Not Using cyanoacrylate glue

[Bob Penikas]

Howdy,

Certain paper model assemblies demand shape and stiffening that cyan readily handles. I have not as yet found a substitute .

My lungs cannot tolerate the accumulated affects of cyanoacrylate glues.

Playing with 67 lb card stock renders a wiggly light green BENZ then a second BENZ using 110 lb card stock test ; still those fenders need to be shaped and harden to hold proper alignment.

Just sharing,

Bob

[Michael Mash]

Hello Bob,
I couldn't help but notice your posting about cyanoacrylate glue.
At one time I used it to laminate paper and card. It really worked well.
However, I developed an allergic reaction to it, so I stopped using it.
Now I use white (they used to call it Elmer's) glue for everything.
Sorry I don't have any advice for shaping fenders except, experiment, experiment, experiment. A new technique will emerge.
Mike

[airdave]

Given the time to dry, PVA glue will hold its shape.
As long as you can figure out a way to hold the fender in the correct shape.
I suggest creating some sort of jig?

I recommend coating with Wood/Carpenters glue, which sets up rock hard.
Stiffer and harder than plain white glue.
Its usually a slightly yellow colour, but if applied to the underside of the fenders, it would be hidden.

[RyanShort1]

What about ventilation, such as a fan sucking the fumes away from you?

[mbauer]

Most of the paints/glues can be dealt with by using carbon filters to stop OV vapors.

Work in a welding store. We sell North, 3m and Miller ones.

The North and 3M have big bulky filters that get in the way when welding. Miller Electric makes welding machines, hoods and safety gear.

They created a very Low Profile respirator to fit under a welding hood and still be able to weld without a big bulk blocking your view.

For smoke they have HEPA filters, they do make one with HEPA/activated charcoal in it. That is the one you will want to try.

Mike

HEPA isn't doing anything to stop the vapors.

[Sakrison]

Laminations can be used to add strength and to help hold shapes like curves and arches. You can make a simple jig to hold the fender to the proper curve, then laminate extra layers to the curved piece using white glue. If a fender is in three parts, middle and two sides as on your BENZ, you should only need to add extra layers to the middle part, and it will dictate the shape of the two sides, so the finished fender will appear to have the correct thickness.

Elmer's is good. A lot of paper modelers prefer Aleene's Tacky Glue, it's a water-based PVA like Elmer's but with less moisture content, and you can find it at any craft shop and most hardware stores. With Tacky Glue, there is less risk of moisture from the glue distorting a part. Tacky Glue also sets up a bit faster than Elmer's but still slowly enough to be workable, unlike CA.

I use CA very sparingly because the fumes are irritating to my eyes and nose, even with an exhaust fan. I do almost everything with Tacky Glue and, although it tastes awful (Remember, glue is the stuff you chew off your fingers), I've never noticed any odor. And Tacky Glue costs about the same as Elmer's, or a sometimes less, depending on where you buy it.

[radett]

it is best to shape the paper wet on the prepared curvature pattern. After complete drying, it must be strengthened by soaking it with several layers of highly diluted colorless varnish or impregnation. It should be heavily diluted because it will soak into the paper better and deeper. After complete drying and hardening, the whole thing can be removed from the curvature pattern

[Thumb Dog]

Hi All,

And hi, Bob Penikas. I sympathize with your concerns about cyan. However in my case, it seems to affect my eyes rather than my lungs. Any mucus membrane in or on our bodies can be irritated by cyanoacrylate glues. I rarely use cyan on my paper models as it can unpredictably seep through the paper, staining the printed side. That said, here’s how I stiffen and form some paper parts.

I usually build vintage models from scans, and because of that, I can mirror and print out as many parts as I need. Being able to print out extra model parts is a handy attribute to have and many modelers will scan their pre-printed models so they can make duplicate parts, too. The photographs of the models below show my stiffening and forming results.

Note the bottom of the white airplane’s wing. It has a mirrored copy of the wing’s top glued to its underside. This part was not included in the kit but is needed to make the finished model look its best. In the case of the white airplane, the wing is made up of just two layers of 110 lb. cardstock. First, I find a form that will aid on the glue-up. A can of spray paint was used in this case as it was long enough to fit the whole wing and the radius of the can mimicked the rather severe airfoil I was trying to achieve.

I know many paper modelers use tacky glue for their builds, but I have always used Elmer’s Glue-All white glue. It flows better for the following technique. Take the pre-cut top of the wing and place it face down on a clean sheet of paper. I often cut a few small triangles of masking tape and using just the very points of the triangles, I lightly tape down the length and ends of the part, otherwise it will start to curl when the white glue is applied. A piece of tape every two or three inches is enough. At this point, the underside of the wing, the mirrored part you have already printed and cut to shape, should be ready to go. From this point on, things happen pretty fast.

Squeeze out the white glue onto the part taped to the paper and spread it out thinly and evenly over the entire surface of the wing. I use my index finger to do this. Push the glue from the center of the part off the edges of the part. Don’t brush the overflow glue from the paper back onto the part, as it will seep under the cardstock and spoil it. Work fast, as the thin glue layer will dry quickly. After smoothing out the glue, thoroughly clean your finger, pick up the wing’s underside part and lay it onto the wet, glued surface. Make sure the leading edges and ends of the wings line up. With clean hands, carefully remove the glued wing from the paper and remove any tape triangles. Now lay the part, top up, over the spray can being sure to keep the leading edges and wingtips together. Gently form the wing over the can and notice that if the leading edges remain together, the trailing edge of the bottom part will stick out past the trailing edge of the upper part. You may want to use scissors to trim the offending edge right away, as handling the part with its wet glue might smudge the surface of the wing.

Keep rubbing and forming the part over the can for a few minutes and set it aside to dry. Checking on it every 10 or 15 minutes is a good idea, as the white glue will curve the airfoil tighter as it dries. Forming the airfoil between your thumbs and fingers and then matching it to the form during the drying process will help you to get the shape you desire.

As for the other photographs, the fenders on the car and the wings on the triplane were laid up the same way as described, except that the triplane’s wings have four layers of cardstock. But the extra thickness of the wings has paid off, as my scratch built model of the Sopwith Triplane is just shy of 40 years old.

This technique should be practiced with scrap cardstock before trying it on a printed model, as my early failure rate would suggest.

I know this is all a bit involved, but it’s the technique that has worked for me over the years and I thought you might be interested.

Score and fold,

Thumb Dog

[Bob Penikas]

Absolutely Interested Thumb Dog.
Thank you for your detailed write-up.
Thank you everyone for your responses.
Think of how we cut and paste. Is the distance arms length? Of course not.
Our face is right up there where the action is and even closer when wearing magnifiers.
Thus the uncontrolled glue breathing. Just beware. Stay healthy.

Bob

[RyanShort1]

Originally Posted by Bob Penikas

Absolutely Interested Thumb Dog.
Thank you for your detailed write-up.
Thank you everyone for your responses.
Think of how we cut and paste. Is the distance arms length? Of course not.
Our face is right up there where the action is and even closer when wearing magnifiers.
Thus the uncontrolled glue breathing. Just beware. Stay healthy.

Bob

Seems a good fan pumping a lot of air from a rear quarter and away from your face might help.