Tamiya Thin => Sprue Goo

[Grotsmasha]

So I've just received my first lot of Tamiya Thin to make myself some sprue goo, and the jar is chockers, no room to add sprue. 

What would be the best way to make room without wasting the glue?

My first idea is to put it in with my GW Plastic Glue which is half full, BUT, are these glues compatible? Will the Tamiya glue be ok in the GW glue bottle (Tamiya comes in glass)?

Edited December 19, 2023 by Grotsmasha

[Bryan Blaire]

I haven’t looked at the chemistry, but I wouldn’t mix them unless you can determine it will be okay.

 

I just used my bottle to do what it’s supposed to, and slowly over time added some sprue to it as the level went down.

Edited January 8 by Bryan Blaire

[Grotsmasha]

15 minutes ago, Bryan Blaire said:

just used my bottle to do what it’s supposed to, and slowly over time added some sprue to it as the level went down.

 I bought two, one specifically to make sprue goo as I need it basically straight away.

I've got spare dropper bottles, I'll try it in that and see what happens I guess...

[Firedrake Cordova]

I assume assembling a lot of models isn't an option?   

 

More seriously, I think I'd be inclined to find a glass container (e.g. jam jar) to put it in. At worst, it could probably be air-proofed with a little clingfilm under the lid to stop it evaporating?

 

If it helps, Tamiya Extra Thin is butyl acetate and acetone, which is apparently the same as Tamiya's airbrush cleaner

Edited December 19, 2023 by Firedrake Cordova

[pawl]

3 hours ago, Grotsmasha said:

 I've got spare dropper bottles, I'll try it in that and see what happens I guess...

Melting is what will likely happen! As above, it's acetone and butyl acetate, which don't mix well with many plastics.

 

If you were to leave the pot open (in a really well ventilated room!) while you added the plastic some of the excess would evaporate, but I don't know how quickly that would happen in all honesty.

[Grotsmasha]

I'm 4hrs in and the dropper bottle has not leaked, or even weakened or deformed, ie is still firm to the touch.  I did spill about half of what I poured out as the Tamiya bottle isn't condusive to pouring.

[Halandaar]

Bit late but Tamiya actually sell empty glass jars for mixing colours which would have maybe been a solution here, usually available from the same places that stock their paints.

[Firedrake Cordova]

Yup, they do a 49ml and 10ml glass "mixing" jars (Mr Hobby also does an 18ml one).  

[pawl]

13 hours ago, Grotsmasha said:

I'm 4hrs in and the dropper bottle has not leaked, or even weakened or deformed, ie is still firm to the touch.  I did spill about half of what I poured out as the Tamiya bottle isn't condusive to pouring.

Result!

I think the acetone I buy comes in LDPE containers, but I'm at work and too lazy to Google. Perhaps you've gotten lucky and the dripper bottles are the same? Would be worth testing it on the nozzle and lid to be sure they're the same kind of plastic though, before the bottle falls over and it eats through the lid, or something equally horrible!

[Grotsmasha]

29 minutes ago, pawl said:

Result!

I think the acetone I buy comes in LDPE containers, but I'm at work and too lazy to Google. Perhaps you've gotten lucky and the dripper bottles are the same? Would be worth testing it on the nozzle and lid to be sure they're the same kind of plastic though, before the bottle falls over and it eats through the lid, or something equally horrible!

 

It's now been 12+ hours, and dropper bottle is still in perfect condition. The nozzle is the same plastic, but not the cap, for now, it's kept upright in a left over spray can cap.

[Stitch5000]

FWIW, thickened Poly cement is just acetone with added plastic material to give it more body. 

[hd3]

Not to sound ignorant but what, in the name of the emperor, is sprue goo? And why would you want it?

Edited December 27, 2023 by hd3

[Lord_Ikka]

11 minutes ago, hd3 said:

Not to sound ignorant but what, in the name of the emperor, is sprue goo? And why would you want it?

Chopped up bits of excess sprue that is half dissolved in a compatible glue to make a semi-liquid mass that is used to cover model gaps. Since it is basically the same plastic as the model, one it hardens it is pretty indistinguishable from the model. Similar to what GW's liquid greenstuff is supposed to do. 

[Grotsmasha]

19 minutes ago, hd3 said:

Not to sound ignorant but what, in the name of the emperor, is sprue goo? And why would you want it?

As above, you dissolve old sprue into plastic cement, which creates a liquid sprue that hardens and sets as the glue evaporates. It's very good for gluing together parts that don't evenly join flush.

Once set it can be scraped, cut, and molded just like regular plastic models.

Edited December 27, 2023 by Grotsmasha

[Firedrake Cordova]

Just to expand upon what @Lord_Ikka and @Grotsmasha said, Vince Venturella has a video demo of it in use:

 

Personally, I like Vallejo Acrylic Putty for the task, but it's always good to know your options, and people prefer different things.  

[Bung]

21 hours ago, hd3 said:

Not to sound ignorant but what, in the name of the emperor, is sprue goo? And why would you want it?

 

As Others explained what it is i will give you the reason it exists.

Its an old scale modellers trick from the time we didnt have all the supplies that have been released in the last 20 years.

 

Scale Modelling is not a new hobby it existed way longer. I know scale Modellers that started the hobby 70 years ago.

Sprue gue, oil paints, pastel chalk, etc. is stuff that has been used for decades cause nothing else existed then.

If you look at the hairspray techniques, which was developed by Stuzinskas (Modeller / Painter from FW and doing the IA Masterclass books) is roughly 20 years old and used real hairspray until some companies developed Chipping Fluids etc. later when they saw a market.

15 years ago, an Airbrush was rather rare in this hobby, now you get tons of Videos on YouTube.

 

[crimsondave]

Gap filler.  Works pretty well.

 

I'm wasteful.  I just poured 1/4 of the glue out.

[The Praetorian of Inwit]

I'd say pour some glue out or wait until you've emptied it by a 1/4 by other means (i.e assembling models).

 

I have been using Tamiya Thin as sprue glu and it has been fantastic for me.

[Xenith]

I thought sprue goo was made just by dunking the sprue in acetone until it melts, then you spread it on and the acetone evaporates? Might be a cheaper way to do it rather than buying tons of expensive poly cement! 

[InquisitorVonTansburg]

8 hours ago, Xenith said:

I thought sprue goo was made just by dunking the sprue in acetone until it melts, then you spread it on and the acetone evaporates? Might be a cheaper way to do it rather than buying tons of expensive poly cement! 

Not exactly the same, but works as well yeah.

btw: Tamiya airbrush cleaner is the same stuff… and much cheaper!