+1 for the Tamiya extra thin cement.
It is much less commonly found than all the others though.

__________________
When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, TURMOIL, FIASCOS, and HAVOC !

I pretty much agree with much of what has been said here - the Testors non-toxic "safe" glue is pretty much crap - gluing nose cones to shoulders or fins to fin mounts with it is a guaranteed failure at launch.

The regular Testors tube cement is a bit better, but stick to building model cars and planes with it - it only really works with styrene plastic but doesn't work as well with ABS (which is what a lot of the Estes 2 part nose cones are made from). Tenax or Plastruct Weld are the best choices for cementing many kinds of plastic together. I believe Tenax is actually a blend of solvents designed to attack quite a few different types of plastic. I usually apply it with a brush - coat both pieces with the cement, then put a second coat on one part just before putting them together. You know you've done it right if you get a small bead of plastic oozing out from the joint as you push the parts together. Another great applicator is a small syringe with a blunted needle (cut the needle off square) - that is if you can get one.

One plastic that these solvents do NOT work on is PLA (poly lactic acid). Best bet for that is either CA or epoxy.

__________________
Greg Poehlein

Member of Launch Crue - http://launchcrue.org/

Hint #1: Do not use magician's flash paper for recovery wadding!

Hint #2: Clean your shoes after flyin' in that cow pasture - that ain't no dirt clod on the sole!

Tenax 7R used to be straight Perchloroethylene.
Now it is a blend of Methylene Chloride (really nasty stuff, but great plastic WELDER), and a small percentage of Perchloroethylene.
I think the % of 'Perc' got reduced due to some mamby-pamby enviro-whacko BS.

Tenax 7R is the BEST welder for well fitting polystyrene. If there are any gaps at all, you MUST use a thin strand of 'feeder' plastic to fill the gaps while cementing, just like when using a wire-feed welder on metal.

__________________
When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, TURMOIL, FIASCOS, and HAVOC !

Thanks, Greg. Question to you and others: What about surface preparation? I figure wiping down with alcohol is a given, but how about texture? Does rough vs. smooth vs. polished matter?

__________________
Rich Holmes
Camillus, NY
Secretary / newsletter editor
Syracuse Rocket Club

http://richsrockets.wordpress.com

For plastic cements/welders you do not have to roughen the surface as it 'welds/melts' the plastic together.
Epoxy is a 'mechanical bond' thus roughening helps.

__________________
When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, TURMOIL, FIASCOS, and HAVOC !

Nope...

Local Hobby Shop (LHS) or order online from a hobby supply company is your best bet...

Later! OL JR

__________________
The X-87B Cruise Basselope-- THE Ultimate Weapon in the arsenal of Homeland Security and only $52 million per round!

Tamiya products are usually stocked in the better hobby shops. I am not sure if Hobby Lobby has it or not.

My local hobby shop carries Tamiya cement (along with Tenax 7R, 3 versions of Plastruct Cement, Testors, and Ambroid pro-weld) but the local Hobby Lobby does not. Hobby Lobby only carries Testors.

__________________
When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, TURMOIL, FIASCOS, and HAVOC !