Question about glue

How do I prevent Testors glue from drying and clogging up my tips? Every single time I use my glue, it dries inside of the tip making it unusable. Any suggestions?

Are we talking about their tube glue with the plastic tip that presses onto the nozzle ? Remove the tip, let the glue dry & push out the dried “plug” with a needle or something similar.

It worked! Thanks!

Sure thing, glad to be of assistance.

The better idea is to get liquid glue. It is easier to control and doesn’t leave any visible globs or smears. Much easier and cleaner to use.

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https://www.amazon.com/Testors-3507AT-Liquid-Plastic-1-Ounce/dp/B00005CA7S?

Not sure what that is. I mean like this.

https://www.amazon.com/Tamiya-87038-Extra-Thin-Cement/dp/B000BMYWYC

I’m running to hobby lobby later today, they have this in stock: Testors Liquid Cement For Plastic. Would this be ok? Or should I order the Tamiya?

Yes, it is basically the same stuff. To use it, hold the two parts together and run a wet brush from the jar along the seam. Capillary action will draw in the glue. Hold a few seconds and it will dry. It works pretty fast.

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Gotcha. I see they have a normal and a thin, which would I get? Thin?

Again, falls to preference. I actually prefer Tenex or Plastruct liquid glues. They are “hotter” and react very quickly, but hold like concrete. Get both and try them to see which one you like better. Any of them are better than tube glue.

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Ok, will do. Thanks for the tips!

Thin for tight joints,
the normal should be OK for less tight joints.
The trick is to dry fit and adjust the joints (add styrene strip or sand down)
until they are tight. The capillary action works best, or only, with tight joints.
Use a small brush, say size 0, a big brush could flood the joint and spill out
onto the plastic outside. Since this is essentially a solvent it will soften and smear
details so spilling is a very bad move. A big brush will also increase the fumes
in the air …
Make sure the bottle can not fall over and drown parts (some 1/72 sailors from
Monograms HMS Bluebell corvette kit look like gingerbread men now …)

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Oh the 1/72 humanity… :slight_smile:

My tip is to have a variety of different glues on the workbench. I have the thin stuff. The thick stuff. Superglue. Craft glue. Plus a few others.

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A further comment on @Uncle-Heavy’s advice. If you do happen to spill the glue or flood a surface, don’t touch it! Just let it evaporate and allow time for the plastic to harden then repair the surface as required. The same applies if you should spill on your work table or the floor. The solvent will soften most furniture finishes and if you wipe them while soft they’re ruined. Don’t ask me how I know.

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