pinzaboy Posted December 11, 2018 Share Posted December 11, 2018 Hi I'm going to try and scratchbuild a bus depot and thought I'd use styrene sheet covered in slaters embossed brick sheet. I was wondering which glue would be best to use on this project. I have poly cement and a bottle of limolene (which I have never used). I'm concerned that if I use the wrong glue the plastics may warp over time. Many thanks Tim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spikey Posted December 11, 2018 Share Posted December 11, 2018 Avoiding any solvent/warping problem by using double-sided sticky tape works for me Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinzaboy Posted December 11, 2018 Author Share Posted December 11, 2018 Double sided tape. Never thought of that. Great idea. Cheers!! Tim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeTrice Posted December 11, 2018 Share Posted December 11, 2018 Use the limonene. If laminating flat parts together place them under a flat weight until cured. Stronger solvents can indeed cause warping: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/81902-completing-the-4mm-ner-6-wheel-coach/&do=findComment&comment=1352809 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinzaboy Posted December 11, 2018 Author Share Posted December 11, 2018 Thanks Mike Much appreciated Tim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killybegs Posted December 11, 2018 Share Posted December 11, 2018 (edited) Avoiding any solvent/warping problem by using double-sided sticky tape works for me Be wary of double sided tape, it can lose its adhesive properties over time. I have had it fail after about ten years, less if exposed to heat. If using solvent, you shouldn't need to completely coat the styrene, just round the edges and a few 'strips' in between. Edited December 11, 2018 by Killybegs Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leopardml2341 Posted December 11, 2018 Share Posted December 11, 2018 There's always a danger of warping (whatever material) if the glue lamination is made up of an even number of layers (made worse if they are dissimilar materials); that is why 'ply'wood is always an odd number of layers and veneers are always applied to both sides of 'the solid' - even on IKEA shelves. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spikey Posted December 11, 2018 Share Posted December 11, 2018 Be wary of double sided tape, it can lose its adhesive properties over time. I have had it fail after about ten years, less if exposed to heat. Sorry but I'm really struggling to see how properly-applied good quality double-sided tape can "fail" when it's holding flat embossed plastic card to flat plastic card. Where does the force come from that induces the two to part company? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killybegs Posted December 11, 2018 Share Posted December 11, 2018 Sorry but I'm really struggling to see how properly-applied good quality double-sided tape can "fail" when it's holding flat embossed plastic card to flat plastic card. Where does the force come from that induces the two to part company? If the the adhesive fails due to deterioration, it does not require force, so choose your double sided tape carefully! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KalKat Posted December 11, 2018 Share Posted December 11, 2018 (edited) The sticky stops being ...... ummm ......sticky Emma ooops , answered whilst posting Edited December 11, 2018 by KalKat Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spitfire2865 Posted December 11, 2018 Share Posted December 11, 2018 Perhaps a contact cement? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Smith Posted December 11, 2018 Share Posted December 11, 2018 Laminating styrene, or attaching embossed styrene to some other surface such as foamboard can be tricky. Double sided tape is the safest option but may not endure in the long term, especially if subjected to temperature extremes as in a loft or garage. Any time you laminate using a solvent like MEK there is a danger of sealing solvent in an airtight area which then cannot evaporate and will continue to soften the styrene. It may be a good idea to perforate the structural styrene so as to allow the solvent to evaporate. Contact adhesive is useful for attaching styrene to some other material like wood or cardboard but again it does slightly dissolve and soften the styrene so you have to be careful not to trap any. I learned this lesson years ago when I liberally glued some sticks of plummer's solder in a styrene brake van kit and several weeks later I could press my fingernail into the outside plank detail. So use contact adhesive very sparingly. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HLT 0109 Posted December 11, 2018 Share Posted December 11, 2018 EvoStok do a solvent-free contact adhesive. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tractor_37260 Posted December 11, 2018 Share Posted December 11, 2018 Sorry but I'm really struggling to see how properly-applied good quality double-sided tape can "fail" when it's holding flat embossed plastic card to flat plastic card. Where does the force come from that induces the two to part company? I used to use Sellotape double sided tape to attach etched nameplates, however over a period of time the adhesive dries out, leaving a residue on the loco when the plates fall off.......... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dave John Posted December 11, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 11, 2018 I have use Revell contacta for laminating, use sparingly, many tiny dots 1/4 inch or so apart and two flat boards and weights overnight while it sets/ The stuff is sweet smelling, I suspect it it limonene like in a gel . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Siberian Snooper Posted December 12, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 12, 2018 If it's a large area, put some 5mm holes in the plain styrene sheet to allow the solvent to vent. I find limonene to be pretty stable, unlike some other solvents, when laminating. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted December 12, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 12, 2018 There's always photo spray adhesive, never got round to trying it myself, but there's no reason it shouldn't work? Mike. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
E3109 Posted December 12, 2018 Share Posted December 12, 2018 Believe it or not, I've found that a thin smear of Uhu is just the job, although I can't comment on whether or not it would deteriorate over time. Also once the outer brick lamination is set in place (weight it down if possible while curing) you can also run a thin bead of superglue around window apertures etc. I've never used the specialist superglues for this so far, the stuff found in pound shops is more than adequate. Apply with a pin or similar. Agreed that Mek type solvents, Plastic Weld and so on can cause warps and bubbles. Best avoided if you want to keep your building square, generally speaking these otherwise excellent products often seem too harsh for this. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted December 12, 2018 Share Posted December 12, 2018 I think there are many great bits of advice here, some of the top modellers I have seen cut/punch/drill holes at intervals on the inner skin to allow silvent to be applied, in addition they brace the building well. I have heard that plasticard like wood has a grain and sheets that are being laminated should be joined at 90 degrees. I would also suggest you use a thick backing sheet as possible, and always make sure you leave ventilation gaps, never have a sealed box Good luck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killybegs Posted December 12, 2018 Share Posted December 12, 2018 There's always photo spray adhesive, never got round to trying it myself, but there's no reason it shouldn't work? Mike. Same problem as tape, can let go after a while. Been there, done that, had it fall apart years later. When laminating you should always aim for odd numbers of layers, preferably balanced in thickness. I have in the past applied Slaters brick to 0.5mm styrene for each face of the wall, with 1mm styrene battens separating the two faces.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold ianLMS Posted December 12, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 12, 2018 I have used Evo-stick for laminating styrene together without any issues (so far). I have also used No More Nails. Epoxy type glue however might be the better option, just more expensive and a pain to get the mixture right. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Clive Mortimore Posted December 12, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 12, 2018 Hi I'm going to try and scratchbuild a bus depot and thought I'd use styrene sheet covered in slaters embossed brick sheet. I was wondering which glue would be best to use on this project. I have poly cement and a bottle of limolene (which I have never used). I'm concerned that if I use the wrong glue the plastics may warp over time. Many thanks Tim Hi Tim My favorite at the moment is Revel Contacata for most jobs. I use liquid solvents for some jobs as it is more appropriate. I have been building models from plastic card for over 40 years. I have some loco bodies which are 37 years old with no warping, nothing fancy, no holes to let the fumes out, no counting the number of layers. Other stuff I have built I have followed all the advice and two days after has become all wavey. Conversely there I have built things where I have followed advice from others and they have been fine and ones where I done my own thing which turned out all wibbly wobbly. My advice is to experiment and find what works for you and most of all enjoy making things. Made from plastic card And so was this, wonderful stuff. The sticky stops being ...... ummm ......sticky Emma ooops , answered whilst posting Hi Emma Fully agree, all glues and tapes can over time lose their ability to hold things together. Solvents don't as they "weld" the parts together. I used weld as it is the easiest way to describe the action of solvents. There's always a danger of warping (whatever material) if the glue lamination is made up of an even number of layers (made worse if they are dissimilar materials); that is why 'ply'wood is always an odd number of layers and veneers are always applied to both sides of 'the solid' - even on IKEA shelves. Plastic card laid in uneven numbers of layers works if the molecular structure of each sheet is at 90 degrees to each other, like with plywood where the grain of each layer is set at 90 degrees to the layers below or above. I cannot tell which way the molecules are lying in a sheet of plastic card, that is why I think laminating does not always work, two sheets with the molecules facing the same way but one is larger than the other they will work like a bi-metal thermostat. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinzaboy Posted December 12, 2018 Author Share Posted December 12, 2018 Hi all Thanks so much for all the advice. Really informative. Tim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharris Posted December 12, 2018 Share Posted December 12, 2018 over a period of time the adhesive dries out, leaving a residue on the loco when the plates fall off. Consider that a bonus - the (no longer) sticky residue shows you where to glue the plates back on again. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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