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I have been using the GW Plastic Glue that came with the hobby starter set i bought, but it almost gone now. My question is, should i buy more of it [about $7 for 20 grams] or use super glue [about $3 for 12 grams].

Which one is better for plastic models?
What are the pros and cons for both?

Thanks.

plastic glue will give you a far stronger bond (it will pretty much melt the plastic parts together). Super glue bonds tend to be pretty brittle, so I would definitely recommend plastic glue.

In my experiance it's much better to use plastic glue when gluing plastic minis together as the glue will create a much stronger bond between parts than super glue will.

If you see yourself assembling models made out of anything other than plastic, you'll need some superglue eventually. Plastic glue only glues plastic and will not work on anything else.

One other thing to note though, is that the GW glue is pretty expensive - get it from someone else, save some money.

super glue - Obviously it works on resin and metal, aswell as plastic.
Not the most amazing bond, but works well enough when you also pin a model.
You can also take things apart with relative ease when you use super glue.

Plastic glue - amazingly strong bond, but this is not allways good.
Taking apart a model that you have used it on sometimes is impossible, or requires alot of damage to be repaired.
You need to be careful when using it on vehicles aswell as any overspill must be cleaned off.
If it isnt, it usually makes the whole model look bad.



I do however prefer to use super glue on everything.
The only thing i dont use it on is large metal models.
For those i use an epoxy glue (Araldite) and pins.
The bond from using both is pretty much unbreakable.

Sorry i'm still really new to wargaming but what is "pins"?

Plastic cement is great too (if that's not what you meant by plastic glue already). I personally use Testors Plastic Cement. You should be able to find it in any hobby store. Roughly $3 for 1 fluid ounce which has lasted me over 50 models (roughly 40 marines, and some tanks and dreads).

Pinning is a simple method to make a bond even stronger.

You simply drill a small hole in both connecting parts, then insert a small pin of metal between them.
this helps hold weight and give a stronger bond.

quick tut on how its done:

http://www.warseer.com/forums/showthread.php?p=557851

Okay, I seem to only have plastic models. I am currently awaiting 2 more LRBT, 2 Chimeras, and 2 squads of IG. Since these are all plastic models, i should use plastic glue right. What are some good brands, I checked my local Hobby Lobby and that had about 8 different brands.

For a good brand i would go with Testors.
The GW plastic glue has an insane prince and the bottle is poor quality.
There is no real control when using it compared to Testors.

Testors is good,I've also used Model Master,Which is a bit pricey but works very well and offers great control when using it..

Is plastic cement the same as plastic glue?

Also here is one of the glues that stood out last time i went to Hobby Lobby.

http://shop.hobbylobby.com/products/cement-for-plastic-340620/

Anyone use this before?

I stopped using Gunge(tm) in a tube when I was 12.
(Pretty much what I call ANY gel type plastic cement in a tube).

I prefer the liquid type with precision applicator these days (Testors Model master, Revell Contacta).

Revell Contacta Liquid/Professional since 1991 - wont switch for sure!

Plastic glue/cement for plastic stuff, superglue&pins for metal and resin no need for other stuff. I used to use 2component glue/cement for large metal models as well, but 24hours drying time at best is a mess plus once it is glued there´s absolutely no point of disassembling the parts - 300kilos "hold" on a 1cm² is more than I can break for sure!

You CAN get faster curing 2 part epoxies, gorbad.
They just aren't as strong as the 24 hour cure stuff.

Epoxies DO have a weakness, though. Heat. 70*c for an hour will cause the epoxy to crumble.

Just like superglues have a weakness to subzero temperatures.

For anybody reading this, plastic cement works wonders. BUT every so often I get a join on a Privateer Press model that it just won't set on. My Ironclad's left leg, for example.

i am fan of super glue myself. a little and you can dry fit a model together. enough and it stays together through most car rides. weak joins are where it sucks but i dont mind regluing

I can't stand plastic glue, but that may be because I am a converter. If I bought a used army off of someone and it was glued together with plastic glue I would probably resell it. You can't make any changes to the mini unless you are willing to break or cut apart the pieces. I don't know how many times I have made stuff and then realize a year later that some of the bitz would look better on something else. With Superglue I can break the bond easily, but with plastic that just isn't possible unless you are willing to damage the model.

I am also pressed for time. GW's plasticglue seems like it takes forever to finish its thing. I can use Zap-a-Gap superglue and zipkicker and have a very good bond in seconds.

Everyone moans about how long it takes Plastic glue to 'dry'.

but its the same as all other glue, you only need a small amount.

the best way is to get a cocktail stick, and with a blobl of glue on the desk/tape/tile whatever, dip it in the glue, then have a VERY thin layer over the surface. then its done.

ObliviousBlueCaboose wrote:Okay, I seem to only have plastic models. I am currently awaiting 2 more LRBT, 2 Chimeras, and 2 squads of IG. Since these are all plastic models, i should use plastic glue right. What are some good brands, I checked my local Hobby Lobby and that had about 8 different brands.

GW's polystyrene cement is about the worst quality on the market. I think they make it super thick to help youngsters avoid spills and other trouble.

The best type is liquid plastic weld. If you are a teenager, though, I would stick with something like Revell's Pro. The liquid plastic weld is full of nasty chemicals.

The Grog wrote:For anybody reading this, plastic cement works wonders. BUT every so often I get a join on a Privateer Press model that it just won't set on. My Ironclad's left leg, for example.

That would be because PP don't use POLYSTYRENE in their plastics. It's closer to an ABS plastic, which requires a much harsher solvent to weld it (like JB Weld).
The Mongoose Starship Troopers line was full of this stuff. Same problems.
The new PP plastic jacks and infantry are the same again.

Nothing wrong with the glue - it's just that you're trying to glue the wrong plastic with it. You can't glue PET to PVC with it either (same kind of issues. Wrong plastics).

If you're gluing plastic use plastic glue. That's what it's designed for. Chromedog is right, most plastic glues are a 'polystyrene cement' so only work on polystyrene, which GW, Mantic, Warlord and all plastic model manufacturers like Tamiya, Dragon Airfix etc, are made from. But there are some few exceptions.

Superglue is for everything else, resin and metal and other awkward materials or plastics.

Plastic glue is far easier and safer to use on plastic kits than superglue especially if you buy something like 'Revell Contacta' which has a metal tube by which to apply glue both sparingly and with some precision.

Superglue is fairly toxic, can be a bit messy (especially if it's a particularly runny sort), deeply unpleasant if you get it on your hands (which isn't difficult because some brands are very runny) and actually isn't as strong as plastic glue is on plastic kits.

Well kil, i'm not a teenager but live in student housing at my college, and they frown on having primer in the dorms, much less "nasty chemicals"

But i see the consensuses here. Go plastic glue. And yes runny super glue is a pain. I heard it was originally developed as a liquid bandage back in the 50's.

I use testors (the orange stuff) its pretty cheap and you can get it pretty much anywhere. It works fantastic too. The only downside to it, is when you glue 2 parts together, you better make sure thats where you want it, because it doesnt like coming apart after it sets

ObliviousBlueCaboose wrote:Well kil, i'm not a teenager but live in student housing at my college, and they frown on having primer in the dorms, much less "nasty chemicals"

But i see the consensuses here. Go plastic glue. And yes runny super glue is a pain. I heard it was originally developed as a liquid bandage back in the 50's.

A little bottle of either glue won't be a problem with "nasty chemicals" unless you're spreading it all over the place. If you're gluing plastic use plastic glue, use the right tool of the job. Everything else use superglue.

As for primer, well I used to lean out the window.

I use superglue, but i live in fl so no sub zero temps.

i also like that with superglue its dryin minuetes at least the type i use, the "origional" superglue plain and simple, apply hold for a few seconds and it holds on its own, in an hour you're good to primer

I use testers glue for plastic.

I use plastic glue mainly because it's thick and you don't have to hold it for very long, however if I glue a plastic miniature and an arm falls off in my case I'll then use superglue so that I don't saturate the model with thick glue. If I am still having problems I use a tiny amount of Milliput and stick it with superglue. For plastics I would suggest plastic glue as GW super glue is very thin and sometimes won't hold larger items like for example, a space marine holding a banner or large pieces of tyrant plastics.

For plastics I use 5g Revell Contacta Professional Plastic Glue as it performs a plastic weld function.

For larger pieces or likely to be handled a lot(I.e. figures on fancy bases) I pin and super-glue.

Problem with epoxy is that it goes brittle over years. so if you have an army you use over the years bits can drop off, and yes its' happened.

For plastic I have used this stuff for years:

http://www.thewarstore.com/TestorsPlasticGlue.html

It's inexpensive and not complete crap like all of the GW glues.
It will serve you well for many plastic armies.

When you branch out to metal or resin I recommend Gorilla Brand Superglue. Best stuff I have found yet.