Best adhesive for Skipjack assembly

[Subculture]

Tends to be a bit thick and goopy for model work. You can get a primer wipe for joining PVC pipes, and that works great as a thin watery solvent.

[Slats]

I'd like to clarify some of these terms used, because I feel they are somewhat confusing and too general.

Cohesive and adhesive are very generic in their meaning. Cohesive means the molecules of the two pieces being joined are of the same material. Fusion welding refers to the use of heat to liquify the bonding surfaces. This is completely different to solvent welding which liquifies the two surfaces by dissolving them in solvent. In other words, the surfaces of the two similar materials are liquified either by heat or solvent to allow them to blend together. This state cannot be achieved when dissimilar materials, or fiberglass are involved, so they must be 'adhered' together using and 'adhesive' to provide a mechanical bond.

In model making (or kit assembling if we must) fusion welding is never used, parts of suitable plastics are SOLVENT WELDED. This is the strongest possible type of bond.

All other parts, such as polyester resin or epoxy in fiberglass (which will not dissolve in solvent or liquify when warmed) cannot be solvent welded. These need an ADHESIVE to provide a mechanical bond which is always weaker than a SOLVENT WELD. Such products would be Superglue, Epoxy, Polyester, RTV, Gorrilla glue etc.

Mike many thanks for this. A nice summary. I've just learned something. That post is getting printed out and taken to the shop.

[Kazzer]

Tends to be a bit thick and goopy for model work. You can get a primer wipe for joining PVC pipes, and that works great as a thin watery solvent.

Yes, that's because of the resin dissolved into it. PVC Resin 10 - 14% You could add more -

I often make up a goopy mix by using sprue and dropping bits of it into the solvent weld product. MEK is the main ingredient that is doing all the dissolving work.

I may have said this before, but imagine you have two blocks of ice (plastic) and you butt them together. You could quite easily pull them apart, but if you poured water (Solvent Weld) over the joint, the liquid would wick into the joint, then freeze. As it does this, it melts the edges of the block before it freezes, welding the two blocks together.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

An excellent analogy --- I'm stealing it!

[Kazzer]

An excellent analogy --- I'm stealing it!

Good grief! Is nothing sacred!