adhesive for model planes

'What's the best glue for everything'? ;-)

What *sort* of 'model plane' are you talking about here? If it's yer 'Airfix' type plastic model here as if so I use "Revell Contacta Professional" because it works and comes in a very handy dispenser that doesn't block if you keep using it regularly and leave the fine nozzle clean if you don't.

Cheers, T i m

Hot melt and car body filler?

:-)

Damn you! What was the brand of adhesive we used to use in the 1960s for Airfix (and other) models?

I remember lots of glues - gripfix, croydex, copydex - but cannot recall the small solvent weld adhesive tubes!

I thought it was something like Poly Cement?

I think you are thinking of one of Turnips planes.

(Although that would explain why he needs a Tesla battery to get them in the air!) ;-)

Spruce Goose?

Cheers, T i m

What sort of model plane? The lightweight balsa and tissue paper ones that fly or the polystyrene injection moulded ones that don't.

Wasn't Airfixes own just called 'Polystyrene cement'?

Cheers, T i m

As everybody has said, it depends ... but if you are talking about 'classical' balsa and ply planes, then:

- yellow aliphatic resin ('titebond'), a PVA variant - contact adhesive - cyanoacrylate 'superglue' (most widely used listed first) will get you a long way.

There have no doubt been updates since I was last active, I am sure TNP will be along soon to give you the 'benefit' of his knowledge (actually in this area he is worth listening to)

J^n

That might have been what many used, but the local shop I went to had another make. (I don't remember seeing Airfix cement there. Only much later.) I have a feeling it had a number on it - as if there were three sorts - 1, 2 or 3. (Polystyrene, balsa and something else?) But that could be completely wrong.

Thanks Tim. I'll order some. It isn't for me; it's just that certain little guys seem to think that Grandad knows everything.

Bill

Britfix?

Somebody can cut and paste my 'list of adhesives' cos I can't be arsed.

The brands weren't too important when I was a kid. The plastic cement was a "solvent glue", that dissolved a bit of the edge of the work, to join the pieces. The solvent glue presumably being saturated with a similar plastic to what you were gluing. When it dries, the idea is that the plastic joint should be as strong as the plastic next to it. (A good store keeps these tubes under the counter, so glue sniffers don't steal them.)

I notice they have a second compound for that now, which dries "clear as glass". Now, where is the fun in that ? Some of my friends, who were also given models, took great pride in putting a filthy great thumbprint on their windshield.

Yes - I think that was the one. Had not realised it was a Humbrol brand. But that makes sense as most of their paint was Humbrol.

Thank you

Balsa cement.

Not for plastic models

In message snipped-for-privacy@googlegroups.com, polygonum_on_google snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com writes

Met-Pak

indeed : my Grandson when small (he's now 8) had the phrase "Grandpa will mend it"

In my youth, I was a keen (flying) aeromodeller. Invariably you'd have a crash or two, but with luck you'd be able to make an impromptu in-the-field repair. Unfortunately, balsa cement doesn't dry quickly enough. If only we'd had superglue in those far, distant days!