
For example, when fixing a metal plate on to the side of a vehicle, a good bond can be achieved because there are two large flat surfaces that will not move. This can work well where there is a good surface area and a rigid joint. The disadvantages of epoxy mean that cyano (superglue) adhesives are more often used where one of the materials to be glued is metal. There is a join that needs to be glued but since it is edge to edge there is too little surface area to for most glues to form a strong bond. This photo-etch mudguard has been formed by bending the edge by 90 degrees. Finally, when it is dry, any excess is very difficult to remove (it is best carved away before it fully hardens).
Soldering iron cad model professional#
It is difficult to get a professional looking finish and often more glue ends up on fingers and the wrong parts of the model than on the joint. Until the epoxy cement has started to harden, it has very little holding power, so any joint has to be held firm with clamps or similar.Īnother problem with epoxy is that it is very messy and stringy – a bit like gluing with treacle. This time can be anything between 30 seconds and 24 hours depending on the make of epoxy, so you need to choose the curing time suitable for each task. When mixed they have to be used within a specific time before it cures. It has created a very strong bond, but it is not pretty.Įpoxy glues have to be mixed and usually it is necessary to mix far more than you need, so it is wasteful. This washer and nut have been glued to the base of a model with epoxy adhesive. The adhesives most often used for metal are two-part epoxy cements, or cyano adhesives, neither of which are ideal for the following reasons: Problems with epoxy resin adhesives: For glueing metal to itself, or other materials, poly cement is utterly useless.

For gluing plastic (styrene) it is ideal. The most common glue used in scale modelling is polystyrene cement which comes in a variety of consistencies from thick tube glue to ultra-thin liquid cement. In addition to the risk of personal injury there is a danger of causing damage to property, or starting a fire, so extreme care should be exercised and it should only be attempted by adults. CAUTION: Soldering requires the use of an electric or gas powered soldering iron which will be extemely hot. This tutorial will guide you through the process. Although this is not easy it will provide a very strong bond and in a few cases is the only practical solution.

Cyano (superglue) or epoxy resin adhesives are most commonly used, but these are far from ideal in some situations.Īn alternative method is to solder metal parts together.
Soldering iron cad model how to#
This means that a modeller needs to know how to fix together different materials and perhaps one of the most difficult combinations is gluing metal to metal. Modern kits are often multimedia with resin, metal, wood and other materials in addition to traditional styrene plastic. Long gone are the days when making a scale model involved just plastic. A typical selection of tools and materials needed for soldering.
