Bonding .005" styrene to styrene

Gerry,

I know what you neam. I remember that a freind of mine was doing some larger steel girders and had the same problem. Give Ed Petry(lives in WBL) a call - he has done some of this and he may be able to help out. I have been putting rivits in 'L' and 'Z' girder shapes for a box car I am buliding and have had the same problems when bonding them to the car sides. I wound up using 'Testor' liquid rather than my 'Tenex' - it seems to 'flow' better and is not as destructive with very thin styrene. I was at Greg Smith's 'Prototype Modeler's Meet' yesterday and I should have asked some of the presenters what they were using to assemble some of the small/thin styrene items.......

Jim Bernier

Gerry Le>

I have used straight MEK and had good effects. Of course great care is required. MEK tends to evaporate quickly and doesn't leave the solvent a great deal of time to destroy the .005. Use a very small brush to apply, like 000.

Another way of doing rivets, and I've seen it done with good effect, is to stamp the rivets in clear acetate with a dull pin. Use the acetate that is made for laser printer and overhead projectors. It's like clear paper. Fasten it down with ACC.

Jay CNS&M North Shore Line - "First and fastest"

Any of the solvents, MEK, Acetone, Tenex, etc. will cause the .005 styrene to blister or dosolve.

I use the Plibond water base contact cement. Works like a charm.

John Glaab

I've bonded .005" styrene with rivet details to heavier styrene just using Testors' cement. I apply a thin wash with a brush, let it dry for a bit until it is no longer liquid and stick it on. I used this technique when making a CN double ended snowplow (MR's Model of the Month, August 1999), and there were over 1500 rivets in it when I was done. Luckily I didn't ruin any of the .005" styrene in the process. Does than make me a "rivet counter" now?

Bob Boudreau Canada

Remove the NO SPAM and close up the blank spaces.

BB

Wow... Pliobond is water-based? I never knew that! I always figured it was Goo by another name. Thanks, John.

This sounds like it could be the ticket.

-Gerry

This is another great piece of advice. Here I was, trying to hold them together and THEN applying the Tenax. Shame on me.

I've seen your work through the years in the model press, Bob -- you do some fantastic stuff. Thanks.

-Gerry

Plibond make two different contact cements. One is solvent based and smells to high heaven. The other is water based and doesn't have the strong odor. It is easily identified by the green label. The solvent based product has a red label.

Do NOT use the stuff with the red label! It will make a really interesting mess!

John Glaab