Ambroid vs. Tenax vs. Plastruct
 

Anyone use one or more of the above products and care to comment on the quality?

- Rich

Tenax is great. I've used it on a few projects with satisfying results. Plastruct comes in two "flavors", IIRC, so you have to match what you use to the type of plastic it works with. Again, I've used the "Orange Bottle" with success in various projects.

The only "Ambroid" I'm familiar with is the amber-colored stuff in the orange & white tube, similar to the old Sig-Ment. Never liked either. I prefer Titebond's "II" and "Translucent" formulas for general wood and paper construction.

Yes, they have the cement in the orange and white tube, but they also have a welder they call Pro Weld. See the line here: http://www.walthers.com/exec/search?manu=130&split=30.

Actually, I am not sure anyone makes Ambroid products anymore. The company used to be in VT, but the latest I know is that the product is (or was) manufactured by Graphic Vision in East Swanzey, NH.

- Rich

I have always found Tenax 7R to be the best but the parts MUST fit well.
It is VERY HOT and bonds almost instantly. That is my GO-TO plastic cement.
If you have ANY gaps it wont cement worth a hill of beans. Tenax is basically pure Perchloroethane (dry cleaning fluid).

Ambroid Pro-Weld was almost as good...but a little slower...joint strength as good as Tenax.

Plastruct makes like 3 different liquid cements. One is decent-a little slower than Ambroid, but strong. The other two flat out suck but I can't remember which is which.

Testors Liquid Cement now is the absolute worst. It is a jar of MEK with a brush. Takes forever to dry and is not very strong. Their old formula that was like 75% MIBK and 25% MEK was a decent but slow-drying liquid cement.

GH, if Tenax is good for parts that fit well, what is a good "gap-filling" plastic cement for those parts that don't have such a good fit?

- Rich

If you have gaps in plastic then I would suggest Plasti-Zap. It is a moderately think CA adhesive which bonds plastic (polystryrene) to itself and other materials. Tenax is about the best for scale models in that it leaves little or no residue and tacks in quickly. It still (as indeed all liquid adhesives will have) a cure time.

Ambroid Pro-Weld is hard to find, but then again, so was Tenax last year.

Ambroid, alive and well!
 

Ambroid is alive and well and still in East Swanzy N.H.
My LHS carries Ambroid. I love the stuff, grew up using it. Best used for balsa and paper.
Use lots of ventilation or you will get a high!
Ambroid started in the Boston, MA area, it was never in VT.

Glad to hear that. Is it really made by Graphic Vision these days? I tried calling but no one picked up the phone.

- Rich

Tenax can be used with gaps between parts. You just have to think a little different. I'm an old farm boy that grew up welding and brazing metals. To gap fill, just add in some scrap styrene and the Tenax will melt it into the gap. It fills just like a brass rod when you're brazing, or the rod from a stick welder, or wire from a MIG. ;)

Tenax is not perchlorothenane or drycleaning fluid ..or whatever that guy said ..it's Butyl Acetate based

these are the main ingredients of some popular "hot" glues

Testor's liquid (glass bottle) = MEK + Ethyl acetate

Ambroid, pro weld = methylene chloride

Tenax = Butyl Acetate

Weld-on (the styrene products from them) = MEK