosed spaces.

I second the epoxy suggestion. White glue has its uses for sure, but I don't think I'd trust larger assemblies with it.

Actually I've never had a problem with Tenax fogging or crazing clear parts. It'll naturally marr what it comes in *direct* contact with, being a solvent and all, but I've never seen it do the vapor damage thing like superglue or the Testors red tube cement. If you keep a light and careful hand in application, I don't see why one couldn't use it.

Locke_333 · Post by **Locke_333** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 10:40 am

i use tamiya extra thin cement, never had foggin problem with it...yet

it does fog the clear parts a little bit if you drop some on the parts but if you careful and apply it only on the join, it acts like super glue and fill the joints all around the parts( well surronding area at least depending on the size of the parts...)

i used it for my voyager windows and it worked like a charm!

macfrank · Post by **macfrank** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 11:17 am

I've used watch crystal cement. Dries very clear and holds well.

big-dog · Post by **big-dog** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 8:24 am

macfrank wrote:I've used watch crystal cement. Dries very clear and holds well.

That sounds like an excellent idea, though I don't know why they say great for doll ohuses. Marg makes those (think we do hard models, not even close) and the windows mount like real windows. Sandwiched into the frames.