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Tronzor wrote:
Testors = junk. Brittle and crappy glue from what I've seen.

Ive found that to be true of the non-toxic stuff in the blue & white tube. However, Ive been using the regular stuff in the orange & white tube for around 22 years and its great stuff. Ive got a 1:35 sclae M4 Sherman tank I made when I was 14 (21 years ago) and its solid as can be.

Never used the GW stuff, so cant comment on its quality.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Exergy wrote:
excuse the necro, but I am having a problem that this might relate to.

I have always been a fan of the red testors plastic cement and recently been forced onto the blue stuff which does indeed smell of citrus.

My question is what are the differences between the red and the blue. Obviously the blue one is non toxic and smells tasty, so I guess you can drink it, but what advantages does the red stuff have?

In my experience it takes much longer to dry and doesnt work as well. The regular stuff in the red/orange & white tube or the Model Master in the bottle is a plastic "welder" it actually melts the joint a bit, making it essentially permanent once dried. The blue & white non-toxic stuff is more of just a simple glue...it sticks the joint together but doesnt 'weld' it.

 Absolutionis wrote:
I use Testor's Model Master Plastic Cement:
http://www.thewarstore.com/product33526.html

It's like Testor's normal plastic cement, but it has a metal applicator tip that rarely clogs up and metal pokey-wires for when it does clog up.

I used the same bottle from 2006 until last month and it has survived 7 Eldar Grav-Tanks, 4 Carnifexes, 3 Trygons, and over a hundred infantry. It finally ran out when I was helping a friend assemble a Land Raider (I've never assembled one).

Essentially, it's great stuff and lasts a long time. Because it's not GW, it's also cheaper.

I have been using this for the last 6 years and it works well with GW plastics and Mantic Plastics. I also purchased the plastic glue nozzle tips for more precise application. I have assembled the Assault on Black Reach Space Marines, Land Raider/Crusader, SM Bikes, Tau Battleforce, 2 x Hammerheads, 3 x Pirahna, 2 x Steath teams, 3 x Broadsides, 3 x Crisis Suits, Kroot squad, Kroot hounds, 2 x Fire Warrior teams, and 1000 point Undead army from the Mantic Kickstarter with just one bottle.

Any other resin and metal material, I use the Loctite Gel Super Glue.

I just picked up some testors liquid cement and I'm not sure but it hasn't been working for me. I have yet to use it on GW plastic I am trying to use it on some low quality plastics I have and It seems like I'm brushing water on em. Is it probably the plastic thats the issue or is the testor liquid glue weaker than others like tenax 7r?

Probably the plastic.

It's designed to work on styrene plastics and then only a small part of that family of plastics.

It won't work on ABS, for example, even though it IS a styrene (of sorts) or PVC plastics or any of the propylenes.

 chromedog wrote:
It won't work on ABS, for example, even though it IS a styrene (of sorts) or PVC plastics or any of the propylenes.

Testors Model Master cement works on the ABS plastic that Wyrd uses in their Malifaux figures. I have Miss Terious assembled and ready for painting to prove it. Otherwise your point is correct. Different plastics may or may not work with cements/glues. There are some that won't even work with two-part epoxy or superglue.

[quote=templarboy 411809 3593493 8de2fe56ab33d80dff22449346811201.jpg Can someone explain to me why anyone would use super glue on a plastic model?

I've used testers for years(red tube) can be thick and sometimes to much comes put but all in all if your careful its great.

I use the blue Testors plastic glue. More bang for your buck and you can just glob some on a newspaper and dip a toothpick and apply with that for precision if you want. I also noticed that if my models break they always break clean on the glue joints with Testors. I have had other models break at solid plastic/metal/resin points with other glues...and I prefer models to break where they are meant to be. Also, canned air upside down will get the glue cold enough to break clean for disassembly with the blue testors.

I think the new Citadel Finecast is a different plastic than the old days. So, the Testors may not "fuse" the plastics like it used to. I have been using Loctite more these days due to price and easy access in any store.

I haven't used gunge-in-a-tube for decades (those horrible tubes of thick, goopy crap) - ever since I discovered the liquid kind of poly cements.

Finecast isn't even a proper styrene, so most of the "plastic glues" won't act on it enough to bond them. The resin/plastic hybrid stuff requires a very active solvent to soften it - and this is not generally available to children (PVC solvent used by plumbers would work - but it is noxious and toxic to boot).

 Warlord Imp wrote:
I think the new Citadel Finecast is a different plastic than the old days. So, the Testors may not "fuse" the plastics like it used to.

Finecast does not work with plastic cements like Testors. This is because the resin/plastic mix is actually resistant to the chemical action that normally takes place when you apply plastic cement. Thus no melting or fusing can take place. GW's web site specifically stated that you need superglue for Finecast.

One thing some of us have noticed is that superglue actually does cause some fusing to take place, unlike just bonding the way it does on metal. We first suspected this because our glues became stringy and sticky when superglues normally don't do that. Then we started looking at the stuff we've assembled and discovered that it had bonded like what you see with plastic kits and plastic cement. Needless to say, we were a bit suprised by this.

 Ogryn wrote:
Hi, Dakka. Now, how does Testors work compared to GW Plastic Glue?

Same stuff at a quarter the price. Don't ever buy GW modeling materials, you can always find the better or exact same product much much cheaper.

The thing with tube glue is that it is very easy to use too much, you really only need a small amount to get the strongest weld. The thinner liquid glues are where it is really at, easy to apply and they rarely clog. I usually use the heavier tube glue on vehicles as the thick stuff holds the pieces together better long enough for me to get the rubber bands on.

Hello, i know its an old tread but I didnt want to spam a new one.. Does anybody know what revell contacta pro and humbrol poly cement precision are as ingrediants?? I assumed they where the same and poured a new humbrol into the remainder of my revell (needed the needle bottle.. :p ). Now it seams the bond isnt as strong as befor. Maybe I'm imagining it...

Been using this stuff for years has a metal tip applicator as well making it a smooth application for me. Work great with all plastic models. I also use Superglue for resins.

http://www.adammillertoyandbicycle.com/images/354_product_t350_d27c035abb296d43032c26320deaec83.jpg

the problem with super glues is it'd not forgiving if you place something wrong. However it's great for bonding Metals and Resins.

Keep in mind there are several types of Testors glues. I try to stick with the Model Masters line myself.

 IronSnake wrote:
Both junk IMO.

I use loctite super glue ultra gel.

You can't go wrong with Loctite. I have several tubes, I like the extra time control one the best. http://www.loctiteproducts.com/p/4/3/sg_x_cntrl/overview/Loctite-Super-Glue-Extra-Time-Control.htm

The active ingredient in most poly cements is Methyl Ethyl Ketone. Your problem probably stems from the other ingredients used to thicken the active ingredient. Never mix brands together as you don't know how the other contents may react with one another. Both are great poly cements, just keep them separate.

Valdac wrote:
Hello, i know its an old tread but I didnt want to spam a new one.. Does anybody know what revell contacta pro and humbrol poly cement precision are as ingrediants?? I assumed they where the same and poured a new humbrol into the remainder of my revell (needed the needle bottle.. :p ). Now it seams the bond isnt as strong as befor. Maybe I'm imagining it...

Methyl Ethyl Ketone has been banned in a lot of places for several years now. I can't buy it anymore in it's pure form for use with acrylic sheet (came in a glass bottle with a metal lid). Last time I saw it on shelves in Canada was ~2005. Industry can still get it with the right permits.

I can still buy Testors plastic cement and it doesn't appear to have changed. I don't know if it's allowed due to a lower concentration or if it just doesn't contain MEK. There are several other organic solvents that can melt soft plastics like styrene together that are still quite toxic but not to the levels of MEK.

-----------------------------------------------------

I used Testors toxic plastic cement from 1995-2005 and then from 2009-2013. Several tubes I had bought in 2000-2005 are still fine today. I only switched to Humbrol poly cement because it comes in a syringe bottle and is far more precise to use. Super glue from any manufacturer is too brittle for my taste, even the loctite stuff. For metal models I tend to use 5-min epoxy with super glue just used to tack the parts in place until the epoxy hardens.

I use the blue testors stuff and will never touch GW glues again. I don't have any experience with the red testors but I imagine that the toxicity means that it's a stronger glue that bonds plastic better...I don't know how well the blue stuff welds plastic, but i've never had a model break after using it.

I use the testors model cement, quoted by others here.

Its just awesome, the precision applicator is great as well.

The testors in the red tube is the best stuff. It literally melts the two parts together making an unbreakable bond. Super glue is junk. You drop a model built with super glue off a table onto a hard floor and it will break apart. You drop a model built with testors off the table and nothing will happen to it.

I've used Testors with the metal applicator (I assume that's what people mean with "red tube") for years. Before it was called Model Master, I bought it for assembling model planes before I ever got in to wargaming. When it ran out I bought a Model Master, also found that to be great.

I also bought some Revell Plastic Cement when I moved and lost my bottle of Testors, I preferred the Testors. It's not a big difference, they both work much the same, it's just for some reason I could use the Testors a bit more neatly. Preferred the way the Testors cured.

Revell comes in two different applicator sized bottles.

The darker blue bottle has the thinner one (16g fuse wire just fits down it).
The lighter blue has a wider bore, but still good control. Same contents.

Revell is more readily available here - but you see the odd testors (model master), tamiya, humbrol and mr surface (?) as well.

I use the Revell contacta professional stuff (dark blue bottle) and contacta in the jar (same stuff, brush applicator. Different usage).

Yeah, what I have is the dark blue one as well, it's not the applicator, it's the way it flows and dries, I found that Testors was a bit easier to use and a bit easier to clean up. I'm sure someone else might find the opposite is true, it might just be I've used Testors for so long I got used to that.

I like my red tube Testors. Used it for years. No problems.

LightningClawsFTW wrote:

templarboy wrote:The guy may as well have used a hot glue gun.

I've actually seen a Rhino put together with hot glue at the LGS. It was not pretty.

Lol I use a heck of a lot of hot glue on my more complicated customs. If used right (and in areas where it cant be seen) hot glue can be a wonderful addition to the arsenal. However... With most stuff, the testors red tube is just fine.

My vote is for Locite(hope I spelled it right) I dropped my custom looted ork rhino off of the table and everything was a okay. Used Locite of course. Love it.

I live and die by the Testor's red/orange tube, and will for as long as I'm putting together plastic kits.

The number one advantage is the welding effect so many people have mentioned.

But another thing I love is that if you intentionally (and intelligently) over-apply the glue to specific joins you can produce a seeping effect when putting the parts together -- a bead of glue and dissolved plastic will squeeze out of the join when you press the parts against each other. After it has dried you can carve the bead off like a mould line which results in a perfectly seamless join.

Despite experimentation with many other types of glue and gap filler I've not found a better way for making your plastic models look like complete sculptures rather than a bunch of parts stuck together.

 Altruizine wrote:
I live and die by the Testor's red/orange tube, and will for as long as I'm putting together plastic kits.

The number one advantage is the welding effect so many people have mentioned.

But another thing I love is that if you intentionally (and intelligently) over-apply the glue to specific joins you can produce a seeping effect when putting the parts together -- a bead of glue and dissolved plastic will squeeze out of the join when you press the parts against each other. After it has dried you can carve the bead off like a mould line which results in a perfectly seamless join.

Despite experimentation with many other types of glue and gap filler I've not found a better way for making your plastic models look like complete sculptures rather than a bunch of parts stuck together.

You can do a similar thing with epoxy glue, but since it takes so long to mix it doesn't really save you all that much time. However that's what I sometimes do on metal models that I need to epoxy anyway.

Apply an excess of epoxy (not heaps excess, just enough that it squeezes out a bit). Let it cure for maybe an hour or so, come back with a knife and trim it off and you have a strong bond with no gap.

You can't do that with superglue because superglue goes brittle, but epoxy (and plastic cement) go more soft and rubbery, so you can cut them.