What to stick ectched parts with?

[Nax]

As the title says folks, any tips on what glue to use, I just bought a Dragon kit and its got etched metal parts.

[Ian]

CA (superglue) - and watch those fingers!

[peebeep]

If using CA makes you feel a bit frit then PVA (white glue) is an alternative. For bigger pieces you may need to jig things up while it sets.

peebeep

[mattbacon]

If you can find it, Evostick "Serious Glue" is good. It dries clear, reasonably quickly, is tackier than white glue, and won't stick bits of brass to your hands. Apply with a pin or cocktail stick. The only drawback is that although the bigger tube is better value for money, you won't use it fast enough and after a year or so it'll be set in the tube, so it's wasted. I'd go for the smaller tubes, myself...

Bestest,
M.

[Nax]

Thank you very much fella's, I have super glue and white glue (PVA) in the inventory, I'll hook into it.

[JohnRatzenberger]

There is also a product called Gator's Grip Hobby Glue, an acrylic hobby glue, not the Gator's Grip glue from DIY stores. Gator's Grip be little more than a buzzed up white glue, but it is very effective. It is available online and from many online or store seller's -- there may be an equivalent in the UK.

I prefer Gator's Grip, except sometimes when I don't. The big issue is that CA glue has no shear strength; you glue a stand-up part along a thin edge and if you bump it, it's liable to be flying away. CA can also be messy and there are a lot of times when CA sets up too quickly for you to properly position the part.

"White Glue" on the other hand does not set up quickly so you have plenty of move around time, yet within seconds it has already started to dry a bit so the part is held in place pretty quickly and does not have to be baby-sat until completely dry. I say complelety dry but it reality the white glue forms a sort of "elastic bond", you bump a part and it is more likely to lean over, or maybe partly but not completely break off. White glue also cleans up with water. You get a bit extra about the edges, you can gently run a paint brush or cotton stick with water over it and clean it up nicely. If you make a mess with CA, you may not be able to clean it due to presence of small fragile parts.

So, I used to use CA, until I discovered Gator's Grip, and I recommend you work with both to see which fits your needs best.

Then you can start to think about soldering ....

[MerlinJones]

Problem I've had with white pva glue, such as Micro Kristal Klear, is that it has very little strength to the bond. When such a glue is required, I also use Matt's recommendation of Serious Glue.

For PE, I use superglue gel. I find liquid superglue has a tendency to spread itself on the part and I found that I'd glued the part to the tweezers just too many times. This isn't an issue with the gel.

Some people talk of using Klear as a glue for PE. Klear that has been left exposed to the air loses some of it's water and becomes quite sticky. I have used 'normal' Klear to glue instrument panel film to PE backing pieces and then the i/p front piece on top of the film. That said, I still prefer superglue gel.

Regards,
Bruce

[JohnRatzenberger]

Problem I've had with white pva glue, such as Micro Kristal Klear, is that it has very little strength to the bond. When such a glue is required, I also use Matt's recommendation of Serious Glue.

It may be that Gator's Grip is kicked up to add strength to the bond because it is not a weak bond to normal and reasonable handling.
I'll have to look for this Serious Glue stuff over here.