Cementing the joins?

[Guest]

I thought I'd be clever and try and spray the bottom wing section of the Spitfire before fixing it to the upper wing and fuselage, but after gluing and fitting and trying to be careful of the cement oozing out of the wing join it proved more of a pain than was worth while. After removing the Tamiya tape keeping the 2 halves together I noticed one or two areas which were not sufficently glued. Not a problem as I just slightly opened the join and applied some cement on a scapel.. job done.

Then I noticed an ever so slight ridge on the leading edge so needed to sand smooth anyway so really no point in spraying the bottom first..... another lesson learnt!! Do you guys build the main model i.e. fuselage, wings etc. before attempting to airbrush or strategically paint parts as you go?

Anyway back to the main point, I noticed a picture somewhere recently of a chap applying liquid cement to the leading edges and fuselage joints after they had been cemented and joined together ? Is this a good method of filling the gaps and making sure the wing edges are fully glued? Is it easy to sand the cemented area when fully dry and get a good finish?

If so what liquid cement is used?

Not a day goes past without me either learning something new, different or having another dozen questions to ask with this new hobby. Thank god for the Scale Model Forum and you guys.... lol.

Atb, Colin.

[Guest]

i personally try and get as much of the model assembled before starting to paint. for reasons you encountered as well as personal preference. when working on aircraft models, i normally complete the cockpit first obvisouly as that gets sealed up in the fuselage. then tape that up if i'm not sealing the canopy on, or glue the canopy on to act as the barrier between the cockpit and outside that is yet to be painted.

i find it much easier to do it this way. i've seen people painting smaller bits while still on the sprues. it's all preference and what you think works best for you.

as far as the liquid cement. i use tamiya extra thin and love it. i tend to have tape along the top edge of a wing glue a section then immediately pull the tape over to seal the join. some extra cement on top of the seam normally helps seal up any loose spots, but be cautious with this. it always sandpapers easily for me.

good luck

[stona]

I build as much as I can only painting easily masked internal details like cockpits,wheel wells.intakes etc as I go along.

Here's my latest project waiting for primer.

I don't think that chap was applying liquid cement after the join was made. I think he was using the same method that I do.

1 Clean up and dry fit the pieces to be joined.

2 Tape or clamp the parts together.

3 Touch the liquid cement to the join,it will move into and along the join,typically by a couple of centimetres,by capillary action. You can add a drop of colour to the cement when you first do this as it helps show where the glue is getting to. I use a fine brush to apply the cement but there are all sorts of applicators available.

4 After a few seconds give the parts a bit of a squeeze and re-adjust your tape or clamps if necessary. You should notice a bit of "molten" plastic oozing out of the join. This is a GOOD thing! Don't touch it or try to clean it up until it is dry. That ooze will have filled your seam.

5 When everything is dry you can scrape off the dried ooze with a blade and sand and polish the seam to a perfect finish.

On a well fitting model like the Fw190 above you may be able to get away without any filling at all.

I too use Tamiya Extra Thin but due to problems with the labelling it can be hard to find in the UK. There are others,Humbrol do a liquid poly I think.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

Colin

John is waiting for delivery of a weld type glue & applicator.

This is like the Tamiya thin glue which enables you to tape together dry for instance wings & then apply the thin glue to the joint. The thin liquid then is drawn into the joint & welds or melts the two surfaces together. The areas where the tape is located can be glued when removed. http://www.scalemodelshop.co.uk/mode...cturer=145&p=4 will I hope take you there.

Laurie

[Guest]

So even though the joints are taped together with no gap the cement enters the join by capillary action, clever stuff!

I seem to remember doing something similar to the rubber tyres on an RC car I made once, the glue was like water.

Do you literally fine brush along the edge then, and is it good for the fuselage as well as the wings?

Does it create much of a mess to the edges or is it the case of when it's dry you sand to a smooth finish no problem?

I like the look of that glue and applicator in Johns shop.

[stona]

I just touch a fine brush to the join,no need to brush along it,the glue will run along the seam. When I can I apply the glue from the inside but this obviously can't always be done.

The method works for any join with mating surfaces.

It shouldn't make much of a mess. The trick is to leave it alone until it is dry when it can easily be scraped,sanded and polished to a smooth finish.

The glues used for this are of a water like consistency.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

One big word of warning. The glue will go into any small crack via capilliary action and form a good bond. The danger is that it can also get in between tape, clamps, clothes pegs or any other holding device just as easily and you will be left with a mess when you remove it. Always ensure that the holding device is nowhere near the joint in question so the glue cannot get to it and seep inside. Glue on the surface generally isn't a problem if you leave it to dry but glue between the face of a clamp and a wing is disastrous.

[stona]

Well said Richard,thank you. I should have made that clear. The glue will run around tape etc and along recessed lines where you might not want it.

If it does get in the wrong place you can usually polish it out once it has dried.

Steve

[Guest]

I've just treated myself to some sanding sticks of each grade and so sponge sticks too. Found these ideal for sanding the joints to a smooth finish.

Looks like another trip to the hobby store then for some liquid cement.

Are the sponge sticks for polishing?

Colin.

[Guest]

If you want to get your hands on Tamiya extra thin you can still get it via Ebay. Mine was shipped over from Hong Kong in less than a week for about a fiver.

I now wonder how I ever managed without it.