Starting in unfamiliar media for me..

[5thwheel]

HI all,
I'm starting in a new media for me.  I am 92 years old now and will be soon forced to give up my good shop for a space in a corner of an apartment. Although I have scratch built most of my life I am considering plastics kits and scratch from styrene.  Where do I start? What cements are best for kits and styrene construction.

Thanks
 Bill Hudson  aka Fifth Wheel

[finescalerr]

The best cements for most styrene construction are liquids usually containing methyl ethyl ketone (MEK). A month ago I picked up a bottle of Plastruct Plastic Weld, a general purpose solvent cement containing MEK, at the hobby shop but Plastruct has been around for a long time so the cement should be easy to find online.

To save money you might find a can of MEK at a hardware store. MEK alone does the job as well as anything. California seems to have eliminated MEK for safety reasons; its fumes are dangerous and toxic. Maybe Oregon is less restrictive. Whether hobby cement or MEK, be sure to open a window and keep the air moving. Danger aside, the stuff smells poisonous.

I hear Eugene is a very nice place to live. Too bad you lost your shop.

Russ

[5thwheel]

Thanks Russ,
I'm not loosing my shop just yet. Just planning ahead. Not sure I can keep maintaining this house and huge yard. Next step seems to be an apartment or senior residence. Either way would be very limited in useable space for modeling. I'v been modeling in some fashion since I was about six years old. Can't vision my self not having something to build.

[Cor]

Tamiya ultra thin is almost the same as plastruk cement
I am using also MEK, but i use it to refill my tamiya botle
The tamiya botle has a nice brush, ans the small yar prevent a lot off fumes when using it

A lter botle MEK is not easy in use for the job

Cor

[Bill Gill]

I recently tried a bottle of Tamiya quick set cement.It worked well But it evaporated VERY FAST!!! Not a lot of opportunity to readjust misaligned parts. Tamiya also has a more normal time setting cement. It maybe be a mix of MEK and acetone

If you do go to a senior residence it is highly likely they won't knowingly allow you to have/use MEK or acetone or similar stuff there.

Tamiya also makes a safer citrus based plastic cement:
https://www.amazon.com/NYA-Tamiya-Limonene-Cement-40ml/dp/B002TZ6K4Y

I have not used the Tamiya citrus, but did have a bottle of another brand (no longer made I think). It worked OK, but is a fair amount slower to set, so parts need to be held together longer. That has advantages and disadvantages.

[5thwheel]

Thank you all for the input.

[greenie]

G'day Bill, have you finished that "Popcorn/Peanut Waggon" yet?

The glues that others have recommended ALL work on any Polystyrene product and work on ALL model kits that are made from pre moulded Polystyrene bits.

Another brand to look for is "Testors Plastic Cement Liquid 1 Oz", it is a clear liquid once again and it's made from Methyl Isobutyl Keytone M-I-K, which is bloody close to the M-E-K  that others are recommending. M-E-K Methyl ETHYL Keytone. 

For me, well it's got to be M-E-K hands down, as it's a fraction of the price for any brand name liquid glue that is sold in any hobby store.

M-E-K is sold by the half pint or pint tin at any Hardware store, just look in the Plumbing section, it's used as a cleaner before you add the glue to stick plastic drain pipes together, much cheaper option than the five bucks for a very small bottle of branded glue from the Hobby shop.

OH, either MIK, or MEK, is in those expensive bottles of liquid glue from the hobby shops.

regards. Greenie

[greenie]

Hi Bill, sent you a B-I-G Pdf on FaceBook Messenger.