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What glue disolves polycarbonate to weld it?


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Hi, has anyone found the miracle glue which will disolve the polycarbonate which MTH uses and welds it together like styrene cement or MEK does with styrene or ABS? It is an essential for repairing fragile elements of an MTH loco or car and is indispensible if one wants to kitbash one. I have a few Pennsy locos with radio telephone antenas and it is difficult to repair. I have had to make a few new post from brass stock to replace broken ones on my lathe. Plus many othger applications. This is a crucial issue a manufacturer should use a material that people can repair.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I use exclusively, CA, super glue, and have no problems.  Someone said that it is too brittle, well, I haven't had that problem.  With some of my kitbashes, the entire length of the car is glued with CA, and as of yet, there have been no cracks, no failures, so until that happens, I will continue to use CA.  I go to the hobby shop and buy the medium thickness type and also use the accelerator.  I don't know what I would use if not for the CA.  I believe that with plastic, the CA penetrates the plastic, that is why it is so strong. All of my kitbashes of MTH passenger cars were assembled with CA, and again, no failures. I do this.  On one side of the surface, where the outside paint is, I sand flat, but the inside, for extra strength, I leave a bead, similar to a weld and do not sand flat, except where necessary, you can't see it anyway.  The E8 cab is an MTH cab glued to an epoxy resin shell, again, no cracks and the B&O MTH car was stretched about 4 inches, again no cracks after about 5 years. Bob.

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  A few years ago I completely gutted an Aristo RS2 to install a Hyde out Mountain Live diesel kit.  I mean completely gutted, even the cross members until it was nothing but a hollow shell.  Probably a different plastic, but the point I am making is I also used regular gauze like in a bandage to give the seams some additional strength along with the CA.  Sean, no room for screws.   LiG

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  Bob, here's the link to the U tube video I posted 5 years ago, and it still is fun.  You can see the throttle servo in the previous pic, also has a direction servo.  I apologize for wandering off the point of this topic. 

 

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Nick, tell us something about how this thing runs.  Is the nitro motor running a generator and then to the motor.  Are you getting enough power?  Having flown RC aircraft, I noticed that the exhaust is a small tube, possibly limiting rpm.  Just an observation, but if that is the case,  enlarging the exhaust tube would greatly increase power.  This might not be a problem, don't know, Bob.

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Bob,  It runs great.  Yes the motor is connected directly to the generator through that big fly wheel.   That then feeds the stock Aristocraft motorized trucks.  The exhaust passes through that large copper pipe into the PVC container that has a sponge to collect the oil that is spitted out, then to the exhaust pipe that brings it to where the RS2 model has the exhaust.  Here's a video of it pulling my beer train, a short string of box cars, tanker and caboose.  As you can hear, it is a bit noisy.     

 

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Bob, Drifting even further off thread topic:  I have no experience with planes, this is my first little engine.  Can you recommend a good fuel, the one I used, even with the catch can, spits oil out of the exhaust stack and all over my cars.  thank you.      

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The only way would be to go to a gasoline 4 cycle engine with its own oil in the sump and I don't think they make one that small, but I might be wrong.  2 cycle engines require the oil to be mixed in with the fuel, so there is the problem.  The only other idea that I can think of is to make some sort of an oil trap box to separate the oil from the exhaust and then keep emptying the tank.  That might be possible with some sort of filter. Bob.

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 Bob, thank you for sharing your experience.  I already have a 'catch can' that is attached directly to the exhaust pipe (the white PVC container) that has a sponge in it.  If nothing else it's fun to run the Live Diesel and I'll just have to clean the roof of the first two cars.    Life is Good

 

 

 

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Thanks for the feedback every body. Although what I feel is the best bond for plastic is that which melts superficially the plastic welding it in sorts. It seems that Altuglass glue is good for this or at least  I read that somewhere recently. I tried some on one of those roof antenas that my Pennsy diesels feature (For the train phone antena system used by PRR for many years after the war) they are very vulnerable in the outdoor environment. Iit seems to hold well and there is very little contact surface, which is a good point.

 

Great looking Erie RS3 Nick.

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du-bousquetaire, thank you.  Hind site, the build would have been easier had I used an F type diesel with a wider body than the RS. Or better still, used two F units, one with the motor, flywheel and generator and the other with the electronics.  The vibrations have a tendency to loosen the connections.   LiG. 

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  • 1 month later...

Yes earlier I was tempted by those Hyde out models diesels but finally I kept them as straight electrics because of all the things that can attack the paint and even the plastic that are in those fuels. A good friend of mine went battery electric with a B unit hauling the batteries speed controle and radio control from Peter Spoerer, for the same reason although he actually baught the Hyde out mountain diesel kit! Sorryfor the late answer, but I was away for a few weeks.

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  • 2 years later...
On 7/10/2018 at 1:34 PM, du-bousquetaire said:

Hi, has anyone found the miracle glue which will disolve the polycarbonate which MTH uses and welds it together like styrene cement or MEK does with styrene or ABS? It is an essential for repairing fragile elements of an MTH loco or car and is indispensible if one wants to kitbash one. I have a few Pennsy locos with radio telephone antenas and it is difficult to repair. I have had to make a few new post from brass stock to replace broken ones on my lathe. Plus many othger applications. This is a crucial issue a manufacturer should use a material that people can repair.

 

Okay as I finally discovered the glue that will dissolve/ melt the hard plastic and weld it back together. It's actually Methylene Chloride. I used to use it years ago for cleaning carburetors..go figure??

 

I've been using this brand. I applied it to both pieces and pushed them together. The stuff is wicked so in no way do you want to let it touch a finished surface as it will "melt" it. The parts I repaired with it the joint is just as strong or stronger than the original surrounding material. 

 

Weld-On 4

 

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Chuck, timely research, and now we have the answer.  Learned how strong carb cleaner was the hard way.  Early 90's Harley had a great idea to make the fuel connector on it's carbs plastic.  One dip and it was totally distorted, the replacement was metal.  

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5 hours ago, Screwy Nick said:

Chuck, timely research, and now we have the answer.  Learned how strong carb cleaner was the hard way.  Early 90's Harley had a great idea to make the fuel connector on it's carbs plastic.  One dip and it was totally distorted, the replacement was metal.  

 

Exactly! Napa sold that little metal dipping bucket with basket carb cleaner, I wouldn't be surprised if they still sell it. That was THE best carb cleaner as had methylene chloride in it with a water sealer. Now a days I'll use acid but that'll raise heck with any aluminum. I see folks using brake cleaner or boiling carb parts in hot water with Dawn to clean them?? 

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2 hours ago, rbrown7713 said:

I have continuing success with super glue. I use the medium thickness type that I buy at my local hobby shop. I use it on all of my models and have yet to have any failures. Bob.

 

Well the original poster asked what glue dissolves polycarbonate to weld it. 

 

MTH use Methylene Chloride

 

LGB use MEK/ Methyl Ethyl Ketone

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