Plasticard

[Wulf Vengis]

I need some... Green stuff too... But I've never actually bought either before.

My question is thus: What should i be looking for in plasticard? I need to build a... Platform? I guess you would say.

[Wulf Vengis]

Wow, thanks. Super quick and super helpful. Thank you very much.

[Cleon]

Just to add, if you do end up with abs plasticard, bog standard PVA glue actually works really well on it if you don't mind the long drying time. Also if you are making a larger structure, square wooden dowling is great for enforcing 90 degree corners and adding extra reinforcement.

 

Another thing to consider is scouting around all the model railway companies, there's a nice selection of brick, tile and stonework textured plasticard out there in various scales.

[Firedrake Cordova]

One place to look for plasticard is model railway shops - it should be a fairly common stock item.

 

The Green Stuff GW sells is, I think, Kneadatite Duro Green Stuff.

[jaxom]

-Different mixing ratios are an urban legend. GS is pre-measured by thickness to the only ratio it actually works in, you just have to cut a more or less straight piece off of it. Altering the ratio in either direction only produces even more rubbery material when cured.

 

*SNIP*

 

-A toolkit looks tempting but I only ever used 3-4 shapes anyway: Knife, dull pointed flat thing, needle, and pointed-curved thingy if you get into really intricate concave shapes.

 

GS (Kneadatite Blue/Yellow) is also sold as two separate compounds (bar form), not in a strip, and mixing the ratios there does produce different results. Best to start with the default though; the tape form is very convenient. Asking a local dentist if they have busted tools they were going to throw away is a good starting point for tools. If you find that you do want to get more into sculpting with GS then I recommend picking up size 0 silicone shaper brushes https://www.amazon.com/COMIART-Flexible-Sculpture-Silicon-Brushes/dp/B00MRTCP4G. 

[Arkhanist]

With regards ABS, our usual 'plastic glue' is poly cement which is indeed only intended for polystyrene kits, whether it's from GW or humbrol etc, so is fairly ineffective on other plastics.

 

You can easily get other plastic glues - with stronger solvents - that will melt other plastics together strongly, as good poly cement does for polystyrene (old GW poly cement didn't used to be very good, no idea what it's like these days)

 

Glues that will weld ABS together include Deluxe Materials Plastic Magic and EMA Plastic Weld, and I believe Tamiya Extra Thin also works reasonably. (Tamiya ABS should work even better than extra-thin, it's new). They do also work nicely for strong joints with polystyrene too, and can even be used to join different types of plastic together, i.e. ABS and polystyrene together. As with all plastic welds, a light sand with micromesh pads or ultra-fine grade sandpaper sticks may be useful for any particularly shiny/smooth plastic to improve final joint strength (a slightly roughed joint has more surface area for the solvent to work on)

 

All the above are very liquid solvents, that work mostly via capilliary action. The idea is that you hold or clamp the pieces together finger tight, then apply to the join line using a pointed brush (usually included) - it 'wicks' into and along the joint, so the parts needs to be held firmly in place while it melts the plastic together. For two facing flat pieces, you can also brush a thin layer of glue on one of the pieces first. Counter-intuitively, slopping on too much of them actually makes the joint weaker, not stronger.

 

The solvents can be stronger smelling than poly cement (particularly EMA plastic weld!) so it's advised to use them with decent ventilation, i.e. don't lurk in a closed cupboard for hours using them. Long distance shipping can also be an issue, so you'll need a local supplier. They can make some almost seamless joints though, it's very impressive, and I use Plastic Magic as my plastic glue of choice these days (Tamiya Extra Thin is also great, but availability can be an issue in the UK)

 

As with polystyrene cement on styrene models, loose joints that don't fit well together don't have sufficient surface area to weld properly, so will be weak regardless. For those, it's better to sand the joint to fit better, or you can use rubberised superglue to fill it in. The rubber particles help the superglue be less brittle making the joint more robust to impacts (i.e. drops or knocks), but not as good as a well-fitting plastic-welded one admittedly. Rubberised superglue brands include loctite ultra gel and gorilla super glue gel.

 

The last option is two-part epoxy which is usually pretty strong glue, but can be a challenge to avoid excess glue marks, i.e. where it bulges out of the edges of the joint. For non visible loose-fitting joints, or where you plan to cover them up with texture paint etc, it's probably the best option.

Edited July 22, 2020 by Arkhanist

[Wulf Vengis]

Holy throne! This is far more info than i ever though I'd need just to build two-piece adjoining platform.

 

Thank you again, everyone.

Edited July 22, 2020 by Wulf Vengis

[Arkhanist]

Holy throne! This is far more info than i ever though I'd need just to build two-piece adjoining platform.

 

Thank you again, everyone.

Heh. Given the cost of models in this hobby, gluing two bits of plastic together is Serious Business

[Fajita Fan]

Mammoth checked every box!

 

Also if you're looking to build the base of a platform you might see if your local public library does free (or very cheap) 3d printing because that's a super convenient way to knock out something you know will be square.  I print things like landing pads so that I don't have to figure out internal angles of a hexagon.

[Wulf Vengis]

Well the platform is going to be mounted on the back of two trukks.

[Wulf Vengis]

-Oil, grease, or sculpting vaseline are super great at eliminating stickyness, but only use them after you are SURE you don't want to add any more GS to the thing you're working on; It will not stick. Wash it off with soap after your model hardened.

I have very sweaty hands and have taken to wearing those blue nytrile gives when painting. Would it be best to sculpt with the gloves on in my case?