Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) - can you glue it?

    So, has anybody worked with ABS, and can you glue it? With something not likely to disolve any organic matter it may come into contact with?
    Acetone will disolve it - so its a good thing I wasn't planning to Alclad it.
                            Bruce

snipped-for-privacy@realtime.net (Bruce Burden) wrote:
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I've only worked with ABS for plumbing repairs, but...
Plastruct Plastic Weld general purpose plastic solvent cement. The label says it's good for gluing ABS, Styrene, Butyrate and Acrylic to itself or each other. The usual warnings about proper ventilation and avoiding skin contact, but not corrosive. I would expect CA cement to work too. And you can buy ABS cement at any hardware store that sells ABS pipes.
If you have some ABS model parts you don't want to risk damaging, I'd suggest you buy a small ABS plumbing joint, cut it up, and use it to practice sanding, gluing, and painting.

: : Plastruct Plastic Weld general purpose plastic solvent cement. The label says : it's good for gluing ABS, Styrene, Butyrate and Acrylic to itself or each other. :     I have some RB Models 1/35 buffers, but the buffer housing is flared, and so won't fit in the space the PzTrWg 51 allows.
    So, either I turn down the flare, or I turn some new housings. I have been trying to find > .375 styrene rod, but that has not worked out too well (unless I want 1.0" - seems a waste). Small Parts carries ABS, and I didn't connect it to the odd stuff Plastruct offers. :-)
                            Bruce

On 20 Mar 2010, you wrote in rec.models.scale:
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Isn't .375 = 3/8"? That size is very common. What is it, Platruct, Evergreen, haven't been in a hobby shop that carried scratcbuilding supplies that didn't have any.

: : Isn't .375 = 3/8"? That size is very common. What is it, Platruct, Evergreen, : haven't been in a hobby shop that carried scratcbuilding supplies that didn't : have any. :     Evergreen doesn't carry rod over .125" (1/8"). They carry tube in larger sizes, but tube has its own problems - primarily, the glue doesn't cure in a tube filled with more tube.
    Pastruct carries acrylic rod, but it is difficult to find, and has been for quite some time. I am told Plastruct changed their minimum order to silly levels.
    I have found some 1/2" styrene rod, but it is not clear if I can purchase just one foot - eight feet, sure. Of course, all I need is < 6 inches of the stuff...
                            Bruce

I work with ABS fairly regularly, as lots of real airplane tips, fairings & interior trim parts are ABS. An aircraft supply place, www.aircraftspruce.com, sells a couple of kits to repair/glue ABS, but they're probably heavier duty than what you're after. LocTite makes a glue that will glue just about anything to anything, IIRC it's LocTite 330 Depend. I've used it a few times. CA glue would probably do for what you want, as that's part of one of the ABS repair kits.
On Mar 19, 11:12 pm, snipped-for-privacy@realtime.net (Bruce Burden) wrote:
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In message
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There is a glue available in Europe made by Henkel called Stabilit Express which is for sticking ABS
Try Googling Stabilit Express and you should find some help there.

On Mar 20, 12:12 am, snipped-for-privacy@realtime.net (Bruce Burden) wrote:
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Bruce, ABS is just a "flavor" of polystyrene (or in slang "styrene"). Polystyrene is the stuff most plastic kits are made of. Some plastic kits are also molded using ABS as are many model train bodies.
I'll use the word "styrene" when I'm referring to polystyrene. Acetone also attacks (melt) styrene. But Alclad can be successfully used on both ABS and polystyrene. Most solvent-based cements which work on styrene will also bond ABS (to itself and to styrene). CA glues and epoxies also work well on both styrene and ABS. So, you have plenty of choices!