acrylic plastic

hey guys,

i've read about scratchbuilding in forums, and modellers use styrene sheets. Can styrene be replaced by acrylic plastics instead? Any idea? My area, acrylics are more readily available then styrene and cheaper.

Why is styrene used and not acrylics then?

hey guys,

i've read about scratchbuilding in forums, and modellers use styrene sheets. Can styrene be replaced by acrylic plastics instead? Any idea? My area, acrylics are more readily available then styrene and cheaper.

Why is styrene used and not acrylics then?

IMHO, I would say: flexability. I'm not sure what thicknesses you can get in acrylics but styrene comes in various thicknesses. IE: 1.2mm, 0.5mm, 0.3mm, 0.2mm etc. I've only seen arcrylics in 8.0mm, 5.0mm and 3.0mm... not really the most suitable for modeling, unless you are making something in 1:6 or 1:4...

Acrylics arent as flexible or workable as styrene sheet from what I have experienced.

one other side question. "white glue" is this the regular school glue, the one that is literally white in colour and not clear like tamiya cement clear?

one other side question. "white glue" is this the regular school glue, the one that is literally white in colour and not clear like tamiya cement clear?

yes

great.. that we have in my country. finally... something available..

thanks!

Were you planning to use 'white glue' for model building? If so, it won't be strong enough for plastics. It's more for glueing paper, although many people use it on clear parts to avoid hazing, but I wouldn't recommend it for most modeling purposes.

yeah, on clear parts. hmm what do you recommend then, for clear parts and what do you recommend for for plastic parts. I am aware tamiya or other modelling cement melts the plastics...

yeah, on clear parts. hmm what do you recommend then, for clear parts and what do you recommend for for plastic parts. I am aware tamiya or other modelling cement melts the plastics...

You want to use a cement on plastic parts, because it melts the plastics together. Just make sure you dont use it on clear parts.

yeah, on clear parts. hmm what do you recommend then, for clear parts and what do you recommend for for plastic parts. I am aware tamiya or other modelling cement melts the plastics...

As GTmike400 said, you want to use the 'melts the plastics' type of glue. It provides a stronger bond. Just use it sparingly and you shouldn't have a visible melting issue.

Glues I personally use are Testors Model Master liquid cement. This comes in a black plastic sort of triangle-ish shaped container with a long needle shaped metal tip for easy application. I also use CA glue (super glue) if i need a fast strong bond, specifically Zap-A-Gap brand. I have also used Plastiweld, but i'm not a huge fan of it.

erm, so on clear parts it is still advisable to use white glue?
i dont want to 'spoil' the clear parts on my about-to-start suzuki kit.

thanks

If you're gluing some small parts, it should be fine. There is also "canopy glue" that airplane guys use that seems to be a good choice. I haven't used it so I don't know much about it though...although, I think I will buy some. If it works out, maybe i'll post a review about it.

http://zap.supergluecorp.com/pt56.html