Wood onto plastic?

[Vor]

So I'm building a Capitol Imperialis. Having trouble with the main roof section though (which will double as a landing pad). I've tried to make a roof out of plasticard but I just can't cut the edges straight enough over such a long length (don't really have the proper tools for plasticard cutting, just a plastic knife and my knee to stop it shifting while I cut.. but it always shifts.) So I've decided to look at alternatives. Since I can't find any plastic that meets my needs (14inch by 12inch by 3mm) I've started to consider wood as an option, but I don't know if this will work. Does superglue hold plastic to wood? Would PVA?

[mannstein]

Yes and no in that order.

 

Personally, I would use solvent free UHU (the one with the green cap) as it grips plasticard nicely when dry, but doesnt dissolve it. One of my procrastinated projects (now entering its... 13th year.. :D ) involves a card chassis with plastic details plated on, and it works very well for that.

[Gurth]

I've tried to make a roof out of plasticard but I just can't cut the edges straight enough over such a long length

Buy a steel ruler to cut along, and press this down with your fingers onto the plastic card. Then, don't try to cut through it in one go, but make several shallow cuts with just a little pressure on your blade. The steel ruler will guide the knife without danger of you cutting into it, while light pressure means you are a lot less likely to shift the ruler.

 

Does superglue hold plastic to wood? Would PVA?

"Sort of" for both. Superglue will probably soak into the wood and not bond it very well to the plastic because it works best when it can't soak into the material. PVA glue will also create a relatively poor bond, but now because it can't soak into the plastic. I'd probably use either clear "hobby" glue (the kind used in schools etc. for gluing all sorts of things together) or heavy-duty construction glue.

[winterdyne]

If you don't have the tools, don't do a project like that. It's a sure-fire ticket to disappointment and/or injury.

 

As gurth says, a steel rule is essential for cutting plasticard (and thin wood) - for large pieces any long, straight-edged piece of metal will do (I occasionally use one of those metal plates you get for joining 2 sections of carpet together). You want to be able to have a smooth cutting motion with little pressure - the blade is meant to do the work.

 

Large spans (like you describe) are going to want reinforcement - you'll want to make bulkheads / supporting beams to support not only the weight of that roof, but whatever you put on it.

[Vor]

If you don't have the tools, don't do a project like that. It's a sure-fire ticket to disappointment and/or injury.

 

True enough. Thankfully the roof is the last major part, everything else is done, or uses non-modified GW kits. I had intended to use bastion roofs for the roof, but the model grew larger than original plans so that wasn't an option in the end.

[EmbattledSoul]

Go to a staples with your plasticard, and use one of the display paper cutters... Pow.

[BERZERKER!]

In my experience, as already mentioned, superglue will just soak into the wood. PVA will bond, but doesnt provide any strength.

 

If you want to really stick it together, and if you can find any, i recommend epoxy glue. It usually comes as two parts, the resin and the hardener, which you mix into a paste (and so will fill gaps).

 

It should be available in your local hobby/craft/model shop.

[Gurth]

Go to a staples with your plasticard, and use one of the display paper cutters... Pow.

Staples, to the best of my knowledge, are things you use to stick bits of paper together … I gather from the comment that this is one of those American copy-shop-type store chains? In which case I'd guess it's unlikely there is one close enough to Vor that he can go there without buying a plane ticket :P

[Vor]

I bought a steel ruler and some more plasticard.. wow. Worked a charm.

 

Who'd have thought it was so simple? When I talked about tools I was under the impression you needed clamps etc (this is what I was told by a guy in a local store.. guess he just wanted me to buy expensive items).

 

Thanks for the help guys! Just the tracks and weapons to go now and it's gameable, then it's detail work and painting.

[Gurth]

It's very often the case that you don't need many tools or expensive tools, you need the right tools :P A lot of modellers ad gamers fall into the modern trap of thinking they can't do without all sorts of fancy tools and accessories, when IMHO all you really need to build models is a good knife, side cutters, a steel ruler, a mechanical pencil, tape and (depending on what you want to do) a modeller's saw and a pin vise. Everything else is optional and only really there to make your life easier :)