favorite glues?
 

I just wanted some opinions on favorite, cheaper off the shelf glues to use instead of expensive hobby brands. Iv used just cheap dollar store white glue for wood to wood where i knew fuel would not pose a threat. And hot glue gun also. For critical bonds like wing joints and stabs ill use epoxy or CA but with building a complete kit thats allot of money to use on the hole thing. Tony

RE: favorite glues?
 

I build mostly with Elmers pro-bond (alphatic) and I use 30 minute epoxy for things like firewalls and landing gear plates.

RE: favorite glues?
 

Tony, if a $12 bottle of CA saves you 20 hours of build time, isn't it worth it? I used it for the first time early this year, and other than the smell when it kicks, I have nothing but prase for it. A fan keeps the smell down.

Don

RE: favorite glues?
 

Titebond for most situations, epoxy in some areas and minimal CA. CA was my all around adhesive but I developed a reaction to it. It really gives me troubles when used for any more than a minute or so. Reaction similar to asthma.

DaveB

RE: favorite glues?
 

My building time is limited so I use a lot of CA, not really by choice. My preference is Titebond and Great Planes Pro Wood Glue when time allows, it is easier to work with, creates a strong bond and cost much less. (retirement can't come soon enough ;)) 5 and 30 minute epoxy when high strength is needed sometimes adding milled fiber for extra strength.

RE: favorite glues?
 

I use Bob Smith adhesives, (epoxy) for places requiring extra strength and SuperPhatic from Hobby Lobby for all the rest. You can build an entire Sig LT 25 using the SuperPhatic, even the firewall. My last BTE Flyin King is done with SuperPhatic except for the firewall, gear plate and wing joint. My lungs are both 25% scar tissue from a severe childhood chest infection. I avoid CA as much as possible.

RE: favorite glues?
 

Titebond 2 for most everything, Elmer's polyurethane glue for high stress areas, and epoxy for fule proofing. CA has it's place, but I avoid it whenever I can. Gets brittle with age, too.

RE: favorite glues?
 

I used to use CA's for my building but about 4 years ago I switched to Elmer's Carpenter's Glue, and I won't go back to the CA's. I feel that my building has improved since I've switched because I have more time to get a joint positioned correctly before the glue sets and you don't get those hard knots in the wood that are impossible to sand. Also I didn't like the reaction my body has to the CA fumes. Many call it a CA allergy, but after I've talked to a few doctors and a couple of chemists I find that it's not an allergy but a simple chemical reaction in your body. The CA fumes react with the moisture in your nose, throat, and lungs to produce some very bad reactions. Over time these reactions can become worse with repeated exposure. I've seen people that can hardly breath for 3 days after using it. I wanted to avoid that from happening before it got to that point. So..... here's what I use for my building.
[ul][*] Elmer's Carpenter's Glue - This is my main adhesive. I use it for the majority of building with balsa and wood to wood contact. For ply's and harder woods I will use epoxy[*] 5 minute epoxy - I do have this around but I very rarerly use it. I will usually use 30 minute, but I have the 5 minute around for quick uses that aren't in critical areas of the plane.[*] 30 minute epoxy - I use this for critical stress areas on the plane such as wing joints, firewall attachments, horizontal and vertical stabilizer, securing hinge points, and other high stress critical areas.[*] CA's - Yes, I know I said I didn't use these but that's not entirely true. I still use them for a couple of things. I keep thin CA around for hardening threads cut into wood for such things as wing bolts. I may also use it to help hold large constructions together while the Elmer's sets. I will put a couple of small drops on the wood to hold it all together while the wood glue dries. I also do reviews for RCU and I use the proper thickness CA adhesive that is called for in the instructions. I do this because we try to do review planes as the instructions call for. I do have medium and thick CA around but don't use them much. Especially the thick, too many people try to use thick CA to fill up gaps in wood joints but this can be bad, it can lead to a false sense of security because the joint will be weak. Nothing beats wood to wood contact in a joint.[*] Formula 560 - This is a canopy adhesive and that's exactly what I use it for, for attaching the canopy to the fuselage[*] Gorilla Glue - I don't use this glue too much because of the way it expands while setting up. This can be bad if you don't have the area secured properly because it can push the parts out of position before it dries. But I've found that it does have several really good uses, one especially good is if you have areas that need to be filled and secured. You can apply the glue and a little water and the glue will expand out into the area you want to fill.[*] Thread locks - Self-explanatory. I use thread lock to keep nuts and screws in place. Always use blue thread lock so you can remove the nut or screw later. Never ever use red thread lock because it's permenant, you won't get your nut or screw off ever again.[*] 3M 77 spray adhesive - This is some great stuff that has lots of uses in our hobby. One that comes to mind right off the bat is when doing cockpits. You can use this spray adhesive to hold items like printed instrument panels in place.
[/ul]

Well, that's about all I can think of right now.


Ken

RE: favorite glues?
 

Normal wood glue for kitbuilding and epoxy for landing gear blocks and joining wing panels.

RE: favorite glues?
 

I used to use Hot Stuff CA. Then I used Zap. Then Kwik Bond. I have used Bob Smith CA's but shelf life sucked. I recently bought a bunch of "OK CA" glue made by Zap. It is the economy brand. I have used it exclusively on my 4*60 build and it has been great so far. I have left the bottles out in the shop open to air and they have not gone bad, since February anyway.

I also have developed a reaction to CA. So now I wear a cartridge respirator. Best thing I have done in years was to buy that. I also use it when using paints or anything that has any kind of smell.

For wood glue I have used Sig-Bond yellow glue. That was good stuff. I just bought some Great Planes Pro Bond and I don't liket it as much. Too hard to sand.

RE: favorite glues?
 

i like the elmers probond wood glue, and 15 and 30 min epoxy. thin CA is nice for hinging (i have recently stopped using CA hinges) and hardening threads in wood. (i try to find an alternate attachment method if possible)
last winter i only used CA and epoxy. It never really bothered me, but after hearing what it does/can do to me, my CA that i had left over went in the trash!

RE: favorite glues?
 

This past year, I built a new project with CA glue and I too suffered severe lung irritations. I developed Pneumonia like symptoms. I now have to wear a cartridge respiratator, or go back to the old tried and true glue..titebond. CA is convenient and fast, but I do like titebond better.

Rod ;)

RE: favorite glues?
 

It all depends on what i'm building but as a rule I use CA ,epoxy, and titebond .So far no probs with the CA fumes .
As many planes as I usually build a year I would be lost WO my CA both med and thin.
I also still have a couple of cans of the old formula 3-M 77 for sheeted wings ,but when thats gone??? Well I guess I'll cross that bridge when i get there .
I can remember years ago using titebond on wing skins and it did a fine job ,just took forever to dry ,I may be back to using it again.

RE: favorite glues?
 

I prefer the Sig Bond alphatic resin to Titebond. Seems to set up a little faster and sands very easily and I don't notice a difference in strength.

I use Jet CA's - Never had a nozzle clog on me. - Although I don't use CA as much as I used to, it bothers my eyes and lungs too much. Sometimes you get lazy though.

Hobby Shop Epoxies.

RE: favorite glues?
 

I'm extreamly sensitive to fumes but other than eye irataion when the CA kicks, I haven't had a problem with it. I now use a big floor fan on low behind my chair and that circulation seems to solve the eye issue.

On epoxies, in my previous life as a jeweler, I used a lot of epoxies for stone work. I specialized in opals and opal inlays. There is a lot of different thoughts, but here is what I found hardened best and held best. Note in stone work, a very hard set is required as it will be sanded down, sometimes taking some stone and some gold, and the polished. The best I found was Uhu from Germany. It was a 30 minute set, but could be accelerated with heat and also by increasing the hardner. It dried to a very pale yellow and in the thin applications we used, it was totaly transparrent. One of the more robust epoxies I used was Epoxy 220 and Epoxy 330 by Hughes. The 220 is water clear, and the 330 is a pale yellow. The 330 by it's specs has a better hold, but in practice, I saw no difference. Again cure time could be accelerated with heat. I used the little 1oz tubes and if unopened, they would last forever. I just opoened a tube set last week that had been in my store stock for a couple years and I closed the store seven years ago. Nine years and counting. It is still very functional.

For 5 minute jobs, I use Devcon 5 minute in the small 1 oz tubes. It kicks a little faster than I like some times, but it has near the holding power of the Epoxy 330, in fact I would be hard pressed to tell the difference if I didn't have to polish out a joint.

Not all the 5 minute stuff is good though. I recently tried some Loctite 5 minute and it didn't hold well at all. I was using it for holding stones while faceting them, so there was a very small glue joint with some amount of stress. It was just to flexable and allowed the stone to shift some. The Devcon doesn't have that problem and I have used it for setting firewalls and landing gear mounts with good results, even on repairs where I was fighting some fuel residue. If I have a small enough job that I can be sure of completing the setup before the epoxy starts to kick, I use the 5 minute. For more complex jobs, the Epoxy 330 or 220 is used. In most cased, I place a desk lamp with a 100 watt bulb pointed at the joint at a distance of around 6". The Devcon will be fully cured in 30 minutes, while the 330 or 220 will still be tacky after an hour, but by next morning, it is glassy hard.

One of the main things to consider when using epoxy is to make sure both sides of the joint are wet before clamping together. Especially in wood. This removes any air bubbles and gives a very good joint.

Again, just my 2 cents worth.


Don

RE: favorite glues?
 

The glue depends on the kit!

Something with precision laser cut parts like what Bill Stevens produces at Stevens Aeromodel needs nothing but thin CA due to an amazing parts fit. His kits are designed with the laser in mind.

As for most others I've built, those that require sandpaper, I would agree that aliphatic resin is the way to go. Strong, long-lasting, light joints that sand well.

RE: favorite glues?
 

When I was a kid, I used my Mom's Elmer's white glue to build Guillow kits and some control line kits. It was all I had and it worked well except it wasn't sand-able. I just balled up when you tried to sand it.

Laser cut parts are amazing! They fit soooooo nice. Makes you almost miss the days of die-crunched kits....LOL. I think Goldberg was the king of crunch years ago.

CA is nice when you are in a hurry and I suppose it's spoiled me to, but fumes get to me now, so I seldom use it except to tack glue or field repairs.

Rod :D

RE: favorite glues?
 

For those useing CA glue, if you keep it in your fridg. after you open it, it will last a long time. I use Sig's wood glue (Aliphatic resin) GREAT GLUE! but for building wings I use CA for speed. also those who can't use CA because of the smell, me included, they do make an oderless CA kind of pricey but it also works on foam planes also. but the key to CA is to keep it in the fridge. when your done using it.

RE: favorite glues?
 

I have no favorite... as long as it works and doesn't give me hassels. :D



Peter Dowling aka Luftwaffe Oberst
AMA District II # 865404
Aero Modelers Club
Pulaski, NY