Revell - regluing pieces

[Bayum]

I completed an A380 yonks ago. 10+ years. One of the tail wings is very floppy. Is it as easy as regluing and hoping that it stays or do I need to remove the whole thing, sand down and begin again?

 

[Cowley]

I completed an A380 yonks ago. 10+ years. One of the tail wings is very floppy. Is it as easy as regluing and hoping that it stays or do I need to remove the whole thing, sand down and begin again?

You might have some luck gluing it again, but sometimes it won’t take very well if you’re trying to put new glue over old.

What kind of glue did you use originally?

 

[Bayum]

You might have some luck gluing it again, but sometimes it won’t take very well if you’re trying to put new glue over old.

What kind of glue did you use originally?

Erm. The standard Revell glue I think

 

[4COR]

If you have some, run in some MEK in the joint (it goes by capillary action) and then apply pressure to the joint - that'll hopefully bond it and not affect the model too badly?

 

[Bayum]

If you have some, run in some MEK in the joint (it goes by capillary action) and then apply pressure to the joint - that'll hopefully bond it and not affect the model too badly?

I don’t know what MEK is but I will have a look!

 

[D1511]

Methyl Ethyl Ketone.....a liquid that will 'weld' plastic in situations just like this.

 

[LYradial]

Reddit has people recommending tamiya extra thin cement, not tried it but seems to be available in hobby shops

 

[4COR]

MEK is very good, and virtually invisible, also the capillary action is perfect for this kind of repair (and it welds ABS as well).

You can pickup bottles on eBay (500ml for £8 or so which is probably getting on for a lifetime supply...). It's the same as the DCC Concepts stuff, but about a fifth of the price...

 

[Bayum]

I will have a look about. It’s quite a big joint unfortunately so I’m not sure the capillary action is going to be a positive. However, the speed it brings the plastic together is a big positive!

 

[4COR]

I attach solebars to wagons using it - it's not instantaneous, and you get time to apply and position and correct. If you have an actual gap in the joint that won't come together, then that's more of an issue (there shouldn't be!)

 

[Bayum]

I attach solebars to wagons using it - it's not instantaneous, and you get time to apply and position and correct. If you have an actual gap in the joint that won't come together, then that's more of an issue (there shouldn't be!)

It’s not necessarily that there’s a gap in the joint where it shouldn’t be… the A380 looks to have some non-glued edge along the tail wings and this is where it’s coming apart.
Step 31 from the instruction manual shows only the edge being inserted into the space.
Instruction Manual