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Paid $6.60 for Citadel plastic glue. Don't plan to do that again. Most likely I'll stick with Zap-A-Cap. But I did some research. Looks like I can buy Acetone from WalMart (its nail polish remover), and dissolve Polystyrene (that's styrofoam, gents) into it, experiment with the ratio, and the goopy sludge in the bottom of the container is plastic glue. So, who wants to try it with me?

Get either one of those, cheap and the best stuff out there, imho.

I do like the applicator tips on those bottles. I was thinking I could make a gallon of it for about $5 and old styrofoam and never buy glue again... But those are nice, I need to find out where to buy

Don't mess around with solvents, it's bad for your health. Just buy some Revell Contacta and be done with it. Even Testors plastic glue is good value for money although it smells worse than the Revell-stuff.

Another vote for Revell Contacta. You can put together a dozen armies with one bottle of it. Who the heck needs a gallon of glue?

styrofoam in acetone is also known as poormans napalm...just thought id warn you, its near impossible to extinguish if it combusts. but good luck to you, and the polystyrene is just there to keep the acetone from migrating and dissolving your entire army.

EDIT spelling fail

The Revell stuff is great I have two bottles of the stuff only problem is the metal tubes on both clogged up really quickly so it is now a bit harder to assemble figures without it but I was just using it now so speak of the devil. Pixelpusher is right mess with solvents and you'll end up dead or at least with brain damage in later life.

Edit: typed to instead of two

Unlike what everyone has told you, I'd got for the mixing. It isn't only fun and exciting, you'll last longer with the sticky smudge, then a small bottle you need to buy every other three months or so.

I am now seriously considering of trying that out, Chuckwilliams.

Santaman2346 wrote:The Revell stuff is great I have two bottles of the stuff only problem is the metal tubes on both clogged up really quickly so it is now a bit harder to assemble figures without it but I was just using it now so speak of the devil. Pixelpusher is right mess with solvents and you'll end up dead or at least with brain damage in later life.

Edit: typed to instead of two

Put a lighter to the tip of the metal tube and it'll clear, don't breathe the magic smoke coming out of it though.

I have some uber fine drill bits that i use to unclog my metal tubes that or some fine wire like floretry wire or just some copper wire from an offcut of electrical cable, take a fre strands twist them together for strength and ram down the tube.

Testors plastic cement comes with a little wire to unjam the metal applicator.

Thanks for tips about unblocking my glue I think I'll try the wire down it first and lighter method as a backup.

Scrazza wrote:Unlike what everyone has told you, I'd got for the mixing. It isn't only fun and exciting, you'll last longer with the sticky smudge, then a small bottle you need to buy every other three months or so.

I am now seriously considering of trying that out, Chuckwilliams.

I can't recommend against this idea enough. Bad idea, potentially harmful and you aren't saving any money. The little black Testor's bottle I bought two years ago is still going strong after building two full plastick 40k armies.

Yeah.... I'm a Do It Yourselfer as well, but I would not want to mess with solvents and polystyrene like you are suggesting. Your quality will be poor, no matter what you do, will need constant care to prevent it from "going bad," is an extreme fire and chemical hazard, and will not work nearly as well. Not to mention to inconvenience of it....

I bought a bottle of Testor's Plastic Cement two years ago and it is still going strong. If you have serious trouble with the tip, replace it with something brass. I used a short length of brass tubing (you can get at most hobby stores) in the right inner diameter to replace the tip the bottle came with, and have not had a problem since.

Save your brain, your home, your time, and your money and just buy your plastic cement from someone NOT GW/CM.

A homemade mix of highly flamable solvents. What could possibly go wrong?

TESTORS TESTORS TESTORS (orange tube)
that is all

jordanis wrote:styrofoam in acetone is also known as poormans napalm...

Brings back my teen years...


Id also recommend regular plastic model glue. I use the testors stuff.

If your Revell Contacta is always bunging up the best way is to push a length of brass rod down it to clear it. We do away with the plastic tube cap thing and leave a length of brass rod in it all the time. It doesn't dry up and is always clear for use when you take it out, and you have your unblocking tool handy.

I thought poor man's napalm was gasoline and Tide?

Polystyrene (white) and diesel works well.

Greyish gunk that burns with a carcinogenic smoke.
Can be shaped like putty.
Will go bang with a blasting cap.

in todays news - Dakka makes international terrorism watchlist.

Used to work in a pro SFX shop.
We'd toss the leftover unused chunks of polyfoam into an old drum of diesel (in a disused shed) and marvel as it dissolved into the depths.

Some of us even knew WHY it did so.

A fire broke out on the lot one afternoon. The firies were prepared to let this old wooden shed "burn" until we told them it was FULL of polystyrene foam and 'that' drum.

It got doused quick-smart.

I strongly recommend mixing random chemicals together and seeing what they do.

You'll want to talk things over with your local meth dealer before attempting anything. He'll have some good advice on how to safely handle these dangerous substances and how to set up ventilation systems that don't alert your neighbors.

Or, if you value your life and personal property, then just shell out a few bucks to buy some professionally made glue.

http://www.amazon.com/Cement-For-Plastic-Value-Pack/dp/B0013D53CS/ref=pd_sxp_grid_i_2_2

This works fine and is pretty cheap.

There seems to be some VERY bad advice in places in this thread.

You really shouldn't mess around with mixing solvents and chemicals.

At all.

Why put your health, wallet and house at risk?

Pick up some Revell Contacta. It will last years, absolute.

Mods are supposed to stop vile necromancy, not practice it.