Recommended adhesive for large Resin models

[Takama]

I been planning on getting a model that requires Assembly its a secret model by Kayakasaurus that comes in 3 pieces, and it is 27 inches long

Any recomendations for a type of glue to use to put the large model together?   I dont want to drill any holes and risk ruining the model.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

loctite super glue gel works well for me, you can also use some 5 minute epoxy too.  Expect to hold either til they cure as that's one reason to drill holes and pin pieces.

[Kayakasaurus]

No need to drill holes, one side will have a square peg and the other side will have a square hole. 

[Takama]

loctite super glue gel works well for me, you can also use some 5 minute epoxy too.  Expect to hold either til they cure as that's one reason to drill holes and pin pieces.

How does Epoxy work?

[tyrantqueen]

How does Epoxy work?

It comes in two parts which you need to mix together to cure. It takes longer to cure than cyanoacrylate but the bond tends to be stronger.

By the way, generally speaking, I would consider pinning and drilling to be mandatory for large resin models. You may be able to get away with glueing sometimes but everything I have ever glued with super glue has eventually fallen apart unless it was pinned. Cyanoacrylate just doesn't have the shear strength. I think I've tried every brand under the sun as well.

Drilling and pinning is a skill which a modeller needs to learn to use.

[Takama]

How does Epoxy work?

It comes in two parts which you need to mix together to cure. It takes longer to cure than cyanoacrylate but the bond tends to be stronger.

By the way, generally speaking, I would consider pinning and drilling to be mandatory for large resin models. You may be able to get away with glueing sometimes but everything I have ever glued with super glue has eventually fallen apart unless it was pinned. Cyanoacrylate just doesn't have the shear strength. I think I've tried every brand under the sun as well.

Drilling and pinning is a skill which a modeller needs to learn to use.

Evean if the model has a Square pin and hole?

[tyrantqueen]

How does Epoxy work?

It comes in two parts which you need to mix together to cure. It takes longer to cure than cyanoacrylate but the bond tends to be stronger.

By the way, generally speaking, I would consider pinning and drilling to be mandatory for large resin models. You may be able to get away with glueing sometimes but everything I have ever glued with super glue has eventually fallen apart unless it was pinned. Cyanoacrylate just doesn't have the shear strength. I think I've tried every brand under the sun as well.

Drilling and pinning is a skill which a modeller needs to learn to use.

Evean if the model has a Square pin and hole?

Depends on how deep the hole goes and how tight the join is. If you don't play with the piece, and it is a nice and tight join, it may be okay. However, you mentioned the model was twenty seven inches long. Unless it was rotocast, I'd surmise this would lead to a very heavy piece. Cyanoacrylate glue tends to struggle with holding up heavy pieces.

[Takama]

Well its a Sauropod, So both ends are Skinny. Im not sure how heavy they are as Kayakasaurus hasent even started to cast it yet.   Its part of his protocasts line which i plan on collecting and Commissioning for.   I might just have the model be sent to an expert to be assembled and painted

[ataraxus]

Agree with tyrantqueen.
pinning is essential. i usually fix the parts with epoxy glue 5 min. then i drill holes, deep enough to sink the screwhead , then i break it, remove the glue from the parts. then i mix epoxy 24h glue and screw it again. this is the best Fixation you can get. note that the drill must be only a Little bit smaller than the screw otherwise maybe the resin breaks.
epoxy glue is stronger and more flexible than cyano.
then you can use a two comp. silikon and made a stamp from the Skin fill the holes and cleaves with putty and press the stamp on it. so you can reproduce the surface.
sorry for my bad english. hope you can understand what i mean.

[Takama]

Kayakasaurus can you please post a picture of the pieces of this project once its casted so i can get a better opinion on it from everyone else?

[DinoLord]

New sauropod kit huh? Can't wait to see what it is!

If you do decide to send it to a professional to be built up I would highly recommend Martin Garratt. Not only is he a great painter, but he is also an outstanding kit builder. I have had many instances where I've requested modifications/alterations to models I've commissioned him to build, and he has always delivered wonderfully.

[Kayakasaurus]

New sauropod kit huh? Can't wait to see what it is!

If you do decide to send it to a professional to be built up I would highly recommend Martin Garratt. Not only is he a great painter, but he is also an outstanding kit builder. I have had many instances where I've requested modifications/alterations to models I've commissioned him to build, and he has always delivered wonderfully.

Yes, It is an Argentinosaurs! You can see a preview on my business card (ProtoCast thread at the bottom of my posts)

Kayakasaurus can you please post a picture of the pieces of this project once its casted so i can get a better opinion on it from everyone else?

The pictures will be posted as soon as I get the casts, and I can post them here to. Right now it's a solid sculpture that I haven't divided up and made the pegs yet. I have the silicone now, I just need to find the time to do it all.

[nwfonseca]

I agree that pinning is probably the safest bet. That said, if you are super terrified of drilling and pinning there are a few things I have done on non weight bearing parts that I picked up from a web article somewhere that is similar to drilling and pinning without the pin and without having to work out the alignment of the pin. You can drill some holes on both parts to be adhered to each other. The depth of the holes should be some logical depth. Then when you are adhering the parts be sure to fill the holes with adhesive as well as the surfaces being adhered to them. The adhesive "epoxy" in the holes acts as a sort of pin. Your adhesive of choice should be some kind of epoxy glue. As was already mentioned cyanacrolate "super" glue is brittle and can break easier. I wouldn't use super glue alone on a resin model. Epoxy has some give to it and wont break very easily. It doesn't matter what brand of super glue you use, I like Locktite as the bottle dispenses nicely. One thing I do is use epoxy and super glue together. I use the super glue as a "spot weld" to hold the piece as the epoxy cures. I use a longer 10-20 minute epoxy as I feel anything less gives you very little time to position the part precisely. I position the piece then use a free hand or one of my wife's hands to add a couple drops in an inconspicuous place. If I am feeling frisky I might put a some zip kicker on the super glue to instantly lock it in place. And if you are drilling holes try using a smaller drill like a 12 volt cordless drill or a Dremel type tool. I find anything larger too cumbersome to accurately align the drill. As for using epoxy glue, it couldn't get much simpler these days. Most of them come with a dispensing tip that dispenses equal amounts of adhesive and hardener. You use the plunger to dispense as much glue as you need onto a scrap piece of anything you can find. Then you thoroughly mix the two parts together using the Popsicle stick usually provided with the glue. You can practice the epoxy on scrap pieces of plastic or resin before you go into the model. And finally, don't be afraid to scour YouTube for tutorials. There are a crap ton of modelers out there and they all do different and interesting things. What we as the modeler need to do is go out and make the model and enjoy ourselves. You will learn a lot as you go. That is part of the joy of building. I hope that helps a little.

-Nick

[Takama]

Ok i plan on trying to glue my copy together.

This is the prototype, so I will need to know What Brand the Major manufactures like Papo, use to glue there parts together.   I really want to make sure the pieces cant be pulled out once there glued in, and also want to be able to handle it the same way i would say, the Papo Brachiosaurus(which i know is made in parts)

[postsaurischian]

I once had a problem with a broken tail of a model and asked Martin Garratt which glue to use.
He recommended this one:



(Of course) it works perfectly.

P.S.: That sauropod looks tempting .

[tyrantqueen]

This is the prototype, so I will need to know What Brand the Major manufactures like Papo, use to glue there parts together.   I really want to make sure the pieces cant be pulled out once there glued in, and also want to be able to handle it the same way i would say, the Papo Brachiosaurus(which i know is made in parts)

If you want to be absolutely sure, I would go with epoxy. Epoxy is stronger than cyanoacrylate (proven by science). Brand is irrevelant really. Any slow setting epoxy will work fine. Just give it 72 hours to set and it will be strong.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Epoxy in the peg hole, a thin strip of it around the edge, super glue in the center to hold it so your standing there for 24 hours.  The excess epoxy that squeezes out around the seam can smoothed around the seam and then detailed to match the rest.   This being resin, I still wouldn't handle it like the Papo Brachio.  I'm fairly sure you could throw that one and it wouldn't break..resin certainly will.

[Dobber]

I will echo the 5min 2 part Epoxy. It's easy to use and gives you some Wiggle time to ensure proper alignment. All you need to do is squeeze an equal amount of each onto a paper plate, price of cardboard, or whatever and then just mix them together with a stick of some sort.....I use the handle of my paint brush. It's thick so just scoop some up on the brush handle that you used to stir and apply to both surfaces. You won't need a lot as, like I said, it is thick. I would also recommend pinning. It's not as bad as you would think. Just get a Dremmel. A descent one can be bought at WalMart here in the US for about $25-$30 that will allow you to drill slowly. For the actual pin it just cut a wire hangar from my closet. You can make the receiving whole bigger to give the pin room to enter and get a better alignment. Any excess space in the hole can be filled with the epoxy.

For smaller light weight parts I will just use liquid CA glue like super glue or Gorilla Glue. It's what I did on my Pegasus Rex and 1/5 Deinonychus models.

Chris