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

I haven't noticed a very big difference between the two.

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

I personally prefer it to GW glue but it has to be the red tube not the blue I've dropped a rhino off a table and it was good to go.

Testors Non-toxic is all I use. No need to fry braincells when you can use non-toxic.

Plus it is cheap. It may be that it is not as good a glue as Plastruct or some of the other glues, but again, it is not killing me to use it.

I've been using Testors exclusively for about nine months now and would say that it works just as well as its GW equivalent. Add to that the fact that it costs considerably less ($1.86 list price for Testors vs $6.60 for GWs) I'd say it's a great alternative.

But the red one smells wonderful.

I find the non toxic blue tube of Testors has a nice citrusy smell to it.

Both junk IMO.

I use loctite super glue ultra gel.

Well, thanks for the quick comments, guys!

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.

Did you use it from 2006 to 2011?

It lasts an absurdly long time, yes. Your mileage may vary, of course.

I just so happened to choose the two armies that have the greatest percentage of metal models, so my plastic cement didn't have as much use.

Just use conservative quantities and don't overload your model with the cement and you'll be fine. It's great stuff and it works.

Personally, I don't like the Testors stuff. I highly recomend Humbrol precision poly cement. It's in a yellow bottle with a needle applicator, it doesn't ooze all over the place and it's 28ml for $4.49 @ the FLGS.

I didn't like the GW stuff, it was way to runney and the tip of the applicator would become gummed up in no time. I would recomend the Testors over GW glue anyday of the week though. I would recomend almost any other companys hobby supplies over GW's just because of the insane mark-up on the GW stuff. If you are able to shop around it's usually a better bet ( and cheeper) to look around. IF GW is your only source of hobby supplies or it's that convienent to go there then other places then all the power to you. Some times the savings of a few dollars isn't worth the extra time and effort to search around or order off the internet.

I love it, I've used red tube Testors for about 30 years. Built cars and tanks before discovering 40k. You can learn to apply it very accurately straight from the tube, just takes some practice. Others speak well of the fancier "professional" cements with applicators and such. I simply don't have any experience with them to compare because I've never needed to try anything different.

IMHO Never use the garbage in a tube. Taimya makes a fantastic liquid glue. Testor's liquid glue is also good. Use the stuff that welds the plastic together. I just bought a trygon from eBay that had been put together with the non-toxic cement. The guy may as well have used a hot glue gun. It was hideous. Can someone explain to me why anyone would use super glue on a plastic model?

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.

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.

100% agree, I've used Testor's Model Master plastic cement for years and absolutely love the stuff.
Also Loctite super glue gel for metals works very nicely.

I use Bison Super Glue Gel. Its quite amazing, this one time dropped one of my space marines from my desk(Being me I measured it just now) which is approximately 70cm in height.

And its pretty cheap to, a 3g bottle(I dont know why the measure it in grams..) costs me about 2dollars. And one drop for each joint, instead of having to drown it if using the GW one, lasts me for a long time.

Mr. Cement or Tamiya glue is the best for plastic. It comes in both thick and thin. I use the thin glue. Both glues come with a very small applicator brushes. The Japanese glues also tend to wick into all of the crevices. It also dries very fast but not at fast as Ten-Ex.

Haven't used GW plastic glue, but I'm positive that a price comparison wouldn't be favorable, at the very least. I've been using Testors for a while now without issue, but I'm talking about the stuff in the plastic applicator bottle. I've heard complaints about clogging, but in a solid year of use, mine has only developed 2 minor clogs which were cleared with the wire in mere seconds - major issues are user error, I can nearly guarantee (just watch a few Youtube videos - some hobbyists belong on those infomercials where attempting to crack an egg without mechanical assistance from a dedicated product results in a broken limb and an electrical fire). I'd go with another brand or buy a jar of the liquid cement and use a brush before I bought the tubes of goop, though, no matter how non-toxic and pleasantly scented one type may be.

I've used Testors for many years, both the orange tube and the plastic bottle with applicator needle. I prefer the stuff in the bottle as the gel in the tube can get very messy.

I rarely use superglue on plastic models. It doesn't make much sense when the plastic glue will actually weld the joint. I have had models fall off my gaming table onto a concrete floor and survive.

If you want a cheap liquid plastic glue, the active ingredient in several model glues is methyl ethyl ketone or MEK. This is available by the quart in the paint thinner section of most hardware stores. Same safety precautions as the other stuff we use. Make sure the area is ventilated and avoid prolonged exposure.

Not really. Just wanting to know how it worked.

Testor's plastic cement is a great glue. It is thinner and less prone to "strings" than GW's but once you're used to working with it, you'll not want to go back, I promise. The metal applicator means you can get the glue exactly where you want it and nowhere else.

FabricatorGeneralMike wrote: Personally, I don't like the Testors stuff. I highly recomend Humbrol precision poly cement. It's in a yellow bottle with a needle applicator, it doesn't ooze all over the place and it's 28ml for $4.49 @ the FLGS.

This is what I use, and I can highly recommend it. Does the job, does it fairly quickly, not brittle, cheap and has a great applicator. Freely available round these parts too.

roge wrote:If you want a cheap liquid plastic glue, the active ingredient in several model glues is methyl ethyl ketone or MEK. This is available by the quart in the paint thinner section of most hardware stores. Same safety precautions as the other stuff we use. Make sure the area is ventilated and avoid prolonged exposure.

Do NOT go anywhere near Methyl Ethyl Ketone. It's a very dangerous chemical and you should make sure you follow all the safety precautions that come with it, including a respirator. Using it for a cheap liquid plastic glue is not to be recommended. Link to Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS).

I'll reproduce some of it for you:

Personal Protection:
Splash goggles. Lab coat. Vapor respirator. Be sure to use an approved/certified respirator or equivalent. Gloves.

Personal Protection in Case of a Large Spill:
Splash goggles. Full suit. Vapor respirator. Boots. Gloves. A self contained breathing apparatus should be used to avoid
inhalation of the product. Suggested protective clothing might not be sufficient; consult a specialist BEFORE handling this
product.

In fact, I'm a little worried that you even suggested this, roge.

Ogryn wrote:Did you use it from 2006 to 2011?

Absolutionis wrote:It lasts an absurdly long time, yes. Your mileage may vary, of course.

I just so happened to choose the two armies that have the greatest percentage of metal models, so my plastic cement didn't have as much use.

Just use conservative quantities and don't overload your model with the cement and you'll be fine. It's great stuff and it works.

I can attest to how long Testors can last. I had bought a tube years ago, and then took a break from the hobby for awhile. I broke it back out early last year and it still worked fantastically for many many models until it ran out. As long as you keep the cap on so it doesnt dry out, itll last for as long as you need it.

And yea, its all I ever use, stuff works awesomely. Best of all, you dont need more then a dab to hold parts together

I ONLY use this for plastic now. It has a metal needle nozzle, as well as a metal rod to unclog the nozzle if it happens. I've gone through many bottles now, and maybe have had to unclog it twice. The GW plastic glue isn't too bad, but it's expensive. Here's a link that shows the glue, and various places you can get it. Hope this helps!

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=testors+plastic+glue&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=5209684305480258719&sa=X&ei=LRTJTv7MKY-btwf0qaS4DA&ved=0CHUQ8gIwBw

LadyCassandra, I'm not looking to argue over this, but check the MSDS for plastic glues. MEK is used in several, additional chemicals used in plastic glues are Toluene, Xylene, Ethyl Benzene, n Butyl Acetate, and Methylene Chloride. None of these are friendly chemicals. Plastic glues are plastic solvents, that's how they melt. Also the safety precautions and warnings on the glues, and the MSDS for the glues are the same as the MEK sheet. The MSDS for Testors tubes and Model Master liquid also suggest respirators if there is not adequate ventilation.

roge wrote:LadyCassandra, I'm not looking to argue over this, but check the MSDS for plastic glues. MEK is used in several, additional chemicals used in plastic glues are Toluene, Xylene, Ethyl Benzene, n Butyl Acetate, and Methylene Chloride. None of these are friendly chemicals. Plastic glues are plastic solvents, that's how they melt. Also the safety precautions and warnings on the glues, and the MSDS for the glues are the same as the MEK sheet. The MSDS for Testors tubes and Model Master liquid also suggest respirators if there is not adequate ventilation.

Hrm. The Humbrol one I use has Butyl Acetate in it, which has almost an identical MSDS to the MEK one. I shall have to concede the point, though perhaps with the adjoiner that I'm not sure having a quart of this stuff hanging about the house is a great idea, especially considering how flammable it is. Perhaps I went a little over the top after this thread.

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?