This is my first attempt at photo etch. After installing portholes, doors, and other details to my Bismarck it would seem all that is left are the railings. I have been using Gator Glue for the photo etch, but it does not seem to glue the pieces very well. Having to on many occasions reapply more glue after the part fell off while positioning. Am I using this product wrong, or should I use CA Any help would be appreciated And if anybody is interested I also used KA Models wood deck and the pieces fit perfect, and not being very artistic it looks better than it would have if I had painted it!

Scott, how long are you letting the glue set up? My glue takes about 10 minutes to dry, think of it like using white glue. Now, I do know that several customers tack the the first part of the railing in place with CA and then use Gator Glue to finish gluing the railing down. My glue's bond is much stronger than CA once it's dried and cured.

May I ask you a couple of questions about your bottle of glue? What is the consistency of the glue? Is it creamy or lumpy? If its creamy, then the glue is fine. If it's lumpy, then it sounds like you have a bottle that froze, in which the glue is ruined, Did you thin the glue? If it is too thin then the bond will be too weak. I don't thin mine at all.

Kenny

I haven't been building very long, so perhaps my advise might not be the best, I came back to this hobby after 30 + years and into a world of decal and PE, and super glue is fantastic for sticking fingers together and honestly not much else, when I cut hand rail I always and wrongly glue one against the other, this gives it a double thickness, leave the leading rail complete and cut the trailing rail, for all my requirements regarding photoetch I use PVA glue.
Cut off a piece of plastic, it really doesn't matter what shape it is, you'll need a 2/3 inch piece, cut a small piece of PE hand rail say an inch in length, on a glass or plastic card, a small drop of PVA glue, hold the hand rail with tweezers and carefully wipe across the PVA glue so its just making contact, you'll use your own judgement and find for yourself the amount you will need, and whatever that is, it won't be a lot.
Place the test piece on the pre-cut plastic and adjust as required, oh and thank me for it later.

Hi Scott. Method I use for attaching photo etched railings, and this works well for me. I use 2 glues, CA to "spot weld" the railing in place, and PVA run along the length of section to give a really strong bond. I have used this on sections up to abt 6 inches long and had no problems with distortion, railings coming adrift.

Hanving bent the railing to shape, I apply a small spot of CA glue abt every 1/2" to 1" (just enough to hold it) put the section in place, this has the advantage, that Iif you misplace the section, if have been sufficiently sparing with the cyno the section will detatch without distortion. Once in place, using the applicator of your choice, run PVA along the length of the join.

Hope that helps

Si

I just use the Gator glue. I run it along the plastic surface, give it a bit of time to settle in then when it starts getting tacky I lay my railing. A little adjustment here a little adjustment there then I leave it. Ususally I run a strip down the opposite side right after that. On a real good day, I can lay out the main deck railing in about 3 hours on a BB. My trouble is with all the bending and shaping the eird angles on those upper decks

Enigma1 (Scott Anderson) says
Its been a while and just wondering how you got on with the glue problem ?

What is PVA glue?

PVA Glue is white glue that dries clear, usually sold as wood glue, but works pretty well as a universal adhesive. Also because it dries clear can be used for glazing windows.

Si

Hi Brian,

Very much depends on the design of the railing. I have mainly used WEM, GMM, Voyager & Lion Roar, which normaly have a "Gutter rail" connecting the stantions along the botton, Which does make them a lot easier to handle, in such case their is usually nothing to go in a pilot hole,

Those ralings etched open at the bottom (Not my favourites) I do tend to use pilot holes usually I leave the attachment points to fret a bit long, and put a pilot hole at every one, otherwise the joins are quite weak and as CA glue can brittle with age, you can find railings coming adrift at the slightest knock to the model. I learned that one the hard way.

Si

Hi Brian,

In the case of a slight ridge, and using open bottomed railings, I put the pilot holes just inboard of the ridge, and closed bottoms railings I fit just inboard, but hard up against the ridge.

With all railing I bend to shape before fitting, so with closed bottom, I don't use a pilot hole, even it there is a an attachmentto the fret at the bottom at one end I can leave on the railing to make a spigot to go in one. But of course, there is more than one way to skin a cat.


Si