James River Branch: Tools and Supplies

Supplies: Solvent-Type Styrene Bonder

Modelers familiar with injection-molded styrene kit assembly may automatically think in terms of "plastic glue." However, the stuff that comes in those familiar little tubes is not what experienced modelers prefer, and it certainly won't produce the best results if you're building your own Z Scale styrene models from scratch. The preferred means of bonding styrene isn't using any kind of "glue" in the classic sense; instead, styrene is chemically "welded" by literally melting the mating surfaces with a powerful solvent that completely evaporates, leaving only the bonded styrene behind.

There are many commercial products sold for this purpose. The most popular include products such as Tenax; Micro-Mark sells a knock-off of Tenax called Same Stuff. Both of these are largely based on a solvent sold as a paint stripper called methyl ethyl ketone. The primary difference is cost: the solvents sold specifically for bonding styrene costs many times more than the paint stripper. So, why not buy the paint stripper and save a whole lot of money?

Warning: Methyl ethyl ketone is a nasty solvent. Be sure to have plenty of ventilation when using it, and avoid getting it on your skin as much as possible.

Just getting started? Most paint stores and home improvement centers sell quart cans of MEK. One can should last quite a long time. Dispensing is easier if you pour some into a small glass bottle or jar that has a tight-fitting lid.