White Metal

My local B&Q has Loctite Gel Cyanoacrylate on its shelves - mind you only in the expensive small (so called) handy dispensers. Only from memory, but I think there was also a B&Q own brand gel as well.

I can't remember if there was a remover on display as well, but there probably was.

Jim.

Re Milliput - Good stuff - Get the white kind (super fine) rather than the more common yellow. A saucer of water is handy, a little water on the fingers stops it sticking to your skin and water on an old knife blade makes it much easier to smooth down.

HTH

Salvé "Just zis Guy, you know?" skrev i meddelandet news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

Assuming its a loco kit, then he should learn the art of soldering with low temp solder, but superglue also works and can be removee later..or so I'm told. Beowulf

The message from "Just zis Guy, you know?" contains these words:

Yup! I always use Araldite Rapid (standard Araldite two-tube stuff), sets in about 10 mins, but is best left overnight to cure properly.

I've not been over-impressed with superglue.

Thanks for the tip re white; the yellow is what I would have bought by default. I know about the water; it's almost like moulding clay, isn't it? You can get a lovely result with water and a stainless steel spatula, I recall from days of yore.

Guy

-- May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.

OK, that's definitely going to work better on the worse-fitting parts. I thought Araldite didn't stick to white metal? Clearly I was wrong!

Guy

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We should probably learn that art, but he's only ten and having enough trouble with glue :-)

Guy

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Ah, thanks! Never even thought of the DIY sheds, I was looking in hobby stores (and not finding).

Guy

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And if you want to take it apart after, dip the whole thing in Nitromors paint stripper[1] (the original stuff, not the water soluble weak stuff). That'll soften the araldite enough to take the kit apart.

Cheers, Mick [1] Assuming that in these days of the nanny state[2] that the original Nitromors is still available.

p.s. Dave - why would you feel the need to use Araldite Rapid, knowing the time it takes you to build something?

Halfords are a good source too, they do a good 1 min epoxy under there own brand.

The message from "Mick Bryan" contains these words:

I like the way A-R sets quickly to stop the joint moving...and then I like each individual joint to cure for a year or two before I risk moving the model to start the next joint.

I'd much rather work with plastic: a spot of Weld or Mek-Pak here or there, and the job's a good'un.

HTH HAND

I wouldn't recommend the cheap brands - 18 months down the track bits will start to fall off. I now use the Loctite brand where I don't solder (smaller components) and that seems to be OK longer term.

Epoxy putty works fine.

Araldite fills the gaps and wedges itself in - I'm not sure that qualifies as "sticking". The 24 hour stuff is rather better that the quicker types.

Regards, Greg.P.

I normally solder wherever possible. Most superglues you can buy on the High Street are pathetic - I sell and use Flex Zap -details on my website

sorry should have been

Drat didn't realise that wouldn't work - try

In message , "Just zis Guy, you know?" writes

Cyanoacrylate glues (superglues) have no bridging or filling capability, and only work on closely fitting surfaces. Whitemetal kit parts hardly ever fit that closely (as you already appreciate by referring to fillers), so superglues will not work. If you must glue, use 2-part epoxy, but the best way is low-melt soldering. It really isn't that hard, even for a 10-year old, and will stand him in good stead for future improvement in skills. Try getting Iain Rice's book on whitemetal locomotive kits (Wild Swan).

Depends on the glue - thin types no chance - thick types possibly or there are even some types especially formulated to fill gaps

-- Stephen Freeman