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Now, I used to use mostly GW superglue back in the day when it came in a bigger plastic bottle and not a tube. Getting back into the hobby and figured id turn to y'all to sort out what the best superglue to use on GW stuff is or what you all personally prefer! Should I just go testors or loctite? Also wanted to know everyone's thoughts on zip-kicker style products and recommendations on which one to get! I was always a fan of having a bottle around for when I needed somethong to set instantly or rather quickly! Let me know what you all think/prefer!

I personally just use loctite, mainly because I can get it in large bottles and because I can get it cheaply though work.

Can be a pain to get it to set sometimes, but in my experience it had everything to do with ambient humidity.

Probably other opinions as to why not to use loctite, but it works for me.... just get the right type...

OJJ

 JetmechNOR wrote:


Probably other opinions as to why not to use loctite, but it works for me.... just get the right type...

OJJ

I know there are several types of superglue but as far as I know GW, loctite, and testors are your run of the mill ethyl cyanoacrylate.
Any known ones to avoid like the plague?
Thanks for your response! The large bottles thing about loctite is why I was planning on using that over others but I'd still definitely love to hear more thoughts/suggestions!
Do you use zip-kicker(acrylate setter) at all or just let the models dry normally? Also how hard is loctite on paint if at all?

I've been very happy with Gorilla brand super glue.

 Drummernathan wrote:
I know there are several types of superglue but as far as I know GW, loctite, and testors are your run of the mill ethyl cyanoacrylate.
Any known ones to avoid like the plague?
Thanks for your response! The large bottles thing about loctite is why I was planning on using that over others but I'd still definitely love to hear more thoughts/suggestions!
Do you use zip-kicker(acrylate setter) at all or just let the models dry normally? Also how hard is loctite on paint if at all?

I usually have enough time on my hands to let the models set normally by themselves. Never tried an activator of any type actually.
Only problem with loctite is the "standard" super glue is labelled just that: "Superglue".
If you go by the industry standards you'll get Loctite 501 (Which I use (and I think that is what they use for the smaller retail loctite superglue bottles here in Norway)) Loctite 401, 405 etc.
Officially (if I remember correctly) the 401 is primarily for metal, but I have very bad experience with it for just that purpose (we use it for temporarily holding sealing wires in place on jet engine components)
My opinion would be to stick with the 501 type, afaik it is he universal one.

Regarding how it affects paint I have not much to share, other than watch out for the crystal like fogging that can occur. Probably more of a problem on clear plastic components, but I have had it appearing on other areas as well.

OJJ

I love Loctite Gel and regular, but I've never even gotten halfway through a bottle before the cap becomes permanently fused to the bottle and I can't get any more glue out.

My new favorite is the Testors (Model Master) Liquid Cement for Plastics. This is obviously, just for plastics, but the thin metal wand applicator is great and the glue is fantastic.

This, all day.



Never had a bottle dry or lock-up. Can be had for $2-3 per bottle. I keep several on hand.

This, all day.



Never had a bottle dry or lock-up. Can be had for $2-3 per bottle. I keep several on hand.

I second this, Elbows. I've tried a few different kinds, but the Loctite gel is the best.

Also, @ Gunzhard, be sure to store your bottles upright. Do this and you wont have problems with the caps.

Just to be clear, I don't really have the same cap-gluing issue with the Gel, but the regular super-glue it always happens and I do keep them upright.

 Gunzhard wrote:
Just to be clear, I don't really have the same cap-gluing issue with the Gel, but the regular super-glue it always happens and I do keep them upright.

yup

I have some I get from hobby lobby that I like, as it has thin and thicker versions

but the caps tend to get gummed up even kept upright. It just gets out over time. So I buy smaller bottles and it doesn't usually matter, as I'll run out before it's an issue.

Also, if you do buy gorilla glue btw, make absolutely sure you don't get the foaming/expanding stuff o.O I just stay away from it in general now, so not sure which one it is, but it probably says on it. Learn from my mistake lol

 Guildenstern wrote:

 Gunzhard wrote:
Just to be clear, I don't really have the same cap-gluing issue with the Gel, but the regular super-glue it always happens and I do keep them upright.

yup

I have some I get from hobby lobby that I like, as it has thin and thicker versions

but the caps tend to get gummed up even kept upright. It just gets out over time. So I buy smaller bottles and it doesn't usually matter, as I'll run out before it's an issue.

Also, if you do buy gorilla glue btw, make absolutely sure you don't get the foaming/expanding stuff o.O I just stay away from it in general now, so not sure which one it is, but it probably says on it. Learn from my mistake lol

It's pretty obvious which is which. The superglue says superglue on the bottle and is in a small bottle like most superglues and the Gorilla Glue is in a larger bottle.

I've always used zap a gap. Maybe I'll give loctite a shot.

If you're sticking with super-glue types Loctite really is by far the best.

Still If I'm modeling plastic I find plastic-glue superior.

Over 90% of GW models are now plastic. So why are you using superglue? Plastic cement is far, FAR superior to superglue when working with plastic.
Do yourself a favor and start using plastic glue on plastics.

But for when the occasion rarely calls for it (like for greenstuff and magnets), I just get the cheapo $1 stuff.
Having said that, I vastly prefer liquid superglue over gel.

-

 Galef wrote:
Over 90% of GW models are now plastic. So why are you using superglue? Plastic cement is far, FAR superior to superglue when working with plastic.
Do yourself a favor and start using plastic glue on plastics.

But for when the occasion rarely calls for it (like for greenstuff and magnets), I just get the cheapo $1 stuff.
Having said that, I vastly prefer liquid superglue over gel.

-

Agreed.

I have used plastic glue on plastics in the past but just don't prefer it personally. Takes way too long to set and makes it near-impossible to strip apart the models later if it ever should come to that. Plus I DO do a lot of free stuff work, so plastic cement just don't cut it for me.

 Drummernathan wrote:
Takes way too long to set....

What plastic glue are you using? I use the Citadel stuff and it sets in seconds.

 Drummernathan wrote:
... makes it near-impossible to strip apart the models later ....

That's kinda the point, yet it makes it much easier to cut without injury. I have purchased several models second hand that were superglued. When I attempt to cut them, they snap and I have cut myself several times this way. This has never happened when trying to cut models that have been plastic glued.

I guess my point is that plastic glue done correctly is superior to superglue, whereas just using superglue is ...ok at best.

-

Just curious what is 'free stuff work' and why would plastic glue be any different or worse?

I will agree that plastic-glue makes the bond permanent, and like Galef said, the only option for later re-do's is to cut; but I'd say at least for me, 99% of the time I build a model - it will stay that way for life.

The Testors Model Master plastic cement bonds really fast too fyi.

 Gunzhard wrote:
Just curious what is 'free stuff work' and why would plastic glue be any different or worse?

I will agree that plastic-glue makes the bond permanent, and like Galef said, the only option for later re-do's is to cut; but I'd say at least for me, 99% of the time I build a model - it will stay that way for life.

The Testors Model Master plastic cement bonds really fast too fyi.

I meant green stuff work but stupid phone auto corrected " greenstuff" to free stuff. Lol
I have one ever used the citadel plastic glue when I did and it took forever to set my mantic zombies parts when I built them and the bonds were very weak.... maybe it had something to do with the plastic mantic uses.

It's got to do with the crappy GW plastic glue and the fact that Mantic models are not made of styrene and thus polystyrene cement won't work on them.

 Todosi wrote:
It's got to do with the crappy GW plastic glue and the fact that Mantic models are not made of styrene and thus polystyrene cement won't work on them.

That's exactly what I thought was the problem.

Plastic glue only dries slow if you use too much. A big molten puddle of plastic submerged in plastic glue can take weeks to dry.

I use Revell plastic glue and Tamiya Extra Thin plastic glue and both hold within a few seconds. The Tamiya Extra Thin sometimes dries too quickly for my liking.

for superglue I use Loctite and Zap A Gap, they both work well, but I mostly use them for temporarily mounting parts to sticks while airbrushing them because it's easy to snap the parts off afterwards.

I use the cheap stuff from the 1€ store. It bonds like hell, I wasn't able to remove the arm from my metal dreadnought again, and when it dries up it was only 20 cents wasted.

Ragnar69 wrote:
I use the cheap stuff from the 1€ store. It bonds like hell, I wasn't able to remove the arm from my metal dreadnought again, and when it dries up it was only 20 cents wasted.

I've had issues with weakness when using the really cheap stuff, bits of metal models falling off if I looked at them funny. And frankly, the "good" stuff doesn't cost much more. A $5AUD bottle of Loctite will last me ages so, so though I might save $3AUD buying a cheap bottle it's really not on my radar for a worthwhile saving

Also body parts are the ideal surface for superglue (soft surfaces that minimise voids, moisture to accelerate drying, lack of air) so how well a superglue sticks your arm to something isn't a great measure if it's strength when it comes to gluing models together

The cheapest, £2.99 (free, surprisingly speedy, P & P) for 6 tubes off ebay? that'll do for me.

That Loctite gel bond stuff is kind of a rip off, tear that sucker open and it's the same stuff you can get off ebay in packs of 5 3g tubes (slightly more expensive than the one i got i think it's £5 odd). It's all made in the same factory in China.

Spending alot of money, and by alot i mean more than the bare minimum, on superglue is kind of a waste. It can just dry up on yah like that.

You correctly prepare, pin, and fill you models it doesn't matter what glue you use, especially with resin as it's so light.

Often it's less that the glue sucks more that you dropped the model or didn't transport it carefully enough. Or relied on superglue alone holding your Original LOTR balrogs wings in place

The cheap superglue I bought from a supermarket definitely wasn't the equal of the loctite stuff (I don't use the gel myself). There was a noticeable difference on metal infantry with their arms falling off just in general gaming going from the cheap stuff to the loctite stuff.

Obviously "the cheap stuff" is going to vary from place to place, I don't know if "the cheap stuff" in the UK is the same as "the cheap stuff" we get in Australia.

Also I've wasted more time and money on those crappy little 3g squeeze tubes that it's worth paying a few bucks more for the decent 5g bottle the loctite stuff comes in even if all other things were equal.

Superglue does go bad over time, I usually replace my bottle every 1 to 2 years even if it hasn't run out.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Perkustin wrote:
You correctly prepare, pin, and fill you models it doesn't matter what glue you use, especially with resin as it's so light.

Yeah I'm gonna disagree with this. Sure, if it's small resin parts and you're pinning them it probably doesn't make much difference..... but if you use decent glue you shouldn't have to pin resin at all unless it's some big forge world thing.

My order of glues goes something like this...

Plastic cement for plastic models -> loctite superglue for resin and small metals which don't bear much load and have a good join with little to no voids -> araldite epoxy for resin or metal that's under a bit more load or has voids -> pinned joint and araldite for metal or resin joints that are bearing so much load that I don't think glue alone will hold them.

If I'm worried enough about a joint breaking that I'm going to the effort of pinning it then I'm not even using superglue (except maybe in a superglue-greenstuff-superglue sandwich).

AllSeeingSkink wrote:

Ragnar69 wrote:
I use the cheap stuff from the 1€ store. It bonds like hell, I wasn't able to remove the arm from my metal dreadnought again, and when it dries up it was only 20 cents wasted.

I've had issues with weakness when using the really cheap stuff, bits of metal models falling off if I looked at them funny. And frankly, the "good" stuff doesn't cost much more. A $5AUD bottle of Loctite will last me ages so, so though I might save $3AUD buying a cheap bottle it's really not on my radar for a worthwhile saving

Also body parts are the ideal surface for superglue (soft surfaces that minimise voids, moisture to accelerate drying, lack of air) so how well a superglue sticks your arm to something isn't a great measure if it's strength when it comes to gluing models together

I was of course refering to the dreadnoughts metal arm to the dreadnought metal body, not my arm ...though I once glued my hand into a StormWolf hull

What I don't like abiut platic glue is that if you are not very neat with it you may ruin details. Superglue spillage is way easier to clean up.

That Loctite gel bond stuff is kind of a rip off, tear that sucker open and it's the same stuff you can get off ebay in packs of 5 3g tubes (slightly more expensive than the one i got i think it's £5 odd). It's all made in the same factory in China.

That's not true. Most Loctite sold worldwide is made in Ireland. I know because I developed their warehouse software

Ragnar69 wrote:
I was of course refering to the dreadnoughts metal arm to the dreadnought metal body, not my arm ...though I once glued my hand into a StormWolf hull

What I don't like abiut platic glue is that if you are not very neat with it you may ruin details. Superglue spillage is way easier to clean up.

Oh haha, sorry, I don't know why I read that as you had glued your actual arm to a dreadnaught, probably because I hear too many stories of people gluing themselves to stuff and tiredness from Christmas shopping

The biggest thing with plastic glue I find is fingerprints. You have to learn to keep yourself well away from the joint in case any wicks out and you're left with a finger print. It rarely happens, it seems to happen more to me on model aeroplanes than it does miniatures because I'm really trying to squeeze the joint closed on them, and on aeroplanes it's not quite as bad you just have to avoid the temptation of trying to clean it up immediately and instead wait until it dries, sand it back to smooth, fill it with something like a putty primer and then sand it back again.

That's not true. Most Loctite sold worldwide is made in Ireland. I know because I developed their warehouse software

I was trying to figure out where it was made, it's not written on the bottle itself, probably was on the packaging which I threw out. But I was going to say even when things are "made in the same factory" doesn't necessarily mean they come off the same production line.

The reason I originally discovered epoxy was because the cheap super glues kept failing me. Epoxy has much higher energy absorption where as super glue is is more brittle, so for big stuff that needs pinning epoxy holds a lot better, but a decent superglue will do most of my smaller stuff with no need for pinning.

Ive used all sorts from expensive gels and non fogging cyanos to the cheapest buy them in a pack of ten from Poundland superglue, and to be fair, they all do the same thing and do it fairly well. The cheaper glues tend to be alot thinner so are much harder to control.

You dont need to use the best, just try to find te one that works for you!

 Guildenstern wrote:

I have some I get from hobby lobby that I like, as it has thin and thicker versions

I also use the Hobby Lobby crap. It's alright. The thin stuff flows like a nightmare, but mistakes with it and washes have taught me some good texturing methods for Nurgle models.