Greetings All!

I thought I would post this gluing tip as an alternative
to white glue.

I put together paper models of all types, and I find that
superglue, or whatever brand of cyanoacrylate you might
use, works wonders for gluing paper.

The brand I use is FLASH, which can be found in any model
or hobby shop. I find the medium works the best for paper,
but a thick one might work good for others. It's all about the
drying time. The medium gives about 10-20 seconds before
it's permenantly stuck.

I also use tweezers to hold the tab to the paper until it's
set. It doesn't take long and then when you work on the
other tabs, the first tabs won't come apart, like with white
glue. White glue takes too long to dry for my tastes. Just
when I think a tab is dry, pops off and I got to glue it on
again. Not so with superglue.

Oh, and when superglue dries, it doesn't warp the paper like
white glue, because of the low water content (if there is any).

Please use it sparingly when applying it to the tabs, and try
not to hold the model directly under your nose while it is
drying (trust me, hehe). If you put to much glue on and it oozes out the edges, use a paper towel to quickly whip it off.
If you move fast enough, it won't leave any trace of residue.

There is another benefit of superglue, it won't smear the ink as
bad as white glue sometimes does.

If you manage to glue your fingers to the paper model;
and it will happen from time to time, just twist your finger in a
circular motion and it will seperate from the paper without
ripping the model.

One final thing about using superglue (cyanoacrylate) when
gluing models: the glue on your fingers should only take a
day or two to come off (haha!)

cya,

Steve

Using Superglue is a good idea though tends to be risky if you like the skin on your fingertips...  ;) I use a product called the Avery Gluepen and it seems to work well.  Not really a permanent glue, but once it dries it keeps them held together quite well. The other good thing is it is not caustic in any way like super glue tends to be with paper or skin....

Hi,

Thanks for the info on the Avery gluepen. I haven't
tried it out before. I will now. I am willing to try anything
that can hold up to heavy use. My son is pretty rough
with my paper models, which led me to a stronger bond.

cya,
Steve

Thanks for the gluing tips boys! I think I'll try the glue pen while developing the next set.

well I am back from holidays and it seems I am a bit behind in my posting lol.  

Superglue has some ups and downs.

The ups being it glues fast, its strong and its universal (for the most part) you can use it to glue pretty much anything.

The downs are the cost, if it happens to get on your fingers your screwed because most of the glue when bonding to skin has a drying time of 1-2 seconds.  Finally the fumes can make you really sick.

If you have the extra cash to throw around or are having some trouble working the white glue you may want to give it a try.  

I personally suggest Tacky glue, you can pick it up at any craft store or wal-mart and its basically a thick white glue.  it doesnt soak into paper as well as the traditional elmers and it doesnt cost a fortune.   the bond is strong and I havent been able to make the glue break on a model after its dry.
Drying time is about 30 seconds just so that it sticks and doesnt come apart so you can continue your model building.  when fully set (about 20 hours) its indistructable it also glues clear so you dont have to look at a yellow or other colour seam.

Hope that helps in your glue selection.

Stephen

I finally tried the superglue on VillageWorks. I wish I had tried it sooner. It's so much easier to make models with it! After putting a few of the buildings together I think Elmer's is a poor substitute for superglue. All the comments before are very true, however, it's worth the loss of a few fingertips!  ;D

Super glue gel doesn't run, so you don't get it on your fingers nearly as much, and it bonds much better than Elmer's. The only downside is cost, but you save a lot of time, and as they say, time is money.

Call me crazy, but I never use anything but Superglue for paper/card models.  It sticks quickly, doesn't come undone over time, and if applied liberally can dry rock solid (handy for structural reinforcement).  I found different brands react differently with paper however, Loctite being the best brand for paper work (in the UK that is- international formulations might be different)

Sticking fingers?  If you're careful where you apply the glue and how much, you should never come into contact with it.  Then keep your fingers moving as much as possible, and if you feel yourself starting to bond, pull away before it cures and wipe your fingers.  Finally I've found that superglue doesn't stick to nails as well as skin, so I use fingertips and back of fingernails as much as possible rather than the fleshy pads.

Cost?  Apart from the "time is money" argument, I tend to keep an eye out for when my local store has a special offer and then buy several tubes.  Currently they're bundling a small tube of gel free with it, so I use the liquid for paper models and the gel for other projects, so overall it doesn't work out too badly.

Be careful if using it with coloured card though, it stains it very badly.  Never had that problem with inkjet printed white paper.

You know what's even better than Superglue?  Spuerglue Gel.
This stuff is really cool.  It's exactly the same as superglue, but it comes out in a little blob of gel.  That means none gets on your fingers (although if you use tweezers, that shouldn't be a problem).  Because it's a little blob of gel, it's better for filling in gaps (not so necessary on paper models, but it's great for assembling plastic or metal miniatures).  And the other nice thing is that for some reason I can't fathom, a tube of gel lasts longer.  I have no idea why, but when I use normal Superglue, after only a few days the tube gets all crusted and you have to poke a hole through the dried glue to get anymore out, but with the gel it stays good longer (several weeks).  I really can't figure it out, since they both dry just as fast, but then I'm not complaining.  

How are you applying the white glue? I'm asking because I'm having no problem at all with the time it takes to dry. I tend to apply it in small amounts, and spread it evenly on the tabs with a popsicle stick. That way I get a thin and even coat of glue. Once pressed against another piece of paper, it takes about 10 seconds to dry.

Personally I don't use superglue with paper. It dries too fast for me, before I can set the tabs straight. And that felling of it burning the paper in between my fingers freaks me out.  ;D

For white glue (Elmer's or Thick Craft glue) I found using a paint brush works best. Since both glues are water based you can use even an expensive brush (which you shouldn't..but could) and clean it with water once you are done. If by chance you forget to clean the brush and want to use it again just soak it in hot water for about an hour and the glue comes right out.

Another cool thing about white glue is it can be colored...yes colored:)

Adding a drop of artist ink to a small ammout of white glue can add some interesting F?X where needed.

GeorgeD

I found a craft glue called "Aleene's Tacky Glue" at Wallmart. It costs just 88 cents a bottle and if you just use a thin layer, it works great and the drying time is fast too. Just thought I would pass along the info...

I have just now started with my first WorldWorks product...Chunky Dungeons!

So I start building. The only thing I had was the Super Glue. I use it for just about everything else. So why not with Cardstock Models I thought...this stuff works GREAT.

YES you just have to watch out for the skin contact and YES do NOT want to get it to close to your nose or else you may be "floating some where else"!  :P

Also thanks for all the other tips here in the forums!

Thanks

Helken Polya

;D  ;D  ;D  ;D

be very carefull with super glue. I've been doing crafts for going on 20 years now.  I feignted in my garage about a year and a half ago.  When I was taken to the hospital the doctor explained to me the concequences of working with super glue and similar products.  

Some of the toxic elements of this glue's vapors ***NEVER* ** leave your system.  Everyone has a different level of tolerance for them, but once your there... thats it.   No more super glue,  ever.  

Use it sparingly, in a well ventleated area.If I could go back, I would have worn a mask.  Not being able to use cyanoacrylate glues is a handycap I'd rather not have with as much crafting as I do.  Any thing that REQUIRES it now, I havce to have my wife do for me in the other room..... Lets not talk about what a hastle that is!