Several Plastic Cements

[lcorinth]

I've got a couple rockets I'm hoping to build which require some plastic cement, and I don't want to use the Testor's red tube stuff because it's messy and brittle.

One is the Estes D Region Tomahawk, which requires cement for attaching fins. Some people recommended something called Tenax plastic weld for that rocket.

Another is the Estes Mercury Redstone, which requires assembling the nose cone from two halves and attaching the escape tower struts. Chris Michielssen used Plastruct for that rocket.

I happen to be back in my home town for a few more days, where we have a Hobby Lobby where I can get 40% off. I was hoping I might just pick something up off the shelf, rather than order something online (there are no good hobby stores where I live), and I was wondering if any of these three cements would be comparable.

There's something called Plast-I-Weld by Flex-I-File. It doesn't come with a brush, but some kind of sponge-like applicator. You're supposed to hold the pieces together and wick in the cement. I don't have the D Region Tomahawk with me, so I don't know if that would work for that rocket, or if I'd need something I can brush on.

The other is Tamiya Extra Thin Cement, which comes with a brush. It actually doesn't say it's a plastic cement, but it looks like a brush-on cement, so I'm not sure if that's the right glue for the job.



The third is by Testor's, but it's a thin, brushable cement, rather than a thick goop.



These all kind of look like similar stuff, but I don't know how they compare to Tenax or other good plastic cements. Anybody have any experience with these cements? How do they hold up?

Thanks!

 

[JRobinsonUSAF]

Any of the three will work, they are all designed for styrene, which is what that capsule is made of. The Testors is the slowest setting of the three, and the Tamiya is probably the most popular in the plastic modeling world. Also, MEK is a good suitable plastic welder if you have any in the shop.

JR

 

[Screaminhelo]

+1 for Tenax, it is my second favorite after years of scale models. My favorite is discontinued, so I won't muddy the waters with it. If you want simple and easy with a little mess, the Testors liquid cement in the triangular plastic bottle works pretty good as well but it is still the same slow setting formula as the glass jar. Personally, I am not a fan of the Plastruct formulas but many swear by it.

As far as using MEK, it works really well in a pinch but evaporates very quickly. At one also works but the joint sets slowly and there tends to be a residue. If you mix MEK about 2:1 with acetone, you get a pretty good formula.

When using he liquid cements, I apply them with a fine, red sable brush that I have been using for 10 years. Just dip the tip in the cement, hold the joint together loosely, touch the brush to the joint and let capillary action pull the cement in. Just watch how far it flows and put your next dab where it stops. When you are finished with assembly, saturate the brush with cement and quickly wipe it off on a towel.

 

[gpoehlein]

I prefer Tenax as well - liquid model cement only works on polystyrene, whereas Texax also works on ABS and several other types of plastic. The most versatile stuff I've found to date.

 

[Micromeister]

I prefer Tenax as well - liquid model cement only works on polystyrene, whereas Texax also works on ABS and several other types of plastic. The most versatile stuff I've found to date.

Actually the most versatile Solvent Welding Material (which is what we are doing with our Styrene and ABS mod-roc stuff) is Methylene Chloride (MC). It is the pure form, unlike Tenax, Pro-weld by Amborid and Plasturct are only mostly MC. All are water thin solvents used to weld plastic parts together. MC has been the Sign industry standard solvent welding agent for Acrylics and Styrenes since the invention of Plastics during WWII. Other solvent welding agents for Acrylics, Polystyrene and ABS are Acetone and MEK. Both do the same job but are not as agressive as the MC based produces.

If your really interested in which glues what to what materal. May I suggest taking a look at Tech Tip-017 from the Library section at www.narhams.org. (left hand drop down menu. This in depth writting was recently updated and is a free download 12pg pdf file.

I know this will help.

 

[Screaminhelo]

Meister, do you have a source for Ambroid? As far as I could tell, it was discontinued a couple of years ago so I grabbed threebottles when I had the chance and my last bottle is close to gone.

 

[Micromeister]

Meister, do you have a source for Ambroid? As far as I could tell, it was discontinued a couple of years ago so I grabbed threebottles when I had the chance and my last bottle is close to gone.

Unfortunately not; like you a few years back I purchased a case of the large tubes. so haven't even looked for it in the last 10 years or so. If in fact it's been discontinued it is another very useful Model Aircraft & Rocket adhesive gone by the wayside Outstanding Stuff, stays flexable for Decades.