Best adhesive for Skipjack assembly

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  • Tugfan
    Lieutenant Commander
    • Nov 2010
    • 178

    Best adhesive for Skipjack assembly

    What is the best glue or epoxy to use on the Moebius Skipjack for RC use? I've never built a plastic sub for rc and I want the hull to stay together after it gets into the water. I was thinking 2 part 30 minute epoxy with fiberglass strips for the hull joints.
  • trout
    Admiral
    • Jul 2011
    • 3545

    #2
    Tugfan,
    The SKIPJACK build will be similar to my Gato build. Check out this page near the bottom.

    the glue is a liquid,I used Plastruct Plastic Weld.
    If you can cut, drill, saw, hit things and swear a lot, you're well on the way to building a working model sub.

    Comment

    • He Who Shall Not Be Named
      Moderator
      • Aug 2008
      • 12256

      #3
      Tom's absolutely right, Tugfan. The properties of the materials being joined permitting, always go for the fusion weld over the contact bond; go for the cohesive rather than the adhesive bond. If you can get the molecules of part-A to cross over and interlink withthe molecules of part-B, go for it!

      I not only butt and lap weld two pieces together, I'll sometimes introduce a filler rod of the same material to fill any gaps between the items and fuse it in the gap between the adjoining parts. The operation is, in every sense of the word, 'welding'.

      Two reasons for bonding the r/c submarine parts this way: 1. Strength 2. Since the parts and weld filler (if used) all have the same phisical properties, the amount of expansion/contraction with changes in temperature are the same -- no shrugging off of fillers or paint or 'joint lines' poping out where the parts go together. My plastic models -- converted to r/c -- after years of use, never evidence the part separation lines.

      Weld whenever possible.

      David
      Who is John Galt?

      Comment

      • Tugfan
        Lieutenant Commander
        • Nov 2010
        • 178

        #4
        I bought some Plastistruct yesterday. That stuff do hold.

        Comment

        • He Who Shall Not Be Named
          Moderator
          • Aug 2008
          • 12256

          #5
          It's ABS. But, a close relative to polystyrene. What do you need it for?

          David
          Who is John Galt?

          Comment

          • Tugfan
            Lieutenant Commander
            • Nov 2010
            • 178

            #6
            Need what?

            Comment

            • He Who Shall Not Be Named
              Moderator
              • Aug 2008
              • 12256

              #7
              Originally posted by Tugfan
              Need what?
              Plastistruct
              Who is John Galt?

              Comment

              • Kazzer
                *********
                • Aug 2008
                • 2848

                #8
                Originally posted by He Who Shall Not Be Named
                Tom's absolutely right, Tugfan. The properties of the materials being joined permitting, always go for the fusion weld over the contact bond; go for the cohesive rather than the adhesive bond. If you can get the molecules of part-A to cross over and interlink withthe molecules of part-B, go for it!

                David
                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.
                Stop messing about - just get a Sub-driver!

                Comment

                • Tugfan
                  Lieutenant Commander
                  • Nov 2010
                  • 178

                  #9
                  I thought I would use plastistruct plastic solvent cement to put the the sub together. Isn't that what you guys said to use? Like I said, I've never built an abs kit for underwater use.
                  Last edited by Tugfan; 10-14-2012, 09:32 PM.

                  Comment

                  • trout
                    Admiral
                    • Jul 2011
                    • 3545

                    #10
                    . Plastruct has three different strengths. Weldene (mild - only for styrene), Bondene (medium strength - bonds like types together - "alike" Styrene, Butyrate, ABS, Acrylic and Copolyester applications), then last Plastic weld (strong stuff - works on most dissimilar Styrene, Butryrate, ABS and Acrylic applications)

                    So the Plastice Weld would work great on the SKIPJACK.
                    Last edited by Kazzer; 12-02-2012, 10:43 PM.
                    If you can cut, drill, saw, hit things and swear a lot, you're well on the way to building a working model sub.

                    Comment

                    • alad61
                      Commander
                      • Jan 2012
                      • 476

                      #11
                      The plastruct "plastic weld" is what I used on my Gato & Seaview and they've been through the wringer once or twice, so I know it works. Plus I use it on my static kits as well it dries fast and mixed with shavings and sanding dust from the plastic makes, as David says, a great way to fill a join! As a side note I used it to fix a small crack in the Seaviews we after a bad Lipo incident. Whicked into the crack left over night and then it was brushed over the next day and left to dry again before testing it in water under pressure... With no leaks...
                      Last edited by alad61; 10-15-2012, 02:41 AM. Reason: typos, of coarse...
                      Cheers,
                      Alec.


                      Reality is but a dream...
                      But to dream is a reality

                      Comment

                      • redboat219
                        Admiral
                        • Dec 2008
                        • 2735

                        #12
                        ABS, that one tough kit!
                        Make it simple, make strong, make it work!

                        Comment

                        • Kazzer
                          *********
                          • Aug 2008
                          • 2848

                          #13
                          David is ok. His place is secure in the hot house stoking the fires.
                          Here's a link to Plastruct's different cements.

                          International Supplier of Architectural, Educational and Hobby Model Parts.


                          Note that several plastics can be dissolved by these solvents, making it actually possible to weld different ones together.
                          Stop messing about - just get a Sub-driver!

                          Comment

                          • Kazzer
                            *********
                            • Aug 2008
                            • 2848

                            #14
                            Stop messing about - just get a Sub-driver!

                            Comment

                            • redboat219
                              Admiral
                              • Dec 2008
                              • 2735

                              #15
                              We've been doing some construction work on our property and it entailed laying out some PVC pipes. Naturally we used PVC cement to join them. Noticed the smell was similar to modeling cement I use. So I did some checking on the composition of PVC cement. http://www.spudfiles.com/spud_wiki/i...title=PVC_Glue

                              Ingredients
                              PVC Resin 10 - 14%
                              Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK) 40 - 55%
                              Tetrahydrofuran 25 - 40%
                              Cyclohexanone 5 - 10%
                              Acetone 0 - 5 %

                              Since hobby cement contains MEK I was wondering if standard PVC cement can be used as a alternative.
                              Last edited by redboat219; 01-15-2013, 05:24 AM.
                              Make it simple, make strong, make it work!

                              Comment

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