Hi all, this is my first post. I started modeling about 9 months ago and I am just getting into adding PE to some of my builds and I'm struggling with it. What is the best ca viscosity to use (thin, medium, thick) and how do you apply it? I have been using thin but it seems that I alsways add too much and make a mess. I appreciate your help.

Hi, Welcome to the site. Good to have you. Personally I use the medium viscosity CA the best to add any PE with. I find that for me it gives the time I need to be sure I have the part on exactly where I want it to go. I also use a very sharp wooden tooth pick to put the CA on with, as this tends to keep any extra CA from being added, ususally.

I also have a bottle of Zap Kicker handy that I use in places where I want this CA to set up very fast. It stinks, but it sure does set that CA in an instant, and I think it tends to give a stonger bond as well.

One mistake I made with PE was trying to add ALL of it to models, and I found out very quickly that I had neither the skill or patience to do it, so if and when I use the PE now, it's just for items that I really want on the model. You kind of have to pick and choose what you want to add and as you get better with the stuff, you can always add more of it as you go along.

Good luck and take care, Sgirty

Thanks for the info, I'll give it a try

Frag

I find it easier to glue the PE part to a small piece of 0.005" sheet styrene first, trim to size and then use model glue to fix to the plastic model. It's more forgiving.

It also helps to draw on the model with pencil first the location of the PE part. This helps you "aim" better.

Paul.

Hi Paul,

Great idea, but where do you get 5 thou plasticard?

Rgds.

Neil

Medium viscosity is the most useful for PE. To make your glue last longer, make a little dish out of some aluminum foil and put a few drops of CA glue onto it. Then use a thin wire, toothpick, whatever to apply the CA to your model. In this way, you can keep the lid on your CA (which is notorious for going bad quickly once opened). I almost never apply directly using the bottle.

The thin stuff is only useful for filling. Too watery to control due to capillary action.

Thick gel is okay for things like wheel stubs and such. Too much substance for PE attachment though.

The usual maker of sheet plastic, as well as interesting plastic shapes, is a company called "Evergreen". Many hobby shops carry their products, usually in the form of strips of various useful sizes as well as tubes and structural sections (I beams, Channels and angles). They also make sheet styrene stock of various thicknesses. If yuor local shop doesn't carry this, search out a railroad shop. If they don't carry it either, many web hobby shops will carry it and you can order from them.

Advertising/sign-making companies frequently carry large sheets of styrene for vacuum forming signs, but .005" is usually too thin for them

As you become more experienced in model making and staqrt to scratchbuild details of your own, you'll find that Evergreen is one of your best friends!

HTH

Paul

If the PE bits are big I use a pin as applicator for the CA glue and I prefer the gel one. If parts are small I try to avoid as much as I can CA and i glue them with Future...
Ciao