Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Hey guys,

I'm looking for a super glue that has a slightly longer setting time. I airbrush and hand paint components before constructing the mini itself and really Really don't like filing down to plastic for the use of plastic glue. The issue I'm finding is that when using super glue, the minis set pretty much instantly, giving me no time to adjust poses. This is particularly troublesome when building crisis/broadsides.

Are there any super glues that will give me a setting time similar to using plastic glue on bare plastic? This will have to be available in the UK.

Thanks guys!!!

Not sure how international the various brands I've used are, but a number offer 'control gel' types - thick consistency keeps it where you put it and a longer set time gives you some wiggle room for adjustments. My current Loktite gel has, I believe, a 15 second cure. Not quite solvent cement levels of adjustability, but enough to ensure a good fit.

One thing to note, though, is that gluing plastic to plastic is recommended for any type of glue. Painted surfaces mean parts will snap off when the paint's (generally much weaker) hold gives out, even if a super strong industrial epoxy was used. There are options that meet your criterion, but I don't think they're a good solution to your problem.

What oadie said. Also, instead of filing, you should be able to take an exacto knife and just scrape some paint off at the contact point, it's very quick and easy.

If it's plastic, just use plastic glue. It will eat through the paint and bond as normal.

If it's non-plastic, you need to file away the paint anyway, or you're gluing paint to paint which will be a very weak bond.

One alternative to file or scrape down to plastic is to use a small dab of bluetac (or whatever brand you can find) on the surfaces that you intend to glue.

If it were me I'd just use plastic glue. If you're supergluing to paint you aren't getting all that great of a bond anyway.

Also if you're "filing down" the paint you're probably being a bit too extremely, just scrape a bit off with a knife or something and you're good to go, no need to remove all the paint from the surface, just enough so that the plastic glue has something to bite on. Plastic glue will slightly melt the paint anyway so it doesn't need to be perfectly clean.

Plastic glues will tend to eat through paint too, I don't bother digging to plastic if it is a good surface


Automatically Appended Next Post:
hey look at me repeating exactly what skink said :/

I've been using plastic glue for years now and I have never filed anything down. Maybe you're using too much?

If you really want the superglue to hold, you need to scratch both sides a little. if it's a small joint that will sort of naturally stay anyhow, that's not such a big deal.

When buying your glue, remember that thinner glue sets faster, and thicker glue sets slower -- generally.

@heartserenade -- he's trying to glue it after it's painted (which doesn't work with plastic glue, unless you melt off the paint, and generally make a mess).

Well i've also tried that and I also didn't have to file anything off.

Remember that it welds both pieces together and you don't have to put the glue on the whole surface. For example if you're connecting an arm to the body you can just put glue on the middle.

 Talys wrote:
If you really want the superglue to hold, you need to scratch both sides a little.

I see this suggested a lot. It's not actually true. Superglue bonds best between two flat surfaces. All that scratching the surfaces does is result in more supergle between the parts, which is the exact opposite of what you want, as the glue itself is a weak point in the joint.

I like the P3 stuff, personally; it's got a long shelf life, it takes some time to bond so you can adjust poses, it's pretty strong once it's set, and it doesn't have surfaces it refuses to stick to like the GW stuff. It's also thick enough that things don't have to be perfectly flush for it to work but not so thick you end up with glue around the outside of the joint if you're careful.