Which One Should You Use?

Transcript*

Hello all. This is David from Sunward Hobbies. And in today’s video, we’re going to be talking all about hobby glue. Just right after I put in some eye drops. There are three main categories for glue. We’re going to talk about what they’re used for, when to use them, and a few examples from each category.

Why can’t I blink?

Said three categories are plastic cement, CA glue, and PVA glue. So, I brought some examples here, and let’s take a look at them.

First is plastic cement. Now, the unique thing about this type of glue is that it’ll only stick to plastic. So, if you get some on your hand, won’t stick. You mistake it for petroleum jelly, won’t stick. If you happen to drop some in your eye, probably won’t stick, though I do not recommend it.

Now, think of using plastic cement like welding. You got your two pieces of plastic, you apply your cement, and you melt them together, creating a very strong bond. And what that also does is the pressure applied when you’re squeezing the two together make allows the melted plastic to kind of push out through the seams. And once that has dried for 24 hours, you can take either a hobby knife or a mould line remover and scrape off that excess plastic. Thus, eliminating any seams.

And there are several different subcategories of plastic cement ranging from consistency to the type of application. First off, you’ve got your traditional plastic cement. This is Tamiya’s original formula. Its consistency is slightly thicker than water, almost like a glycerin. Comes in an indestructible glass bottle with a brush applicator attached to the cap. There’s also extra thin cement, which is water consistency. You’ve got quick setting extra thin cement, which is the exact same thing, just it dries quicker. There’s also low odor cement, which again, it’s that same thing, just with no offensive smell. You’ve got tinted cement, which you would think would be kind of useless, but this is a good product for those of us who are visually impaired and can’t see what we’ve already glued. And then you’ve got the old-fashioned type of applicator in the squeeze tube, much akin to Testors. And lastly, you’ve got these kind with the very precise needle-tip applicator.

As an example, I will be gluing these two halves of a wing tip together using extra-thin cement. Now, if I was using plain old regular plastic cement, I would just put a few drops on each of the connecting pins. However, with extra-thin, you got to use it a bit differently. What you want to do is put the halves together and hold them loosely, but don’t let go. And you’re going to want to just drop a touch in there. And when you squeeze together tight, you’ll see some plastic squeezing out. And basically, once that’s dried in 24 hours, you would just take your knife, scrape that off, and you’ve got a seamless join.

Next, we have CA glue or cyanoacrylate, but most of us just affectionately refer to it as super glue. And it doesn’t really matter which brand it is, whether it’s BSI, Army Painter, Tamiya, they all usually come in this type of bottle and have the same general use. So, CA glue will bond anything together, whether it’s plastic, metal, wood, flesh, anything. And in doing so, it creates a very strong bond. Some may be stronger than others, but generally, they are almost indestructible.

And like plastic cements, they come in a few subcategories, like super thin, medium consistency for gap filling, a thick consistency, and if you want something that has a less offensive odor and can be used safely on things like foam, then there’s super gold. Technically, you could build a whole model with just CA glue. I mean, whatever turns you on, right? It is generally recommended to only use CA glue if you are binding delicate parts or you want to attach something that is not plastic onto your plastic model. So, for instance, things like photo etch, very tiny pieces, like antennas, or delicate areas, like landing gear, I would recommend to use CA glue for those sorts of things.

One last note I must make about CA glue, and it’s regarding the super thin kind. Take extreme precaution when using this. When they say super thin, that is not an exaggeration. It is basically a water-like consistency. And for stuff like Tamiya extra thin, where you have a brush applicator, it’s easier to work with. However, when you’re going through just a straight bottle, the stuff very easily pours out and makes an awful mess.

So, for my example, I’m going to attach this very tiny photo-etch strut on to this wing using some extra thick BSI CA glue. Now, most CA glues come with this narrow application tip. I do not recommend to just directly pour the glue onto whatever it is you’re binding. What I prefer to do is squeeze a tiny amount onto a toothpick or any kind of sharp, narrow applicator, and place it where it’s going to go.

And also, different CA glues claim to have different drying times. Some say they are instant. Others say they take a few seconds. So, if you ever were in a situation where you needed an instant bond, you could spray some accelerator over the area, and that will harden it immediately. But, even without it, it dries quite quickly as the photo-etched part seems to be firmly on there.

One last note I will make regarding CA glue. As I mentioned, it’s nearly indestructible. So, it would be heartbreaking if you messed up somehow or put something in the wrong place, and you had no way of removing it. Which is why most CA glues come with their own debonder. And this basically just dissolves any CA glue on the surface with just a few drops of this, and fixes your mess. And I will take some of this for myself.

And the last category is PVA glue. Now, you probably recognize this. This is the stuff you used to eat in kindergarten. So, PVA glue is white glue, non-toxic, usually water-based, very safe to use, and can be used in an assortment of arts and crafts, including the scale model hobby. Most hobbyists like to use PVA glue for dioramas, such as gluing grass or sand or trees onto a foam base. That’s something that’s stuff like Elmer’s, AKI Wolverine, and Woodland Scenics Hob-e-Tac are good for. However, it does have a use with plastic models. Now, obviously, the bond on these things is not very strong at all. So, you would not use it to glue a whole model together. However, it is perfect for clear parts.

Now, when working with either plastic cement or CA glue, you can use those to glue these onto a model. However, if you’re not careful, you can either make a mess or create an entire layer of fog over the plastic. Which is why PVA glue is a nice solution because it dries completely clear and you have no risk of marking this up. So, I’m just going to grab my example and show you how to use it. I’ll be using Microscale’s Crystal Klear and I’ll be attaching the windscreen onto this Hornet. So, you’re going to take your toothpick, apply some onto the areas where your canopy is going. And there you go. It may look white now, but give it time and it’ll dry completely clear and you’ll never know that it was there.

Plus, one other bonus handy thing that Micro Crystal Klear in particular can offer is let’s say you’re building something with windows in it like a ship with portholes or a bomber with lots of windows on the sides. Oh yeah, and if for any reason you lost one of those windows or it got damaged, all you’d have to do is again take your toothpick with some Crystal Klear and rub it around the edges of the window frame until the hole is completely filled with this white product. And then once it dries clear, you have a window. Cool, right?

In conclusion, those are the three main types of glues and when they should be used. And firmly up your nose is not one of them. So you can find all the products I showcased here at Sunward Hobbies in store or online. Thank you very much for watching this video. Remember to like, comment, subscribe, follow us on our socials. And thanks to some research from Wikipedia I found a way to fix my eye problem. So until the next one, adios.

Now I’m blind. Cool beans.

About the Author:

David Peckam has built scale models since he was 12, specializing largely on military aircraft. He is a makeup artist and background actor for films and TV. He enjoys watching hockey and of course, movies. He has an excellent knowledge of hobby products and if you have questions concerning scale model airplanes.

*Video by David Peckham
Video Edited by
Daniela Castellano and Leo Nguyen
Transcript generated by youtube
Edited by Angelo Castellano