The Energon Pub

hey, I'm relatively new to customising, and so far glue, pins and screws have served me well, but I find myself considering learning how to join plastics in a more permanent fashion-I've looked round the internet for tips and advice and all i see is one person say it's possible, then another says the opposite.

I know I can trust you guys, so simple question:
Is it possible to solder plastics together, be it with a soldering iron, other tool or a knife over a stove?

Also, how does one go about using styrene sheets? Can they be cut or molded?
Thanks folks, I really need answers to this.

hinomars19 wrote:hey, I'm relatively new to customising, and so far glue, pins and screws have served me well, but I find myself considering learning how to join plastics in a more permanent fashion-I've looked round the internet for tips and advice and all i see is one person say it's possible, then another says the opposite.

I know I can trust you guys, so simple question:
Is it possible to solder plastics together, be it with a soldering iron, other tool or a knife over a stove?

Also, how does one go about using styrene sheets? Can they be cut or molded?
Thanks folks, I really need answers to this.

It is possible but you don't use heat per say. Heating usually makes plastic move away from the heat source and therefore away from the other piece you are trying to bond it to. You have to get some liquid Plastruct PLastic Weld or something similar. You can find it at your local hobby supply. You brush it on to both surfaces that you are joining press them together and hold for at least 10 seconds. It acts on the molecular level and actually eats away at the plastic, when it cures usually with 5-10 minutes it has bonded the two pieces together. It takes about 24 hours for it to fully cure and harden but after a few minutes it is workable. All plastics are not the same and it acts differently from one to the other so you should test it first on some scrap of the material you are going to use.
As for the styrene you can cut it, mold it, melt it, glue it, sand it, paint it whatever. You can find a huge assortment of different lengths, widths, thickness style, color also at your local hobby store. Hope this helped.

[/quote]It is possible but you don't use heat per say. Heating usually makes plastic move away from the heat source and therefore away from the other piece you are trying to bond it to. You have to get some liquid Plastruct PLastic Weld or something similar. You can find it at your local hobby supply. You brush it on to both surfaces that you are joining press them together and hold for at least 10 seconds. It acts on the molecular level and actually eats away at the plastic, when it cures usually with 5-10 minutes it has bonded the two pieces together. It takes about 24 hours for it to fully cure and harden but after a few minutes it is workable. All plastics are not the same and it acts differently from one to the other so you should test it first on some scrap of the material you are going to use.
As for the styrene you can cut it, mold it, melt it, glue it, sand it, paint it whatever. You can find a huge assortment of different lengths, widths, thickness style, color also at your local hobby store. Hope this helped.[/quote]

Yes, it does help! I was looking at those kind of products yesterday, but was unsure if they actually do what they say they do (unlike certain glues!) Now I have it from the horses mouth I'll go get some.

cheers.