Glues for canopies, a few questions.

[KennyX]

I have been using PVA glue for to affix clear canopy parts to my models.

Masking, painting, and fixing canopies is the bane of my existence, as I’ve said before.

I was taking to Doogs about it briefly on Facebook, and he mentioned that he fixes windscreens with Tamiya Extra-Thin. That went in one eyeball and out the other as the issues I’d been having- poor canopy fit with my Emil were resolved by taping all three pieces together before test-fitting it onto the fuselage (yes, I feel like an idiot for not thinking of that sooner).

Anyway, it’s almost time to put the canopy parts on there.

And since I’m displaying the Emil with a closed cockpit, I got to thinking about other, more burly glues than PVA glue, and recalled what Doogs had told me.

Now, I’ve read that Tamiya Extra-Thin can fog clear parts. But I’m thinking “Well He’ll, if Doogs does it, maybe it won’t.”

So- does Tamiya Extra-Thin, when used very carefully on clear parts, really fog them up? He mainly displays his cockpits open, so perhaps the cement does fog clear parts *if* any gasses or vapors from them don’t have the ability to escape the confines of the cockpit?

What do y’all think?

[KSaarni]

I think Kenny you will get many different answers here, but I will start:

I have also in the recent builds used only Tamiyas Extra Thin for the canopys-
The canopy example below might have dust and scratches etc on it, but definitely no glue fog anywhere to be seen.



- Kari

[KSaarni]

Another angle



- Kari

[KennyX]

I think Kenny you will get many different answers here, but I will start:

I have also in the recent builds used only Tamiyas Extra Thin for the canopys-
The canopy example below might have dust and scratches etc on it, but definitely no glue fog anywhere to be seen.



- Kari

Okay! Well there we have it! Closed canopy, Tamiya Extra-Thin, no fogging. Nice! Thank you. Also, that’s a great-looking plane.

It’s enough to convince me.

I brought it up because going into my fourth build (“Gustav I”), I’m re-working the order in which I do things. You already know I’ve got a list of stuff to leave-off until after decals and weathering- like balances, pitot tube, pilot antenna, LANDING GEAR (LOL) and so forth. Well, I’ve been leaving the canopy off until last (when building closed cockpit). I figure, why not install it before painting? And use the masks Eduard provides? I accidentally pulled off the gunsight on Emil II when pulling away making over the cockpit post-painting. I don’t want that to happen again, plus, if I run into fit issues I can fix/fill/whatever them before the paint goes on. And I figure the Tamiya Extra-Thin is burly enough to keep it stuck the real well.

Thanks Kari!

[jkim]

I've used Tamiya Extra Thin on canopies. Most of the time with no problems. I did have it fog up my clear parts at least once. This was the canopy on a 1/48 109DE-4 build a few years back. The canopy was dipped into Future prior to attachment and was glued into place using TET. After all of the painting was done and the canopy masks removed, there was some fogging on the inside of the canopies.




I managed to pry off the center canopy piece, wipe it clean and re-attach.

[Stikpusher]

I was going to ask, where is the fogging? But I take it that you cleaned it up before the photos were made?

[jkim]

I was going to ask, where is the fogging? But I take it that you cleaned it up before the photos were made?

The fogging is there but it is kind of hard to see but in both pictures, it's streaky looking and is partially obscuring the armored headrest. Can you make it out?

After the clean-up...


I've used TET on canopies and NOT had fogging so I'm not sure what the issue was with this particular build.

[Stikpusher]

I can make out some barely noticeable distortion on the rear fixed portion of the canopy. If that is what that is...

[jkim]

Ah Carlos... forever bustin my chops. Can you see it now? The photo has not been enhanced in any way... just enlarged.

[BlackSheep214]

I use Formula 500 Canopy glue....