P.E. Whats Best? Solder or Glue?

[peglegrc]

Hi everyone..With my Models enroute... There's P.E. coming with the AFV Club Gun Truck/supply carrier .. I haven't worked with PE at all..
I bought the Smaller Photo Etch folding tool going on two years ago, Ive read all the tutorials I can find on using it, Ive got the cordless"Cool Touch Soldering Iron" Plus Ive got a cord type too...Do you recommend using the silver solder? If you do, Do You use the acid core or soldering paste?... Or do you just fold them and glue them? What type Glue do you recommend if you do glue them?.....Any comments and explanations are wanted and will be appresiated...

Thanks in advance......."RC"

[weeeg]

Yes Rc, I think your better using silver solder it works for me.
,GARY

[peglegrc]

Thanks Gary, can you elaborate or tell me a step by step please, I've never used PE, do you use acid paste, a cord type soldering gun or is a Cordless Cool touch strong enough to melt the silver solder and make a strong wield?....

[weeeg]

If it is a plastic kit dont solder, if it is a metal kit yes solder. you may need to re-paint the soldered area Btw do you know anyone selling resin subs and amps for a 1/1 57' ford ranchero ?

[cirikili]

CA glue..........

.........and the only reason is too much experience with PE and CA glues.......both thick (slow setting) & thin (quick setting)........although either will set immediately with an accelorator applied.
now, having typed all that, i've never tried solder of any type so, i've not a clue if or how that will work, although, it sure seems viable (aside from melting if your soldering tool's ill-used.)

the too much experience comes from not only add-ons to resin and plastic kits but, complete assemblies solely consisting of PE............ie.72nd maintenance stands and an Eduard 72nd WW I Sopwith Camel......where all joins consisted of the CA glue in one form or another.......

so, i 'spect either will suit your fancy or can suit your fancy, but CA
(cyanoacrylate glues) will work for ya.
i guess if i've learned one thing in modelling, it's that there are no absolutes........in that as soon as there's one proposed, something comes along and melts it.

best 'o luck to ya............

[peglegrc]

weeeg said:

If it is a plastic kit dont solder, if it is a metal kit yes solder. you may need to re-paint the soldered area Btw do you know anyone selling resin subs and amps for a 1/1 57' ford ranchero ?

Try this site Gary. It has almost everything about modeling cars & tucks etc www.briansmodelcars.com/tutorials/index.asp

"RC"

[peglegrc]

cirikili, thanks... all the glues I have are for plastic... what glue do you feel would glue the PE being its metal?

"RC"

[cirikili]

any CA glue will work...............
ie. super glue or crazy glue...

plastic to plastic
metal to plastic
metal to metal
plastic to resin
resin to resin
resin to plastic
resin to metal

the only real variation is the thickness really........and like i said in the previous post......CA will harden immediately with an accelerator...........but, tends to be a tad brittle.......it's great as a filler and for parts that really won't be stessed alot or subject to inadvertant movement.
the thinner CA glues dry faster......... near immediately..........the thicker CA glues dry slower..........
but, they'll all adhere to most anything................and/or glue dissimilar materials together..........

hope this clarifies things a little better............

[peglegrc]

Okay Cirikili, thanks for the come back about the super glue...
Thanks to you too Weeg for the come back using silver solder....
I know that I have to use Super glue to glue the Metal PE to the Plastic Model... I had the idea that I should use silver solder to solder the metal PE to hold it together...
As you said, the Super glue is brittle and I will be bending it a little for realism and to push equipment into..I didn't want it to break loose at the seams or corners....I'll try the super glue, bend it and see if it breaks loose, if it does then I'll try the silver solder as weeeg said....

Thanks guys...."RC"

[Bluecorsair]

Hiya RC, I left a reply on the other place you originally asked this on, sry, I musta been gone when this was asked,
I have pix and a brief description, I would be more than happy to help alot more if you need it, but by now you prolly know all about it. You can E-mail me if you want, be glad to answer, or we can use the Live chat, whatever, or MSN.
The answer to your basic question has already been answered, but I will reinforce it, use CA glue (Super Glue, I have pix of it for you, this type is what I get at the LHS, better selection and price) there are all kinds of thickness, I prefer thick as it doesn't run, but that is just me. I got pix of the tools I use also, it is on the original post you made for this question, I didn't think I would find this one so i made it there anyway...oh well.

[mick2911]

Hi RC

I hope this will help you out. Photo etch to plastic, that can only be glued. Photo etch to white metal, glued or soldered but be carefull or you'll melt the W/M.
Now, my experience with photo etch is in the model railway scene. This will be with brass and nickel silver.
On to the iron first. For general soldering we normally use a 25 watt iron and a smaller wattage one for the smaller pieces.
Flux now. Acid based ones are corrosive and need to be washed after each application, or they eat into the model. I myself use a non-corrosive plumbers flux, it does not need to be washed off straight away.
Solder, use a low melt silver solder. I think you'll find the lead based ones are banned now. That was the better stuff to use.
Oh yes, use a fibre glass pen to clean up the joints prior to soldering and clean the whole etched sheet with a good cleaner to remove any remainants from the etching process.

Mick

[peglegrc]

Thanks Mick. I bought the solder at micro mark it's 700 degree melting and its acid too Thanks about washing off the acid as it eats the PE! ...So White metal melts too?!
I have that Cool Touch Soldering Pin with battery's I thought would be a better way than a plug in soldering gun.. I do still have a bunch of the Lead Solder in my old tool box from years ago.... But its melting point is high I couldn't get the cool touch pin to melt it! So I'll be using the 700 degree solder..Thanks for the come back Ive got a few machine gun's with PE for Air cool barrel and wanted to roll the PE and solder.. I'll do it carefully it was expensive $10.00 for two 30 cal & same price the other two .50 Cal too with PE for Base and Ammo box's....
Thanks again Mick....

"RC"