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I have been reading a few articles on using plasticard and a few recommended polystyrene cement. I suspect that this is just the technical name for the plastic cement used on plastic models but I haven't been able to get a straight. Am I correct in my assumption?

Yes - polystyrene is what the plastic models for years have been made from. There are a few different variations of the plastic cement, some working better than others (low-fume, non-toxic, etc.)

So if you use polystyrene cement on your plastic models/minis, you are golden.

Basically a hot enough chemical that it melts the plastic a bit allowing the 2 pieces to fuse together.

If it's useful, I have a bit of a run-down on the different types of glues here!

 Lance845 wrote:
Basically a hot enough chemical that it melts the plastic a bit allowing the 2 pieces to fuse together.

No it isn't. It's a solvent. No heat involved.

 Flinty wrote:

 Lance845 wrote:
Basically a hot enough chemical that it melts the plastic a bit allowing the 2 pieces to fuse together.

No it isn't. It's a solvent. No heat involved.

"Hot" is a term used to describe chemicals that do that. Because generally when they start doing their solvent thing they generate heat or can cause chemical burns. The greater the solvency the more "hot" the chemical. MEK is a very "hot" chemical. Acetone is "hot" but not as "hot".

When I worked in a paint store it was common vernacular to refer to those chemicals as such.

Then, in my opinion, that "common vernacular" is confusing and misleading and shouldn't be applied to polystyrene cement.

 Flinty wrote:
Then, in my opinion, that "common vernacular" is confusing and misleading and shouldn't be applied to polystyrene cement.

Well most polystyrene cement has acetone in it. It's what 1) makes it smell horrible 2) work at all.

Non toxic varieties will have something else obviously.

Plastic cement is a generic term for a family of plastic adhesives that work by melting the plastic slightly, effectively welding the two parts together.

 Lance845 wrote:

 Flinty wrote:

 Lance845 wrote:
Basically a hot enough chemical that it melts the plastic a bit allowing the 2 pieces to fuse together.

No it isn't. It's a solvent. No heat involved.

"Hot" is a term used to describe chemicals that do that. Because generally when they start doing their solvent thing they generate heat or can cause chemical burns. The greater the solvency the more "hot" the chemical. MEK is a very "hot" chemical. Acetone is "hot" but not as "hot".

When I worked in a paint store it was common vernacular to refer to those chemicals as such.

I've heard the term "hot" used to refer to solvents that dry quickly rather than ones that are harsher, also heard it used for chemicals that cause a fast reaction. Not heard it used in the context you're using it, though I've never worked in the paint industry.

 Lance845 wrote:

 Flinty wrote:
Then, in my opinion, that "common vernacular" is confusing and misleading and shouldn't be applied to polystyrene cement.

Well most polystyrene cement has acetone in it. It's what 1) makes it smell horrible 2) work at all.

Non toxic varieties will have something else obviously.

I don't know if "most" use acetone. Some might. Testors uses toluene. Revell uses butyl ethanoate. Tamiya make a limonene based one, though their extra thin seems to be a mix of butyl ethanoate and acetone. I've seen some industrial ones which use MEK, not sure if it's used in consumer level plastic cements though.


I highly advise using them all in a well ventilated area and take care not to breathe them in, most of them are not good for your health.

 Lance845 wrote:

 Flinty wrote:
Then, in my opinion, that "common vernacular" is confusing and misleading and shouldn't be applied to polystyrene cement.

Well most polystyrene cement has acetone in it. It's what 1) makes it smell horrible 2) work at all.

Non toxic varieties will have something else obviously.

The good ones never had acetone in them; they had toluene. 1.1% by volume. Revell, Tamiya, Testors, Humbrol, they all did it. This was good, you could thin "Squadron" putty with it to make a paintable non-shrinking filler long before Liquid Green Stuff was a thing. There are different mixes for ABS and PVC.

Quite a few now use n-butyl-acetate instead (Toluene is restricted by Euro ROHS regs) nd while they aren't quite as active or "good", will still work. It smells fruitier (the n-butyl-acetate compound is found in certain decomposing fruits). The bond does not get "hot" as such.

If anything, cyanoacrylate and epoxy adhesives are the ones that should be called "Hot" - as they are the ones that give off heat as they cure. Hell, you can start a fire with superglue and a cotton wool ball.
And "common naming" conventions are bunk. It's why white foam insulated food containers always got referred to as "Styrofoam" when real styrofoam(tm) was never used for food containers like coffee or burgers - it's a closed cell extruded polystyrene foam used purely as an insulation product sold in sheet form. Those foam containers used an open-cell expanded polystyrene foam product and have never used the name "Styrofoam".

Never heard grades of plastic cements being categorized by the amount of heat it generates.

TLDR: plastic cements can be either an agent that melts & merges the plastics together (plastic on plastic) or it can be gap filling formula (plastic to glue to plastic).

Plastruct is one of the more 'premium' polystyrene brand, which offers their own solvents called "plastic cements". Link below:

Plastruct Plastic Weld

Tamiya brand's plastic cement is of similar application/consistency.

These glues essentially 'weld' the plastic together by 'melting' the plastics together.

If not, there are other glues that are of actual 'cement' consistency, like testor's. These are more akin to Locktite Gel, which some prefer over more loose types of solvents. These work by acting as a 'bridge' between the plastics and bond onto the plastics without necessarily melting & welding the plastics together. This depends on the formulation of the glue, but that's the general concept.