Are 21c aircraft responsive to crazy glue?

tpa05 · Post by **tpa05** » Wed Aug 09, 2006 9:54 pm

Does the plastic on 21st century aircraft respond to crazy glue? What I mean is, does the plastic used on their aircraft hold as might be expected on most plastics? While this might seem a strange question, there are indeed some (many?) plastics that do night hold and either fail to bond or seperate in short order.

Now the diatribe...

Yea I know - asking how to glue together a brand new aircraft might sound a little strange perhaps but here goes - first I admit that at least part (ok 75%) of my purchase this afternoon of my first 1:18 aircraft (Bunker Hill Corsair) was for me. The rest was for my 5 year old son. With this I hope to spend lots of time playing/learning etc but the problem however is that while putting the thing together this evening I'm reminded of all of the places that will get destroyed. Pieces of other aircraft and helicopters litter the house and so will parts of the new Corsair I'm sure.

Here's the sacrilege - if crazy glue does hold, the first thing that will be removed are the screwed hinges on the wings. Yup, no more folding wings. With this I can then completely and securely bond the wings together. Next are the stabalizers. As for the landing gear, again if I'm convinced that the glue works then I won't be too hurt when the wheels are torn off by one of his rough landings. My plan is to remove the panels on the wheel wells ahead of time and then glue them back in a closed position once the landing gear is sheared off during one of my son's simulated carrier landings.

Thanks guys for any help you can provide.

VMF115 · Post by **VMF115** » Wed Aug 09, 2006 9:59 pm

It should bond.

kimtheredxd · Post by **kimtheredxd** » Wed Aug 09, 2006 10:00 pm

Tried super glue on the propeller on my stuka. Seemed to work real well......till about a month later when it just seemed to have fallen off

tpa05 · Post by **tpa05** » Wed Aug 09, 2006 10:13 pm

Yea I know Kim; while again it seems like a strange question (crazy bonds all plastics no?), there are indeed a lot of plastics that don't. I can give a lot of examples but suffice it to say it's true. What I'm hoping to avoid is cutting off the hinges on the wings and effectively removing what is the primary support for the wings just to glue together a wing set that will eventually fall apart in a few weeks like your propeller.

tmanthegreat · Post by **tmanthegreat** » Wed Aug 09, 2006 10:20 pm

I have had much luck with crazy glue repairs on XD products. Granted, I haven't used it on any reall large pieces (like a wing) but it has worked very well for items such as antennas or pitot tubes. The fact that the glue dries fast is very helpful. Unless I forced the object, it didn't break off either. It must be the drier climate in central California.

tko211 · Post by **tko211** » Wed Aug 09, 2006 10:21 pm

I don't even mess with crazy glue... I go right to the HARD STUFF! I use 3 minute bonding epoxy! WM sells it for about 2 buck a tube It's awesome, but very very final. So use caution. Mix it up let it stand for about 45 seconds then you got about 1 minute to stick it where you need. Hold it still for another minute and you are done! Epoxy is my new "duct tape"!!!! It fixes anything... like f-104 starfighter pitot tubes.

tpa05 · Post by **tpa05** » Wed Aug 09, 2006 10:36 pm

Tk, is that exactly what it's called - 3 minute epoxy? I'll be there tomorrow and will pick some up if available. Also, you mentioned pitot tubes, have you used it on larger items such as wings?

Thanks.

grunt1 · Post by **grunt1** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 2:43 am

I'll also be headed to the store for some 3 minute epoxy, but..

Another trick I learned somewhere on this forum was mixing superglue and model glue.

Something about the model glue slightly melting the plastic a little and then the superglue adding it's superior bonding capability.

Wouldn't trust it to something with a lot of wear and tear like a broken propeller blade but for general repair and minimal setup time it has worked well for me.

tko, I'm assuming this epoxy stuff really makes your fingers stick together??

Morian Miner · Post by **Morian Miner** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 5:23 am

Thing to keep in mind with crazy glue. It was originally intended for use as a medical adhesive. Quickly glue up a cut, etc, but after a while in dissolves in water. Before I read this, I could never understand why crazy glue always seemed to crap out after a few months.

tmanthegreat · Post by **tmanthegreat** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 9:09 am

I'll have to try the 3 min epoxy

One word of warning: I used to build alot of plastic model kits, and over time, learned a few things that when mixed with model glue would cause the plastic to warp. For example, I once tried to use lead fishingweights in a 1:72 scale B-25 kit so that its nose would be heavy enough to sit on its landing gear without extra support. Testors model glue and lead fishing weights do not go together! Testors glue will also dissolve styrofoam.

tpa05 · Post by **tpa05** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 9:14 am

I like the model/super glue idea but I don't know if I'm talented enough to know how much to mix and if/when it's done right. I'm gonna test drive it this afternoon. As for the 3-hour epoxy, I'm hoping that that's what it's labeled as and not just a common/generic name as I'll end up with something that won't work. I'd like to know more about it.

Here's what I think is a pretty good question - is the base that the aircraft is wired to (the black plastic bottom panel) made of the same plastic that the model is made of? If so, I can test drive all of the products without fear of screwing up the Corsair. As I alluded to in a previous post, I've recently scratch built a couple of 1:18 aircraft for my son and would be very interested as to how these products work.

Thanks again guys for your help!

Jericoeagle1 · Post by **Jericoeagle1** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 10:02 am

I've had a lot of success in using crazy glue but you have to understand the tricks to it. When exposed to air a reaction begins. You absolutely must use small amounts. The best technique is to apply a small amount (a micro-drop) on the very tip of an X-Acto knife and let it flow through seams. Certain brands when applied in mass run very quickly and may get hot and craze the plastic thereby weakening it. So in this case less is better then more. Also never use an accelerant (a chemical used to hasten the drying process) with crazy glue on your model if you use to much glue the application will cause it to boil on your project or in the case of an XD boil and make a nasty white hard lump of glue that will discolor the paint and craze any clear plastic. Not only that the reaction may burn you are your model. They will work but you have to know how to handle them and be very patient.

cruizin2000 · Post by **cruizin2000** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 10:03 am

My S1 Kepford Corsair had a hinge broke that goes on the landing gear door. Fortunately it was a clean break. I used Zap-A-Gap and it's held for the last 5 years. Have you tried that yet? You can find it at hobby stores for about $4.

C2000

Jericoeagle1 · Post by **Jericoeagle1** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 10:07 am

cruizin2000 wrote:My S1 Kepford Corsair had a hinge broke that goes on the landing gear door. Fortunately it was a clean break. I used Zap-A-Gap and it's held for the last 5 years. Have you tried that yet? You can find it at hobby stores for about $4.

C2000

Zap is an excellent product and comes in a super fast drying formula or a gap filling slow formula. I always keep a couple of bottles around for emergency repairs

flpickupman · Post by **flpickupman** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 10:15 am

I just picked up a bottle of the Zap A Gap quick dry formula to assemble my G scale Piko building. If it's suitable for an outdoor train building, I expect it would be good for permanent repairs to 21C aircraft.

tko211 · Post by **tko211** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 10:15 am

Epoxy will easily hold a wing in place. you could glue a couple of bricks together with this stuff an dit would hold for life.

Epoxy is basically 2 chemical compunds that are in seperate tubes. each tube of goop is useless all by itself. Once they are mixed together they react to create a glue like you have never seen. It will set up in 1 minute, 3 minutes, and 5 minutes (depending un what kind you buy) That is how much time you have to apply the glue and hold it in place before it sets. Once it is set you better like how it looks because it ain't coming off!

I have fixed prop blades, landing gear, guns, wings, and all other sorts of stuff with epoxy.

mediump · Post by **mediump** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 10:22 am

the brand of epoxy I have used is called J B weld, and can be found at WM in the automotive section, they have a J B quick that sets up in 3 - 5 minutes, the original takes overnite to set up

tpa05 · Post by **tpa05** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 10:25 am

Tk, is the name of the epoxy "3-hour epoxy"? I'm heading out to home depot this afternoon and again would like to make sure I'm getting the right stuff.

Jericoeagle1 · Post by **Jericoeagle1** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 10:48 am

Epoxys come in many versions separated by time "5 minute" "30 Minute" "1 hour" ect:. Its up to personal choice, however I wouldn't recomend the longer wait times that would be a pain to hold the part in place for so long. I've always used 5 to 30 minute myself. That gives me plenty of time to set up what I'm doing and make any alignments. If your assembling a large item like a wing out of vacuform or fiberglass. Its great if used in combination with Plasterers tape (tape that looks like a thin band of netting) it really reinforces the bond.

KAGNEW · Post by **KAGNEW** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 11:19 am

i think Zap A Gap is best holder. plus if you make a mistake they have Debonder. plus if you are in a hurry they make Zip Kicker that is an accelerator that makes ZaG bond in 1 second

tpa05 · Post by **tpa05** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 12:33 pm

In an earlier response I asked if the plastic base that the aircraft is wired to inside the box is the same plastic that is used on the aircraft itself. If so, it's a great resource for testing the different solutions detailed above. Note too that as I'm typing this that a whole lot of time is being spent, and I'm sure others are thinking the same, trying to decide on what type of glue to use. Yea, there might be better and more interesting questions for sure but on the other hand, I've got to believe that at one time or another ALL of us will need to pull something off the shelf to fix something that's broken. So sorry if I'm beating this question for all it's worth but I think a lot of people are taking notes or will sometime in the future return to this post for suggestions

Again, thank you all

MiG29K · Post by **MiG29K** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 1:19 pm

Goop works pretty well. I think that cyanoacrylate tends to be more rigid in its bond where as Goop has an equally strong bond but is inherently flexible and wont snap apart like cyanoacrylate (super glue) It all depends one what is being joined.

Morian Miner · Post by **Morian Miner** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 2:20 pm

One of the joys of epoxy - make sure its not old. I have three models sitting in the garage because I used some old stuff that never set up. Now I have to figure how to clean up uncured epoxy.

tkjaer21 · Post by **tkjaer21** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 2:35 pm

Thanks for the bonding glue trick TKO. I definately know how you feel about the F-104 pilot tube breaking off....many times.

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Are 21c aircraft responsive to crazy glue?

Are 21c aircraft responsive to crazy glue?

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