Model making adhesives - a little advice on adhesives

No matter whether the model is made of wood or plastic, the components must be firmly joined. Often different materials have to adhere securely to each other. Which glue to use for which material ? We can help ! You are looking for a special glue to fix planks to the hull - we have a suggestion.

All-purpose glue

All-purpose glue ? Sounds good but is rarely used in model making for good reason. All-purpose glues are more of an emergency solution and more suitable for craft work with paper, cardboard and wood.

Gluing plastics

UHU Allplast can bond many commercially available types of plastic with the exception of polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene materials. For polystyrene and plexiglass, the Super Expert is well suited.

Superglue

Cyanoacrylate adhesives (CA), as instant adhesives are correctly called, belong to the so-called polymerisation adhesives. You do not have to wait for the solvent to evaporate for them to cure. The reaction with air humidity triggers the linking of the adhesive molecules to form a hard structure that adheres well to the surfaces. Superglues are available in thin or gel form. The thinner the adhesive, the faster it hardens. With thick super glue, you have about 30 seconds to place the component in the correct position or to correct it. With activator spray, the polymerisation process can be shortened. Superglue is good for bonding metal, plastic, wood and rubber.

Epoxy adhesive

Epoxy is a 2-component resin that cures within minutes or hours, depending on the design. The typical "model making glue" resin is to be mixed with hardener in a ratio of 1:1 and then cures to a large extent within approx. 5 minutes - 5 minute epoxy. Epoxy resin adhesives with a longer pot life (30-60 minutes) are used for bonding fibre-reinforced composites such as GRP and CFRP with wood and metal and are also great for sealing ship hulls in combination with a glass fibre mat.

A special form are one-component resins which are a good alternative to conventional epoxy resins. EZE Kote has a water base is easy to work with and, in combination with thin glass fabric, creates a stable, waterproof and spray-resistant surface.

Wood glue White glue

White glue is a dispersion glue made of polyvinyl acetate and water that is ideal for gluing wood. The bondings are stable, can be corrected for a while after joining and the glue is free of harmful solvents.

Contact adhesive

Contact glue is sometimes also called power glue and is used relatively rarely in model making. Some kit suppliers recommend contact adhesive for applying the second planking to the model ship's hull.