Best superglue for fiddly work

[millerhillboy]

Been using off the shelf supermarket/diy store superglues until now with decent success. However I was wondering if anyone had a recommendation for a product which is easy to work with when doing fiddly N gauge detailing style work.

 

I'm thinking that the applicator might be as important more so than the glue itself perhaps.

 

Alternatively anyone any suggestions for working with superglue and fiddly N gauge detailing parts.

 

Thanks

[Wizard of the Moor]

I always use Loctite 480 for this kind of work.

 

Pro

 

It is rubberised, so has greater strength than supermarket-type superglue.

It gives a second or two of adjustment time, which is useful when positioning small parts.

It gives a lovely flat black finish.

It works on most materials, including plastic, brass and whitemetal.

 

Cons

 

It's black, 'cos of the rubber. This at least makes it easier to see where it is on the model, but also makes it very easy to see when you glue your thumb to your forehead.

It's expensive. Expect to pay around ??15 - ??19 a bottle. A bottle usually lasts for 2 years for me and I use it for almost everything.

It has a 'use by' date on the bottom of the bottle. It can be useable beyond this date, but seems to solidify within 6 months afterwards. Therefore purchase through stockists with a high turnover, for example, bearing suppliers.

 

 

To use it, I cut a small square of plastic from a handy bag. The thick, staticy bags used by Chivers and C&L are ideal. Squeeze a drop of glue onto the plastic. Now use a pin or some other suitable applicator to add a tiny point of glue to your part and stick it to the model.

 

I find that a 6 inch length of wire wound guitar string, with the wire wrap stripped back for half its length, makes a good superglue applicator.

 

Cheers,

 

James