Sorry for the lame question, but what is the best glue for Plastic? Resin? and Metal? I know I am a super noob, but I want to do it right the first time! Thanks!8Y
Sorry for the lame question, but what is the best glue for Plastic? Resin? and Metal? I know I am a super noob, but I want to do it right the first time! Thanks!8Y
Plastic: Plastic glue/poly cement which are the same thing; they melt the plastic and bond it together.
Resin/Metal Any type of super glue you want, but mind your fingers. I've lost a few layers of skin to clumsy super gluing
A Hero is no braver than the ordinary man. He is just brave five minutes longer.

Well, I use Locktite Super Attak Gel for plastics, it's a great little superglue. Since it has the consistency of a gel it's far superior when it comes to control, no more superglue running all over them models.
Your basic choices for glues are as follows:
>Plastic glues. Obviously enough, these are for plastic only. There are different types to fit different budgets and personal preferences: thick types (like basic Testors squeeze tubes) tend to be really cheap, but they're messy and ineffective. Thin types (most types, Testors Model Master brand for example) are the old reliable favourites - affordable, easy to use, and effective. Super thin types (Tamiya extra thin, Tenax 7-R, Ambroid Pro Weld, etc.) are the emerging high-end glues of choice, delivering exceptional bonding, true plastic "welding" action, and superglue-like speed. They are a bit more expensive (~$3 - $5 per fluid ounce) though, and tend to require more precision and finesse, but they're the best glues I've ever used. (Tenax and Ambroid in particular) I highly recommend using some form of Micro Brush to apply these glues with as much precision as possible.
> Cyanoacrylates (AKA Superglue). These come in all sorts of varieties, from water-thin to Jello-thick, plus a bunch of specialty formulas. Some are faster, some cleaner, some stronger... Long story short, these are your general purpose jacks of all trades - they'll stick nearly anything to nearly anything else. Look into superglue accelerators, too - one squirt of this stuff will fully cure superglue in a matter of seconds, though they tend to stink a bit. Try to find hobby or woodworking brands, they come in useful quantities - unlike that $10 per drop hardware store stuff. Also, don't spill it on cotton (like, say, jeans) - the reaction between them can be violent enough to cause burns!
> Epoxies. This is those 5-minute epoxy glues you can find in nearly any store with a paint or glue department, and similar products. They're messy, sticky, slow, require mixing, and don't really like to bond to smooth surfaces. Why mention them then?? Because they're incredibly strong, tough glues. If you've got parts that MUST stay put, these are your adhesives of choice. They're particularly good for working with resin parts.
Last edited by Wraith; February 2nd, 2008 at 05:14. Reason: Links and minor additions.
These weren't old mountains, worn down by time and weather and full of gentle ski slopes, but young, sulky, adolescent mountains. They held secret ravines and merciless crevices. One yodel out of place would attract, not the jolly echo of a lonely goatherd, but fifty tons of express-delivery snow.
- Terry Pratchett, Reaper Man
You have used correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and so any noobishness is completely forgiven 8Y
I prefer plastic glue on plastics, and superglue on resin and metal. Plastic glue welds the models, and unlike superglue only requires you to hold the model for a few seconds before it's set enough to keep the bits in place.
However, whenever I use superglue, I always use a little bit of Green Stuff. Not only does it form a superior bond and fill gaps, but since superglue cures the GS instantly it lets me put the model down and go do something while it dries.
If you think Mathammer doesn't work and dice cannot be predicted, there's a whole field of mathematics called probability that would like to disagree.
I'm using Superglue (plus pinning) for everything. Since I convert damn well almost everything I get my hands on, and I tend to change my mind about half dozen times about the component parts and their arrangement, Plastic Glue would be more trouble than it's worth.
This thread
This thread