Glues & Epoxy---What Do You Use?

[Super]

Glues & Epoxy---What Do You Use?

Since my days of modeling were a very long time ago (don't ask) Glues have come a long way and the list of choices has become too much. Tired of getting my fingers stuck together or other things stuck with Super Glue and even that has many choices. I have a tall Radio Tower model to put together and I am not sure what to use. There are tons of glue videos on YouTube also but I want to ask our viewers here...What Glues and/or Epoxy's do you like to use? Or maybe you have an interesting story about a glue project gone wrong you would like to share.

I'm a firm believer in araldite it's an epoxy resin that comes in x2 parts which you mix in equal amounts, it's really strong and I use it on all my modelling projects, when I was an apprentice I spent time in a department that made eddy current probes, they used to put a coil of wire around an iron center then they would take x3 probes, fit them in a 'skate' and araldite the face of the skate, the skate was spring loaded and the face used to rub along a billet and pick up defects in the steel. When I was making some skates I got some araldite on my fingers, So I wiped my hand on the lip of the supervisors coffee draw, it was only a small smear along the bottom edge of the draw which I then closed, the following day when he came to work he tried to get in but couldn't! It was stuck solid!

[Ucwepn]

I have had great success with Loctite precision super glue, I use it to mount handrails and to attach funnels (brass to plastic), has been very good with no failures so far and the best super glue I have used to date.

[Super]

re Tramp

That is a funny story Tramp, did you fess up that it was you who glued his drawer closed?

Does that Araldite come in tubes or syringes? If syringes are they separate or do they combine the resin and activator at the tip? I have seen pictures of a lot of epoxy syringes and it looks to me like the ones that have 2 tips and do not automatically mix are the best seeing as it would be easier to mix only a little with the benefit of a none hardening tip so you can use it again. But then the question is how to apply it. It lso looks as if they have quite a few different types, which exactly do you use, how do you apply it and how much play time do you have?


re Ucwepn

Wow...don't you find it hard handling such small objects like your handrail posts with Super Glue? I am amazed as my big fingers would get in the way and probably stick to my model Is that Super Glue immediate bond or do you have some wiggle time?

No I didn't say anything! It depends on the verity it used to come in separate metalled tubes but now it tends to come in a double syringe which has the plunger connected, that way it dispenses the same amount of each, not that either is better than the other! Generally I squeeze the resin+Hardener in to some cardboard (generally cereal packet on the shiney side) then I use a small piece of wire or cocktail pick to mix then apply the resin, it's easy really but it's very sticky and can get everywhere!

[Super]

Tramp

I wonder what he thought when he went to open the drawer and did he expect foul play? That is funny. You mention that the Araldite is sticky, does that mean it gets all stringy like a hot glue gun? And what is the working/setting time, do you know?

It does string a little but not as bad as hot glue, it's kind of hard to discribe the viscosity of something, but it is of similar consistency to glue gun glue when first applied, but slightly more liquid like, you can build up around items to hold them and it doesn't run, the usual drying time is 24 hrs, after 5 minutes it starts to go off and within 15minutes it's strong enough to hold whatever your glueing and hold it's shape, then usually it's 24hrs before it's hardened fully,

[Super]

Thanks Tramp for the info.

[Ucwepn]

hi super theres a little wiggle time of about 5 seconds, I try not to fully glue until I'm happy with the position then secure it with more, its in a squeezy bottle and I sometimes make a puddle and apply with toothpicks too, depends what I am doing with it at the time.

[Super]

I know that the odds of the products we see on the "As Seen On TV" commercials are very slim to actually do what they profess but I am curious if anyone has used or heard if this product might works. 5 Second Fix sounds like a good idea as Dentists used ultraviolet light to cure their bonding agents however I am skeptical that if this is a good idea why has it not been mass produced and the idea used by other manufacturers. I like the idea of the adhesion not taking place until the light is shown on it and that it is flexible but I wonder if you would need three hands to use it or somehow affixing the light pen in a vice and holding the object with both hands over the light. Any ideas? Anyone try it?