Hi

I am about to start my first faller kit and bought some faller glue (with the thin metal tube applicator) the shop said if it blocks - to warm the metal tube with a BIC lighter, and he showed me how. it was at that point I noticed Highly flammable written in large letters on the bottle. Dooes anybody else use this method to unblock an applicator tube, is it safe or is there a safer method ?

Tim

I do it all the time too but I have never pulled the needle out of the bottle.

Marco

I use the small cleaning wire that comes with a smoke generator to clean the needle. Usually does the trick.
If you purchase the "Expert Laser" glue item no. 170494 there is a small cleaning wire included which also can be used.

Regards,
Jakob.

Can someone post a photo or link of what kind of glue we are talking about?
Is this a tin squeeze tube? What is meant by the "thin tube applicator"
I usually use the brush on Tamiya, of the Poly with a thin metal tube at end, but thats in a plastic bottle.
I use a copper wire inside the tube to keep it clean... are we talking about that kind of tube?
- Mark

Thanks Walter,

I do use this glue occasionally but find the glue still runs out too much.
I put a bit down on a plate or palette and apply minute amounts with a toothpick if need be.
If with large amounts of areas need to be glued I find its not too bad.

Otherwise I find the brush on kind give more control and in thinner layers.
- Mark

quote=waorb;501880]Hello Mark.

I think it's that kind below. Both of them have a metal needle. I personally don't like that kind of glue.

Cheers,

Walter

I too use a lighter. It works like a charm.

Hello, friends,

I use the lighter too, without pulling out the needle!! My favourite, anyway, is the Vollmer glue (orange bottle)...just the best!

kind regards
Stefano Rocca

For people, I use white wood glue. I put a dab of glue on some scrap, and then I touch the feet of the person in the glue, and stand them where needed.

The trick is to get just enough glue so that it is not visible when dry.
http://cabin-layout.blog...5/01/S-Bahn-Gleis-1.html

I love your station, Dale, and your Knorr train (I have one, too).

Thanks to both of you for the feedback.

The blue and white Faller expert shown by Marco in an earlier post is also my first choice. I am aware of how good it was now that I can no longer obtain it.
Tex

Under the term 'glue' there are several adhesives in different categories that are suited for specific purposes. Of course, what the manufacturers are for your country varies so you have to find the appropriate brand/source you can use.

1) PVA Glue (polyvinylacetate glue) - is the traditional white glue great for gluing porous items to other porous items - paper, wood, fabric, and when watered down for setting sand/gravel/balast and gluing down static grass, and scenery. This glue type drys clear but tends to be a bit brittle and doesn't work well for plastic or very small contact surfaces, or because it is more brittle, for joints that flex such as gluing foam to foam.

2) CA (cyanoacrylate) - aka super glue - is a very fast drying strong bond suited well for gluing very small items to other small surfaces, especially when not a lot of stress/strain will be applied to the parts. Tends to work well on all types of materials, though better if not too porous. Will cause fogging of transparent plastics (windows, etc) so a special 'clear' variety is needed if used around clear plastic windows.

3) E6000 - craft glue, some types of Uhu, comes in several colors (white, clear, etc) and sticks to all types of materials and dries to a pliable solid - good for anchoring of heavier things like trees with root bases, to wood or foam layout base.

4) hot glue - applied with hot glue gun - similar to E6000 except its heated to liquid and cools to a semi-pliable glued state. Also best used for decorating with some types of scenery, and adhering some types of foams/porous material.

5) Plastic Cement - such as the Faller, Revell, or Testor Model Master - are cements - they partly dissolve the plastic surfaces, which then intermingle on a molecular level as the cement's solvent evaporates and the plastic parts harden again, very solidly bonded. This glue is the best solution for building plastic models. They are designed to work with a specific type of plastic - that category used in plastic models. Think of the same thing as PVC cement used in assembling PVC pipes for water lines.

6) 2 component Epoxy - such as JB Weld, Pattex Stabilit Express, etc - where you mix two components of viscous/gel and another viscous/gel or powder, which starts the chemical bonding reaction... and over a few to several, that gel mix will harden to a super hard, well adhering solid epoxy. This is best for very strong bonds that you NEVER have to separate again. Not suited for delicate or small bonds.

Weld bond is a very sting PVA glue. Excellent for wood , glass, tile, cement and hard plastics.

What about simple "hot glue" that is a lot more economical? Check the dollar stores.

Not adequate for the purpose? (There are different types, however, perhaps it may be a matter of getting two types.)

Sorry for bumping...just my two cents...

I believe that superglue (cyano) is the thing for resin. My favourite of this brew is Hafixs Professional Glue, which was recommended to me by Ivan Smith many years ago. I buy it online, usually a couple of bottles at a time so it's always there. I keep it on the bench and seems to last a very long time. I have never had a problem with it going off, it just gets quite thick as it gets old, (which turns it into a sort of gel, useful like that). I also use Deluxe Materials Roket Tricky Stick when bonding awkward materials (not just styrene, which it's intended for) and this seems to help the stuff achieve a good bond.

With any cyano, a close fitting joint is important, so if you can't achieve that, a gel type cyano is useful, as has been said. I always used to use Loctite Superglue and Loctite Superglue Gel, (simply because I used to work for the store that sells it and I have a retirement discount card!) but recently the formula has changed and it doesn't seem quite as good. I seem to recall that many, many years ago there was an excellent article in one of the older magazines about the use of cyano, and it spoke of holding joints together and introducing the glue into the joint and allowing it to wick in, as you would with solvent. I have a vague feeling it may have been written by Will Litchfield of this parish, but memory may be playing tricks...

As for epoxy, my favourite remains Plastic Padding Super Steel https://besttoolexpert.com/glue-for-plastic/ (the yellow tubes available from Halfords, accept no other) which is truly wonderful stuff. It mixes to a stiff dark grey paste which stays where it is put and goes off quite quickly, and because it's grey you can see where you've put it. With a cocktail stick for mixing it's very easy to use very small amounts, which might help you, David, with assembly of joints without glue going all over the place - although you will still have to hold the joint still for a few minutes until it starts to go off. Once it's started to cure you can cut any surplus away with a sharp blade, or trim it later with a blade or file. A great bonus is that you can squeeze an inch (say) of adhesive and hardener onto a square of glossy card (from old cereal packets, David Dornom's idea) and just mix a little as you need it. The remainder can be used over a period of days by removing the skin that forms on the grey adhesive. On plastics and suchlike it's not quite so good, but I always roughen the surfaces and sometimes even brush some of the aforementioned Tricky Stick, which seems to help even though it probably shouldn't.
There are a lot of cool YouTube videos on this subject, here’s one of them.Good luck