Adhesives and Assembly

The proper choice of adhesives and proper assembly techniques can save a lot of time having to fill and level seams. What follows are some suggestions for selecting adhesives and assembling styrene plastic model kit parts.

First of all, make sure you clean all your parts and prepare them for assembly. Evaluate the assembly instructions and determine whether the sequence of assembly shown works best in terms of how you are going to paint the model. For example, a model of a low-wing monoplane should be almost completely assembled before painting, whereas an aircraft with external spars and fixed gear may be easier to paint prior to assembly.

 

For small parts that do not have a lot of surface area, use cyanoacrylate glue (superglue). Use a product which is manufactured for hobby use, not an off-the-shelf brand. Thicker CA glues are easier to control. You can also buy CA accelerants that will dry the glue almost immediately. Glue and hold a part in place and give it a shot of accelerant to make an instant bond.

 

For parts that have large mating areas, use a cement formulated for styrene models. These types of cement actually 'melt' the plastic surfaces together. They come in a thick formula in a tube or in liquid form. Try the various types until you find the one you are comfortable with. 

 

Before you apply any kind of cement to your parts, scrape away any paint that might be on the mating surfaces. Everything you read on modeling will tell you to do this, and you will be sorely tempted not to take the time. Do it - it will save you tons of frustration.

Scrape any paint from the mating surfaces

Apply your choice of cement to the inside edges of mating surfaces sparingly. In small areas use a toothpick to pick up a small amount of cement and apply it accurately. Avoid getting cement of any kind on the surface of your model as any type will mar the appearance.



Apply cement sparingly to the interior edge of mating surfaces

Regardless of the type of cement used, you will need to use something to hold the parts together while the cement dries. Because CA glues dry very quickly you can usually just hold small parts in place while they set. You can also apply an accelerator to speed the drying.

 

With plastic model cement, you can use rubber bands to clamp fuselage halves, wing assemblies and so forth.

Clamp parts together using rubber bands

Where the parts that come together are thin (ailerons, tails, horizontal stabilizers) you can use office supply spring clips to clamp the parts together.


Use spring clips to clamp thins parts together while drying

It seems like it doesn't need to be said, but always check to see that your parts are assembled square and straight. Sometimes you can be so busy worrying about the open time of your glue and keeping everything clean that you can forget to make sure that everything is square and true. Many a good model has been compromised by a slightly drooping horizontal stabilizer.

Check that your parts are installed
square and straight before the cement
dries