# Question about Glue Types



## soundhd (Jan 7, 2015)

Getting back into modeling after a very long time. Back in the "day" glue was clear and came in a tube and maybe there were one maybe two brands....no different "types" that I can remember (told ya it's been a long time....LOL)
Anyway been looking at the mail order hobby supply sites and I can't believe all the different brands and types of glues, one site had 8 pages of glues.....!
Mainly going to be working with plastic aircraft and ship models.
Was wondering if anyone can narrow down the brand & types of glues that would be best for my type of modeling.
Maybe what the differences are between the types?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
PS: Picked this section for my question because will be doing aircraft models first....do not know if different types of glues are used for ship models or not.....


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## irishtrek (Sep 17, 2005)

Testors has 2 types of glue in a tube,
the original red and white tube
and the blue and white tube which is non-toxic. some people have problems with the non-toxic while some have none.
And then there's Testors liquid glue which I know nothing about other than I think they have more than 1 type of liquid glue.


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## hal9001 (May 28, 2008)

Me? I use strictly liquid glues. Good ole *Testors* (pinkish label), this glue gives you more time for moving parts for alignment. Then I use *Tenax 7R*, which is a 'hot' glue and you have to be a bit careful with it, it can damage small parts (it will melt them). I like the *Tenax *for two part ship hulls. I use a ruling pen (an old school drafting tool dipped in ink). It holds a lot of glue you can run down the seams of hulls, fuselages, wings, anything with a long seam. You just run it down the seam like you would drawing a line! Very handy tool! Bit hard to find though being 'old school'

Then there is a great glue made by Tamiya. *Tamiya Extra Thin*. Great glue but have to be cautious, it can run into places you don't want it.

_That's _the glues I have infront of me when I'm working. _Why so many_? They all have their uses. Something you will have to learn on your own I'm afraid.

Oh, a tip for you. The Testors glue has a brush in the cap...throw it away, it hold too much glue! Buy you some inexpensive fine tipped brunches to apply the glue with. Put glue in the brush, touch to the seam and capillary action will suck it right down the seam! Make sure the parts are touching, if you 'wipe' it on one part and then the other, no go, the glue will dry too fast and won't work. 

Liquid glues are the only way to go in my opinion! They give the neatest and strongest seams. *JUST MAKE SURE YOUR FINGER IS NOT TOUCH THE SEAM, THE GLUE WILL FOLLOW YOU FINGER AND YOU WILL HAVE A PERFECT IMPRESSION OF YOUR FINGER PRINT!*

Then there's CA glues (super glue) Good for running down the inside ship hull seams for exta hold, particually a stuborn or warped hull or wing or fuselage. Also essential if you're using PE (*photo etch* metal railings and detailing aftermarket parts) it's the most widely use glue for metal to plastic.

You'll just have to use and try them out and find your preference really.

*You will get a hundred different views about glue preferences, none are wrong, it's just what that particular person finds works for them!*

Hope this helped,
Carl-


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Good ol' Testors orange tube glue for really long seams like fuselages and wings on large airplanes. It's thick and stays workable for the longest time, so you have time to get those big parts together and aligned right. Clamp or rubber band, set aside 24 hours to dry.

Testors Liquid glue for medium seams like top & bottom wing halves on a 1/48 plane. It has a long drying time, so you have time to adjust the parts. I brush it on a few times so both parts are still wet when they join. Clamp it or rubber band it, set it aside for 24 hours to dry.

Tenax 7R for most things. A very "hot" glue. It basically bonds and dries instantly. Hold the parts together, and using a small disposable brush, I dab Tenax on the join and it seeps in with capillary action. Bingo! You can even sand any seam almost immediately. Just be sure your parts are aligned first, because you won't get a chance to adjust them.

Tamiya liquid glue works the same as Tenax, but is a little less volatile, and gives you a minute to adjust the parts. It has a nice tiny brush on the cap, so I use it for small parts.

Cyanoacrylate (super) glue. Glues anything to anything. Including fingers. Use it to glue metal and resin aftermarket parts to plastic. Bonds almost instantly at the join, but blobs of it stay wet for a little while. I usually put a blob of it on an index card, and use a toothpick as an applicator. Can also be used as a gap filler. Get a squirt-bottle of accelerator, which hardens the glue instantly, and helps when filling wide gaps.

And that's what's on my workbench glue-wise!


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Types of glue:

There are still the old fashioned tube glues - thick, gel type, often stringy, solvent based glues that work by melting the plastic and fusing it together. The stuff works, albeit slowly and the solvents usually arent the strongest. Mostly I would use this type of glue for large sturdy seams that you will be able to adjust a bit before the glue sets. Something like the halves of a large ship hull, etc. Or, it can be useful to place small parts as it is tacky enough to hold them in place until it sets. The old orange-red tubed Testors stuff is the most common. They make a (crappy) non toxic type in a blue tube.
I actually like the Humbrol tube glue when I can find it. Pretty good stuff.

Semi liquid glues - this would be like the Testors Model Master stuff in the black needle tip applicator bottle. It is more or less the same glue as in the tubes, but thinner so it flows through the needle applicator. I really don't see any use for this myself. 

Liquid cements - I use these for most general building projects. Testors makes some in a jar with a brush that is reasonable. Tamiya's green-capped Extra Thin Cement is excellent, as is Gunze's Mr. Cement S Type (for Styrene). These are quick flowing, brush on glues that you can apply to the outside of a seam. They penetrate by capillary action. The Testors, Tamiya and Gunze stuff is strong, but will not mar the outside of the model as long as you do not touch the wet glue. Tamiyas orange capped liquid cement is substantially thicker but still a liquid. Gunze has a good lemon/citric acid based version too. It is fairly slow drying, but melts the plastic and creates about as good of a bond as the Mr. Cement S type.

There are a few liquid "welder" cements that are really strong/harsh. They aggressively melt and soften the plastic to create a very strong bond. But they can mar the outside of the model too, if you are not careful. These are glues like Tenax, Plastic Weld, etc. 

CA or Super Glues - they come in thick and thin formulas and dry within a second or two or three. I like Zap A Gap myself, at least for plastic kits. The thinner types are best for wood as they flow and penetrate the wood, but just run and puddle on plastic. Some of the slower curing CA glues allow you to adjust the parts before they set. And, most CA glues can be instantly set with accellerator spray. CA glues are great for modelling but not to build the whole model with, as you often cant adjust parts enough with it. CA glue also does not melt and weld the parts together. Instead it works via surface tension between the parts. So, it has no real shear strength meaning that small parts can be popped off or snapped off easier. CA glue will bond dissimilar materials too - like metal to wood and plastic to metal.

Epoxies - thick, two part, gel type glue used mostly for either wood or large, joints that need to be manipulated before the glue sets and where extra strength is required. Epoxy can also be used to bond inert materials like resin that solvent glues will not bond. Or you can glue resin to metal, etc.


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