Albatros by Dr PR - Mantua - Scale 1:48 - Revenue Cutter kitbash about 1815

[Gregory]

I remember someone mentioning a CA that is not as volatile as most.  I’ll see if I can dig up the reference.

[Coyote_6]

Really makes me want to experiment more with shellac as it seems to penetrate really well compared to other options.  I would guess the tensile strength is nothing compared to super glue though. 🤔

 

Glad you're sharing your experiences Phil.  Thanks as always.

Edited Tuesday at 01:04 PM by Coyote_6

[Dr PR]

I decided to test several "glues" to see which was best for bonding polyester rope.

 

I used Syren Ultra Brown 0.018 inch (0.45 mm)scale rope in these tests. It is a medium size rope that provides a good surface area and volume to test the adhesives.

 

The "glues" were:

White glue - Office Works acid free school glue. It was used full strength, undiluted.

Sig-Bond  - an aliphatic resin.

Duco Cement - an acetone solution of nitrocellulose.

Loctite Super Glue Gel Control - cyanoacrylate (CA).

Zinsser Bulls Eye Shellac - from spray can. I sprayed into a small bottle and then painted the shellac onto the rope with a brush.

 

I twisted two strands of rope together and clamped both ends. Then a liberal amount of the adhesive was painted onto the strands. I used a metal needle to work the liquid between the two rope strands. Then the rope was pulled tight and twisted to keep the strands together while the glue dried.

 

 

 

After the glues had set for 12 hours I clamped the ends of each strand with forceps. One of the forceps was clamped to the edge of the work table. On the other forceps a line was looped around the handles and the other end of the line was attached to a plastic bucket hanging above a small waste basket. The waste basket was there to catch the quarters when the bucket fell - they tend to "splash" out of the bucket when it lands.

 

I have a box full of US quarters (25 cent pieces) for spare change. Quarters weigh 0.2 ounces or 5.6 grams. These were my test weights.

 

 

 

With the bucket suspended from the lower forceps I added quarters to the bucket until the weight was enough to break the glue bond. Or that was the plan. Here are the results.

 

Shellac - 0 g - The rope strands separated before I got them clamped into the forceps.

White glue - 1187 g - With 2 lb. 9.9 oz. pull the cement failed.

Sig-Bond - >2080 g - With 4 lb. 9.3 oz. pull the rope unravelled and pulled from the forceps before the glue bond failed. *

Duco Cement - 2196 g - The glue bond failed with 4 lb. 13.5 oz. pull.

Super Glue - 1410 g - the rope broke with only 3 lb. 1.7 oz. pull before the glue bond failed. The rope strands were tightly glued together but I could pull them apart by hand. *

 

* The Sig-Bond and Super Glue failures were due to experimental design. When the rope was clamped in the forceps it tended to unwind. With the Sig-Bond the unwound strands pulled out of the forceps. With the Super Glue the strands frayed and cut along the edge of the forceps jaws. To do the experiment properly some means must be developed forholding the ends of the rope strands securely without damaging the rope.

 

It is clear that shellac alone does not bond the rope strands together. It does serve to stiffen the rope. White glue was easily the weakest of the four glues. Sig-Bond produced a strong attachment between the rope strands, but it dried with a thick off-white crust on the ropes.

 

Duco Cement and the Super Glue did not leave a noticeable residue on the ropes and both were better than white glue. Duco smells like acetone - it is the familiar "glue" smell from my childhood, and I don't find it objectionable. So little is used it isn't a hazard. Super Glue has an odor that really bothers some people. It makes my eyes burn if I use it a lot.

 

I think I will use the Duco Cement from now on. Duco starts getting sticky in 20-30 seconds and sets in a minute or so, leaving plenty of time to tidy up a seizing. Even the "slow" Superglue gel starts to harden before I have time to finish the turns in a seizing, without reworking them, leaving a lumpy seizing.

 

Edited 22 hours ago by Dr PR

[Coyote_6]

Wow Phil!!  That is impressive.  You have done your fellow modelers a profound service with keen findings.  Thank you very much.

 

I had procured Duco on previous recommendation from you.  I have used diluted white glue previously and liked how it soaked in and dried with little indication - so the million dollar question:

 

Does Duco soak in and cure to a nice flat sheen, or do you find we will need to use Duco sparingly and possibly dullcoat afterwards?

 

Your tests are compelling!

 

Edit -  I see my million dollar question was asked and answered above - "Duco Cement and the Super Glue did not leave a noticeable residue on the ropes and both were better than white glue."  

 

The Duco soaks in nicely then?

 

Edited 21 hours ago by Coyote_6

[Dr PR]

Steve,

 

I have been using Duco or something like it since I was a kid (1950s). It soaks into and adheres to anything that is porous. In the test I used a metal point to work the glue in between the rope strands. But I think it is fluid enough to soak in on its own.

 

The polyester rope tends to unravel after it is cut. I always stick the freshly cut ends into the opening of the Duco cement tube to get a drop on the rope end. Then I twist the rope end between my fingers and the glue soaks in. When it dries (a few seconds) the end of the rope is stiff enough to push through holes in blocks and such.

 

Even though I wipe my fingers immediately on a paper towel, I do go around with dried glue in my fingerprints! But unlike CA it wears off quickly.

 

Duco does leave a dried film on anything it touches. In the case of the ropes it isn't noticeable because the surface isn't smooth. But if you look closely with a magnifier you might be able to see traces of the glue. Where it soaks into wood surfaces it can change how stains appear so use it sparingly. For most wood to wood jobs I use Sig-Bond aliphatic resin. I think Titebond is about the same.

Edited 13 hours ago by Dr PR

[Coyote_6]

Thanks Phil.  I am very thankful to have your Albatros build log as reference for the Prince.  The Albatros looks great and is just well thought out.