Model Glue?

[Nicorex]

What model glue is your goto? I have been using Plastaweld brush on for years. but lately it just has not been doing the job. Arms and guns pop off a whole leg fell apart on a Tiatanicus warlord. Some friends swear by GW's plastic glue but they have to put a lighter to the metal nozzle every 5 minutes to keep it flowing. So whats your favorite?

[Grotsmasha]

I also recommend GW's glue, BUT I've found the best thing I can do to keep it flowing is to always make sure I leave it with the nozzle vertical, and ALWAYS, ALWAYS put the cap on immediately. Like glue one piece, set the bottle down with the nozzle up and put the cap on.

For a quick fix instead of a lighter, the glue will dissolve itself, so as long as the bottle isn't bone dry, pulling out the nozzle and replacing it upside down, will usually unclog the nozzle in 10-15 seconds.

[Halandaar]

GW glue does do the job well, but the nozzle thing annoys me too. It does dissolve itself as Grot says, so you don't need to hit it with a lighter, but even 10-15 seconds wait is annoying when you want to use it immediately. So even though the glue itself is good I tend not to buy it just from a usability point of view (although I have a few packs as spares from the various magazine collections).

My go-to plastic glue is Tamiya Cement, which comes in a glass pot with a brush applicator. Much less hassle to use and never fails to weld stuff together. 

 

[Sword Brother Adelard]

I've always used Revell's plastic glue. It does need a lighter hit every now and then, but not like GW's.

I've also bought some Tamiya extra thin in light of the new split pads on the MkVI marines.

[Isengrin]

+1 for the Revell glue. I've been using it for almost 20 years now and the metal nozzle doesn't clog up that frequently. I also never had an issue with the bonding for models up to the size of regular tanks. 

[Spottswoode]

I used to use Revell, but switched over to Tamiya Extra Thin / Extra Thin Quick Setting a while ago, and it's fantastic - the brush applicator means there's no nozzle to block, the glass container means I know exactly how much glue I have left, and the fact it's so thin means it's brilliant at wicking it's way into the gaps I want to join. You also have the added bonus of being able smooth out plastic after sanding or scraping, or softening hard cut edges, by brushing a bit over the top.

The only downside is that it's so strong you need to make sure you're using it in with proper ventilation. No glue smells great, but the Quick Setting smells really bad.

Just be aware of the difference between Extra Thin and the Quick Setting variant. Extra Thin comes in a glass bottle with a green top, and Quick Setting comes in glass bottle with a slightly lighter green top. Tamiya also do a standard plastic cement, but to be honest it's the consistency that is the real selling point, so if you're not buying it for that then you can probably save money with a cheaper brand.

Edited June 26, 2022 by Spottswoode
Correct names

[Arkhanist]

Another tamiya extra thin user here. I've tried many types over the years, and the revell/GW type with the metal nozzle has its uses when putting together really big flat pieces, but tamiya ET is what I use 95% of the time.

In addition to the really strong joint and controlled application by brush, my favourite features are that if it overspills the joint you don't get a bubbly mess, you just leave it alone and the plastic will reharden without deformation (a real bonus for a klutz like me) and that you can gap fill with it.

Wick it into a seam, wait a little for the plastic to soften, then press the two parts together hard. Soft plastic will squish out and fill the seam right up in most cases; you may have a little ridge left when it hardens to sand down, but you have to do that usually when gap filling with plastic putty anyway, and the tamiya method is a lot less messy.

You can also turn tamiya extra thin into a liquid plastic slurry, which is amazing for filling huge gaps or if you've a big hole from reposing an arm etc - also great for magnets if you overdrill the hole. If you dump a bunch of sprue scrap into a bottle, you get this liquid goop that when it dries is basically plastic that's welded to the other plastic around it and is trivial to sand down if needed. It's a great use for a bottle that's running low, or you can decant into another glass container as you don't need loads.

 

Edited June 26, 2022 by Arkhanist

[Cleon]

I don't know if it's available in the US as it's a British company, but I've always used a combination of Humbrol's Poly cement for structural built and their liquid poly (brush applicator) for adding small lightweight details. 

[RWJP]

Similar to Cleon, I use Humbrol's Poly-cement for any really big stuff, and then Tamiya Extra Thin for basically everything else.

Humbrol poly-cement is really thick and comes in a tube so it's not easy to directly apply it to a model, I put a blob of it in an old bottle cap and then use a cocktail stick to apply the glue to the models where I need it.

[M@verik115]

Revell Contacta Professional is my go to for YEARS now. 
It does the job extremely well. 

[Emperor Ming]

Loctite precision max

Been using that for 20+ years

Never been a fan of gw glue

[Tyriks]

I mix and match. Gorilla Glue gel when needed (resin or 3d printed bits mostly), and usually Gw plastic glue but occasionally Tamiya. I don't love the Tamiya Extra Thin largely because it's brush on, and it takes so long to apply sometimes it will be drying out. I feelvlike I'm spending more time wetting the brush than anything else when I use it. But it is handy for very small stuff.

[Halandaar]

3 hours ago, Emperor Ming said:

Loctite precision max

Yeah I use this for resin, metals and doodads like cork and other basing materials and have never gone back since I started using it. Works every time, although I definitely prefer plastic-specific glue for plastic parts.

Edited June 29, 2022 by Halandaar

[WAR]

I have used GW glue and Tamiya extra thin and both work fine.....unfortunately some dummy did not close his Tamiya cement and it went bad, so mad at myself for doing that, I just need to go buy another bottle. honestly the Applicator on Tamiya is amazing and I noticed when using GW glue as it gets older the more I torch the nozzle.  

[NovemberIX]

If you ignore the fact that a lot of my models are held together with Blutac and hope, I usually use Loctite when I am gluing things together. The differing formulas help with different builds, thin liquids for wicking down into panel gaps, gels for when you gotta limit the movement of your glue, and time control for posing dreadnoughts are all amazingly helpful.

[gorg_graggel]

A hint for the Tamiya users:

Tamiya Airbrush cleaner is the same stuff, but cheaper. Roughly double the price for a bottle of 250ml (the cement labeled pot is 40ml).

(Edit: Ok, at least one user seems cofused and this paragraph might be the least clear.

40 ml of Tamiya extra thin cost roughly 4-7 units of your currency.

250ml of Tamiya Airbrush cleaner cost roughly 8-15 units of your currency.

You can check Tamiyas safety documentation PDFs which are offered on their hp to download to see that both products are essentially the same, but differently priced and labeled.)

The cleaner contains 51% Acetone and 49% Butylacetate. The cement is 50% of each.

Of course it'd be even cheaper if you buy the individual components and mix it yourself... ;)

 

Edited July 3, 2022 by gorg_graggel
more clarity...?

[Reldn]

I've long been a fan of Testors Model Master plastic cement. Sadly, it's been getting harder to find as I think it was discontinued. I've been using Tamiya's Extra Thin Cement lately and it's been working quite well.

[Lord_Ikka]

I use Gorilla Glue super glue (blue cap, not gel). I've found that is strong enough for anything I've needed to do, and anything stronger (FW Knights) I just go up to JB Weld Steel epoxy. Gorilla Glue is also cheap and easy to find in almost any store, so I don't have to run to a hobby store or pit in an Amazon order if I run out unexpectedly.

I've tried others, but GG is just a good reliable standby for me. 

[FormelyKnownAsSmashyPants]

I use Revell, as others have said you need to hit it with a lighter occasionally, but I’m a smoker so I tend to have one on my person at most times.

[Helias_Tancred]

I'm having good results using Army Painter's plastic glue., I'm on my second bottle about to get a third. My old standby was Model Master, but it's been discontinued :(

[sibomots]

Besides the differences in brands, something I look for is how hot the glue is.

By "hot" I mean how much it melts into the material.

There are some joints I glue that I want zero melt, for that I choose the "superglue" type.

For some other joints that are hidden and still important for the structure I choose the glue that is so hot it will melt into the plastic.  I don't use the "hot" glue for joints and fittings that have to be precise.  Nor do I use that glue for outer-facing surfaces because of the challenge of cleaning up the burrs and deformed plastic.

I save all old sprue rails and what not in shoe boxes. Nothing to waste. Perfect for testing glues, pressures, pinned, un-pinned, etc..

Sometimes model shops will have employees who keep opened glue bottles for their own "in-store project workspace" and you maybe ask them for a demo?   It helps if you bring up some goods to purchase when you ask  

 

[Jukkiz]

Revells plastic glue si pretty good

[Jason_In_Alaska]

I used GW plastic cement for a long time, then I had a whole batch of Custodes I had finished fall apart during a game. It was like they debonded or the glue went bad. Either way I switched to Tamiya and Mr. Hobby after that. Its been about three years since then and I have no complaints from either the Tamiya or Mr. Hobby brands.

[Grimdeath]

My goto is Loctite Super Glue. Feel like you can't go wrong with that.