Styrene Questions

[REEVE2007]

What thickness of styrene is best to use on the body? Also what do I use as an adhesive to bond the styrene? what do I use as per say bondo to cover up seems and what not? And last but not least where is the best place to purchase all of these products? As usual any help is much appreciated...

[fhhhstix]

I use .080 styrene since the cabs are .0750 and I have never seen it. As for an adhesive I use Plastruct Bondene. For filler most here use evercoat.

Styrene can be purchased from me. Click here

Bondene can be purchased from most hobby supply shops. Click here

Evercoat body filler is sold at most NAPA auto part stores. Click here

Here is a link to evercoats product page. evercoat poly flex

Travis

[REEVE2007]

Good deal...thanks for the help. We'll be talking as soon as I figure out where I am going to go with this project

Originally Posted by fhhhstix

I use .080 styrene since the cabs are .0750 and I have never seen it. As for an adhesive I use Plastruct Bondene. For filler most here use evercoat.

Styrene can be purchased from me. Click here

Bondene can be purchased from most hobby supply shops. Click here

Evercoat body filler is sold at most NAPA auto part stores. Click here

Here is a link to evercoats product page. evercoat poly flex

Travis

[SonoranWraith]

Save yourself a boatload of money and forget the Bondene or SameStuff, Tenax etc. solvents. Go get yourself some MEK at HD or Lowes, works the same. If you need a little bit longer set time, use Tamiya's glue, it's nice and thin but good work time. For even longer you can use the gooey std model cement but it is messy to use in a precise manner but set time is forever.

For styrene thicknesses, use what works for the part you are trying to make. .060 or .080 are great if you dont need curves. Forget trying to bend it unless you want to apply heat to it. You can use .030 or .040 for curves but the solvent will deform it a bit if you are putting it over a frame or forming it to curved pieces underneath. It is a slight deformation but noticeable (the solvent melts the plastic) and can be filled cause you love to sand right? I have all the way down to .010 that I use as a shim.

Basic building techniques are much like wood. Butt end joints are weak weak. Invest in square, quarter round, solid, hollow etc rod of all sizes. Use is to strengthen from behind a joint. When you are shaping, you can sand through panels to reveal the "backer rod" actually becomes part of the visible part.

Don't forget my wife's favorite part...the snow from all the styrene sanding! You sand for the basic shape you are trying to achieve and then you get to start filler and sand for days. Fun fun.

Buy some and start experimenting it isn't too expensive.

[fhhhstix]

Originally Posted by SonoranWraith

Save yourself a boatload of money and forget the Bondene or SameStuff, Tenax etc. solvents. Go get yourself some MEK at HD or Lowes, works the same. If you need a little bit longer set time, use Tamiya's glue, it's nice and thin but good work time. For even longer you can use the gooey std model cement but it is messy to use in a precise manner but set time is forever.

Plastruct Bondene is Dichloromethane and Plastruct Plastic Weld is MEK and yes both will work for styrene but do not have the same characteristics. Bondene is suitable for bonding like materials and Plastic Weld (MEK) will do like materials but is more suited to bonding dissimilar materials. The plastic supplier I buy from recommend bondene or a similar product for styrene and MEK for ABS. I have tried MEK on styrene but I prefer the Bondene it seams to be a stronger bond but that is my opinion.

Travis

[SonoranWraith]

Originally Posted by fhhhstix

Plastruct Bondene is Dichloromethane and Plastruct Plastic Weld is MEK and yes both will work for styrene but do not have the same characteristics. Bondene is suitable for bonding like materials and Plastic Weld (MEK) will do like materials but is more suited to bonding dissimilar materials. The plastic supplier I buy from recommend bondene or a similar product for styrene and MEK for ABS. I have tried MEK on styrene but I prefer the Bondene it seams to be a stronger bond but that is my opinion.

Travis

True they are not all the same chemical. I just lumped them into solvents. I have used them all and the difference to me was not noticeable so I used the cheapest.