CA glue uncure

[nirvana]

How long should I leave it on there?  10 minutes? Overnight?  I really fudged up a model this time and unless this CA works the model is halfway in the pooper.

[JTs]

last time i tried to unglue my fingers it took about 4 hours.

[nirvana]

WHAT, you gotta rip them apart...  Seriously though, Z-7 Debonder does nothing, or I glued the parts really well.  It's like I used a glue welder or something similar.  The piece are just about molded together.  It would be a good thing if I didn't screw it up, and if the model wasn't $80 I would throw it the frick out.


Oh yeah, the debonder is drying out after about 5 minutes and then acting like a secondary glue.

[Hangtime]

depends on the type of CA and what's been glued. If it's styro and plastic, yer screwed.

If it's wood to wood with normal CA then acetone can be a big help. If it's styro (foam) then yer screwed.. the acetone will dissolve the foam before the glue.

Acetone works extremely well for 'flesh to flesh' debonding. Keep it outta yer eyes, away from lips and other 'tender' body parts.

Zap debonder is workable on thin conventional CA joints, however if yer trying to debond a gunky sloppy thick CA joint then all it'll do is soften the outer 'skin' of the CA glob and then re-harden as the acetone in it evaporates.

I'm pretty sure the 'foam freindly' CA's are impervious to acetone anyway.. and this might have something to do with the ineffectiveness of your 'debonder' if yer trying to free a 'foam friendly' CA joint.

One trick for 'repairs' is to cut the part free in a new place, then you have a new area to re-glue when you re-assemble.

Oh.. and triple check the assembly via dry-fitting about a half a dozen times defore applying any CA next time.

[nirvana]

The instructions are weird.  If any of you have built the 1/4th working model of the 426 Hemi from Testors.  The crankcase has bearing on either side, 1 shorter then the other.  Looking closely after I took it to the hobby shop to see what was up I can see it.  I was also lazy too.  Just throwing parts on.  I have the bearings on opposite ends (small side goes with the small bearing right?  WRONG.  I'll try and fix it somehow.  I'm thinking a rubber band timing belt is the only way it might even work now.  Otherwise I have a non working model.  Oh well, at least it can LOOK like it works.


Yes it was a big gloppy mess, i've quit with the debonder.

[nirvana]

Was also wondering about painting.  I'm not a big fan of painting models, just because it always comes out horribly.  I'm trying acrylics again, because enamels never work (probably because I don't thin them?)  I think i'm supposed to put them in a soapy hot water bath to get the paint to stick better?  Is that true?

[Airscrew]

when painting model cars I used to wash them in warm (not hot) water with dishwashing soap, then rinse well and wipe the parts with 70% rubbing alcohol.   The reason as I was told, there is some sort of releasing agent used in the molding process to allow the molds to release the parts and that residue is still on the plastic.   Also cleaning the model parts removes any oil, dirt, and grease you may have gotten on the parts while handling them.    After washing I usually either wore vinyl gloves or be careful handling the parts so you dont get them dirty again.  
Make sure you allow plenty of time for the parts to dry or use cool air (cans of air or compressed air) to remove excess water or alcohol.

Another tip I read once (but never tried) before painting your model polish them with toothpaste (not the gel kind but paste like Crest)  apparently the apprasive particles in the toothpaste are small enough to polish out any slight imperfections of the plastic (plus cleaning it) without causing damage and makes for a smoother painting surface

[*NDM*JohnnyX]

The toothpaste works because while smoother than sandpaper, it gives the material you are spraying something to hold on to. An unfinished piece of plastic is far too smooth to promote proper adhesion.

Also, if using rattle cans, I find the finish to come out much smoother if you put the cans in some warm water for, say, 10 minutes to get the paint nice and warm.

[nirvana]

Ohhh no, I use paintbrushs.  The only time painting came out pretty nice was when I spray painted a P-51, no runs or anything.  Then I proceded to mess up that model as well bytrying to paint AFTER the decals were on:(   I just suck at life.

[*NDM*JohnnyX]

I spray pretty much all of mine by can or airbrush. Haven't built one in years, but I think I might start one. I always built cars, never did military stuff, so maybe I'll get a dragster or something.

[nirvana]

Like I said, the 1/4th scale hemi engine, just some random painting, alternator, oil filter etc.  Been really caught up on that crankshaft though so it hasn't progressed at all in the past 2 weeks.  I bought the ECTO 1 Ghostbuster mobile today though so i'll be doing that one as well.  Think i'm giving on on getting the engine to run properly and just move along with it.

[*NDM*JohnnyX]

That ECTO makes a great Hearse conversion. Never tried one of those motors, got one cheap in the early 90s at a flea market and never finished it.

[nirvana]

They had another one, hand cranked, at a hobby shop I went to today.  $64.25 I was there for a good 30 minutes debating.  What sold it was the probably amount of painting i'd have to do.  Granted it was all or mostly black.....$64 is still pretty steep.