The Ship Model Forum

I've been learning how to apply testors to aircraft model wings. Invariably, even though I do apply to both halves, let soften, squeeze together until it comes out of the seams, and let dry, it forces a gap between the halves that must be filled. The halves perfectly prior to glue application. Maybe I'm not doing it right. I'm beginning to think I should remove the wing root panel to access the hollow portion of the wing. Then use testors tube on the inside portion of the mounting surfaces of the wing, put them together, then run liquid testors along the closed inner surfaces to try and get the bonding of the tube glue evenly spread, while leaving the exterior seams untouched. What do you all think?

Is great for gap filling too

When I saw the subject of this thread, I knew it would spiral into something like this. . .

Ignorance is bliss here. Just starting plastic modeling again; reached back for what I knew and bought the red tube. Yeah, I remember the horror of my 'Fletch' fifty years ago, with long strings of cement trailing off. But so far, using a gentler touch on the tube and the tiniest drop on the end of a toothpick, it's working o.k. My purchase came with four (4) application tips as part of a two-tube package. That helps too.

I'd rather opt out of CA if possible. Good seeing there are others that 'conventional' glue works for.

Arnie H
Houston

hahahah!

davidwaples wrote:You guys aren't sniffing that stuff are you?

Of course not! That's what paint is for.

sargentx wrote:It eats plastic for years??? REally? Can you expand on that? Interesting and scary!

Ok, maybe that's a slight exaggeration but it continues to disolve plastic longer than it should, especially if you use it in large quantities. I've had seams in aircraft models ruined by the stuff after I thought I was done with them... but that was back in the 90's, I was probably using too much of the stuff and I'm not sure if the formula has changed in the interim. All I know is that it was a good day when I bought my first bottle of liquid cement at the hobby store one day as a teenager because the tube glues were all gone.

It's also a bit infamous for being toxic, but it's probably no more toxic than liquid cement or CA.

The blue tube stuff is non-toxic "modeling for kids" glue but it does work... and since I use Elmers School Glue for PE and still like to watch cartoons I don't feel bad about it.

Ya...I believe it was citrus based like the horrible Tamiya 'safe' thin glue. It doesn't work at all and smells like some kind of citrus cat repellent!

You guys aren't sniffing that stuff are you?

And all that time I thought it was me making those messes.

Does anyone remember that black/yellow tube of Testors that came out in the seventies ? I think it was marketed as a "non-toxic" alternative to the white/orange tube because it didn't get the kids "high".

I remember it smelled like lemon pledge but didn't work very well.

It eats plastic for years??? REally? Can you expand on that? Interesting and scary!

Yeah, I sort of re-discovered it recently, too. Aircraft modellers use tube glue like that to bond fuselages with an almost seamless join. Same thing for artillery and tank gun barrels that come in two halves. Just apply tube glue to both halves, carefully; wait a minute for the glue to soften the plastic; then press the two parts together until a bead of glue and molten plastic squish out from the join. Let it sit until next day and clean up the join line. Usually results in neatly welded pieces with no visible seam line.

Yea, I bought some red tube Testors just for nostalgia a couple years ago and have it in my tool drawer... it's all I used back when I was a kid and the smell of that stuff takes me straight back to when I was 12 years old. It also explains a couple things about my IQ score too.

I wouldn't use it for today's projects as the stuff keeps eating the plastic for years, but the blue tube stuff is useful for parts that aren't practical to attach with liquid cement.

Honestly though, I usually turn to CA gel glue in those situations nowadays, but like they say... there is more than one way to make two pieces of plastic stick together.

Don't get me started on Testors contour putty though... the devil himself invented that crap just to torture me!

Yep, love to use the Testors orange tube for things like hull bottom-hull top joints, flight decks, and other such large items.

The last time I used Testors model cement I must have been about 7-12. Ahh, that nostalgic smell, the way it randomly explodes from the tube and makes a mess, its tough to control nature and supremely messy and marring formula. Good riddance.... wait....
The other day I impulse-bought a tube of it to re-examine it as an adult with some self control and am floored by its properties.
If you remember, it dries like a fast setting epoxy, but also melts plastic. This double wammy physical and chemical bonding makes for one incredibly strong weld. Typically, I useTamiya fine and ultra fine cement, but find that smaller objects are often semi-bonded and can be knocked off; and other times you want a bit of a blob that doesn't just instantly evaporates.
On my newest build, I'm experimenting with using both the liquid cement and the Testors depending on the situation and the results are great. My smaller pieces are confidently fused to the ship and in places where I need strength I also use the Testors. For areas that require less strength and can be flooded by capillary action, I go with the usual.

So...for repairs of small things, mounting pieces temporarily onto sprue for spraying, small,delicate bits, crude gluing of shims and plastic strip, repairs of small pieces that break off and for things that need that extra strength, Testors model cement is truly dreamy. I guess it can hang out in my toolbox again...on a short leash ; )