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Glue, glue, glue

PostPosted: Sat Oct 01, 2011 10:27 am
by Yellowirenut
Very new to the hobby.
When i look threw the sellers web sites i see about 2 pages of just glue.
quick, fast, 15min, two part and right out of the bottle, thin, thick, foam safe

Is there a guide i can read up on what is best wear and when?

Re: Glue, glue, glue

PostPosted: Sat Oct 01, 2011 11:59 pm
by RCModelReviews
I should do a tutorial on glues I guess.

What do you want to glue?

Re: Glue, glue, glue

PostPosted: Sun Oct 02, 2011 1:41 am
by rogueqd
I found Hobby Kings glue section quite useful. Just look through all the different glues and it says what each one can and can't glue, what's it's useful for etc.

A lot of it is just common sense. A foam safe glue is good for gluing foam, a 15 min epoxy takes about 15 mins before it's touch dry, thin glue is runnier than thick glue.
Also, just as important, is preparing the surfaces you want to glue. Do you need to clean them? Sand them? Warm them?

Like Bruce said "What do you want to glue?" Find out what the best glue is for your current project, then as you glue more things together you'll develop a broader knowledge about glues in general.

Re: Glue, glue, glue

PostPosted: Sun Oct 02, 2011 3:46 am
by quarry44
For gluing wood joints,such as balsa or spruce,aliphatic resin glue is relatively cheap,and sticks as good or better than balsa glue.I buy it in a quart bottle,lasts a long time.For firewalls,wing joiners,and other joints subject to stress 5 or 15 minute epoxy(2 part)is best.
I don't have much experience with foam,but again epoxy seems to stick ok.Epoxy IS heavy though.
Super glues are fine on most surfaces,but require neat joints,or baking soda filler.Thick super glues will fill minor gaps,but again a filler is useful.Hardwood doesn't usually take superglue,use epoxy or aliphatic here.
As you said,there's also foam-safe superglue,but I've never used it.

Re: Glue, glue, glue

PostPosted: Sun Oct 02, 2011 2:40 pm
by Yellowirenut
What got me thinking about this mostly was watching the Rare Bear build on You Tubes. You mentioned brittle and a more pliable glue. I understood why but had never thought about it.
If i could donate or purchase the glue for you I would more than happy to, if you would do a guide. Not just to help me but others with the same thought.

Re: Glue, glue, glue

PostPosted: Mon Oct 03, 2011 12:02 am
by RCModelReviews
I'll probably do a quick guide that outlines which glues are best to use with which materials and then follow it up with a comparison of different brands.

Even within the different brands of CA I've noticed *big* differences. For example, the cheap HK CA is very slow to kick when used on most woods and plastics -- in fact, kicker is almost essential. Some other brands kick so quickly that they will actually give off visible vapors and create massive heat.

Epoxies vary from very fast (which also often means brittle) to quite slow in cure speed.

There are quite a few tips and tricks to be learned when using glue too -- so I'll share what I've learned over the last (almost) half century of model building.

Re: Glue, glue, glue

PostPosted: Mon Oct 03, 2011 3:24 pm
by ergocentric
Never forget thick CA and kicker to glue your skin back together after a nasty cut.

Re: Glue, glue, glue

PostPosted: Mon Oct 03, 2011 3:26 pm
by ergocentric
One other thing, show us your hot glue guns, I need a new one that works better

Re: Glue, glue, glue

PostPosted: Mon Oct 03, 2011 9:49 pm
by kaptain_zero
While this site is directed at wood turners and it deals only with cyanoacrylate glues, there IS some good information, though it is not brand specific. If you are bored and looking for some reading, try this: http://goo.gl/FiMAE

As for hot glue guns.... I ordered one from DX (listed as 120w 110-220v) and while it works and is slimmer than my old version, it's no faster. I did notice that when I plug it into a 220v transformer I have, it heats up way faster and gets hotter, even with the thermostat setting staying the same. I'd suggest checking with nearby packaging material supply shops who should carry decent guns from 3M or some such supplier... Granted, the price is not for the faint of heart, so I intend to wait until both my guns die before I spring for a new one. Unfortunately, my Bostik gun is ~30 years old and shows no sign of giving up the ghost.... It's plenty good, just a bit clunky and I've lost the narrow nozzle for it.

Regards
Christian

Re: Glue, glue, glue

PostPosted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 12:48 am
by RCModelReviews
Yeah, I bought a Bostik gun, thinking that a "brand name" would be good.

Nah... it's crap too!

Slow to heat up, dribbles too much and feels cheap.