Precision gluing

[Paul75Participant @paul75]

Hello Everyone.

I'm getting to the stage in my build where I'll have to do lots of fiddly gluing of very small parts and fittings for my 1/128th HMS Duke of York.

These gluing tasks include constructing photo-etched white metal fittings (e.g. pom pom guns) and fixing handrail stanchions to plastic decks. Many of these parts are very small, perhaps less than 10mm in length and 1mm in diameter.

I'm looking to buy gluing accessories, which will mainly be used for cyano acrylate and plastic-weld type glues, which will minimise over-dispensation of the glue and prevent runs.

I see that Deluxe Materials stock many types of gluing accessories such as "Micro Tips" and "Pin Flow Applicator".

Have any of you used any Deluxe Material precision gluing accessories and could you recommend them?

Many thanks and best wishes for Christmas and the New Year,

Paul.

[Paul75Participant @paul75]

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hello Paul

The Deluxe Materials tool (below) is a fine piece of kit but a tad expensive at around £10, it is basically a tube with a hollow needle through which a very fine bead glue can be applied.

There are more inexpensive products on the market that are mainly used by paper crafters that can be picked up for less than £1.00

I hope this is of some help

Paul

[Paul75Participant @paul75]

Hello Paul.

Thanks for your reply. I'll look into some cheaper options as you suggest.

All the best,

Paul.

[BanjomanParticipant @banjoman]

Hello Paul75,

I quite like the Zap Flexi-Tips (**LINK**), and usually get mine from Fast Lad Performance in Barnsley (**LINK**), but I'm sure there are other sources as well. Not to be confused with the Z-Ends from the same maker; the latter are nowhere near as good for precise CA glue application.

Mattias

[Paul75Participant @paul75]

Hello Mattias.

Thanks for your reply. I didn't realise there are so many types of glue and accessories – truly mind boggling! I guess one must take care to ensure that correct specialist caps are married to the correct glue bottle types when ordering.

Best wishes,

Paul.

[BanjomanParticipant @banjoman]

Hello Paul,

Yes, there is indeed a plethora of glue types and glue brands out there, but most actually can be reduced to a reasonably limited number of types of glue. For instance, as I'm sure you are aware, there are four main types of CA glue, namely thin, medium, thick and gel, which all have their areas of use. Personally I mainly use thin (which is my go-to CA when it can be applied by capillary action) and thick (which I find more useful whenever the glue must be applied before the parts are joined together), but for certain applications medium or gel come in very handy, too.

As for the specialist caps, again, yes: there are two aspects of these to which care in selection needs to be applied. Firstly, of course, one must make sure that a cap that should go on the bottle/container actually fits said bottle/container, and secondly the cap material should ideally not be glueable with the glue in question (for example, CA glue does not stick to the plastic [silicone?] material of which the Zap Flexi-Tips are made), so that any precision nozzle or opening does not get clogged with glue straight away.

Mattias

[John.RedearthParticipant @john-redearth]

Hi

I have just finished a blog on gluing. Hope this helps

John

[Author]

Posts