Glue Suggestions
#1
Can anyone recommend a decent glue for cementing styrene to bass wood. I messed up some wood sheathing that came with kit and I can't find a suitable replacement in wood. I have found the right pattern in styrene though. Attempts so far were to use some Ambroid glue and Testor's glue for wood. Any suggestions?


Mark
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#2
I use the gel type of crazy glue,,, it works for me.
 My other car is a locomotive, ARHS restoration crew  
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#3
Contact cement is my preference. For styrene, it helps to first prep the gluing surface with lacquer thinner - just brush it on and let it sit while you apply the cement to the wood, then apply the contact cement to the styrene. (The prepping helps to prevent the solvents in the contact cement from being drawn into the styrene, which can otherwise result in a weak bond.) Let the two surfaces sit for the time recommended on your brand of contact cement - usually it's 15 or 20 minutes, and most allow up to an hour-or-so.....joining the pieces too soon will yield a poor bond. Sometimes, wood will require a second application - usually when too much of the first coat soaks into the pores of the wood - follow the direction for re-coating.
When you bring the two pieces together, the bond will be instant and permanent. If alignment is an issue, place a sheet of waxed paper between the two parts so that they can be aligned, then carefully withdraw the paper and press the two surfaces together. I used the same stuff to veneer my kitchen cupboards over 25 years ago, and the bond is still solid.
I prefer LePage's Gelled Contact Cement or Dap/Weldwood Gelled Contact Cement - both are available only in quart cans, but it's useful for all sorts of household gluing jobs. The gelled glue is much less messy than liquid-type contact cements. I use a 1/4" stiff-bristled artist's brush to apply the glue - the brush can be cleaned in laquer thinner.
If you don't need a quart of the stuff, I've found Pliobond to be a good choice for a liquid contact cement. While it can be messy to use, usually stringiness as it's applied, it gives a strong and long-lasting bond. I had some older metal rolling stock from the '50s which had their Kadee K-type metal coupler boxes cemented to the wood underbodies, and the bond was still strong almost 50 years later.
All of the brands mentioned are solvent-based, so use the usual precautions and follow the instructions on the container regarding application and waiting times.

Wayne
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#4
Contact cement can be an issue with styrene, depending on the thinner in the glue.

I would use either gell CA or epoxy. Rough up the styrene with some sandpaper first.
Kent in KC
nvrr49.blogspot.com
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#5
The main issue with contact cement on styrene is invariably improper use of the cement. I have bought used freight cars with their floors absolutely destroyed by the previous owner using contact cement to affix the sheet metal weight to the car's plastic floor, mainly because the person didn't follow the instructions and allow the glue to dry to the touch before putting the two surfaces in contact. That step allows the solvents to do their work, then evaporate. Joining the two surfaces while the cement is still wet traps the solvent, which then attacks the plastic, and seemingly does so for quite some time.
The "prepping" step which I mention simply makes the surface of the styrene more receptive to the adhesive component of the contact cement. I discovered that when using contact cement to affix some large sheets of styrene "street" to underlying plywood - parts of the styrene lifted (likely due to the uneveness of the plywood, causing gaps). When I lifted the entire sheet without to much difficulty, I found that most of the residue was stuck firmly to the plywood, and very little of it to the styrene.
Prepped and re-applied, the "pavement" has been in place for many years, without lifting or deformation.

Most of it can be seen here, between the two factories in the foreground:

[Image: Picturesfromnewcamera-2013063.jpg]

I use ca only where there's a good solid mechanical joint - interlocking parts or parts pinned or pegged in place, and usually when the materials are dissimilar. Examples would be metal grabirons in holes drilled into a plastic boxcar, or a brass detail part secured with its cast-on mounting peg in a matching hole in a plastic locomotive.
The same can be said for epoxy, its added advantage being that it can create its own mechanical joint as it flows around portions of the parts to be joined. However, without such a situation, it makes a very poor bond with styrene, and because of that quality, I always mix epoxy on a sheet of styrene. When the portion not used has hardened, it can be popped-off quite easily, and the sheet is ready for the next batch.

Wayne
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#6
I've had some pretty good results using a water based contact cement. Depending on size, I sometimes use clear siliconized acrylic calk ( Ace Tub & Tile, clear ), Weldwood non-flamable contact cement, is another choice.
We always learn far more from our own mistakes, than we will ever learn from another's advice.
The greatest place to live life, is on the sharp leading edge of a learning curve.
Lead me not into temptation.....I can find it myself!
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#7
I think I have at least one tube of every adhesive made by man. Icon_lol Some work on some things but not others and I think I use the wrong stuff more often than not. :o Still, there is one product that seems to glue most anything to anything. That is, Locktite Stik'n Seal. It comes in indoor (white, drys transparent, water-based) and outdoor, (crystal clear, solvent-based). It is a thick gel so it does fill in voids and uneven surfaces and drys quickly. A few weeks ago I used it to fix one of those rubber push buttons on a satellite remote and it's been working fine ever since, 2285_. The other day I used Liquid Nails to glue some balsa wood to some plastic sheeting and got a good bond, so I have confidence that any of these would work on a styrene/wood joint.
Don (ezdays) Day
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founder of the CANYON STATE RAILROAD
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