Gluing Plastic Model kits

As the holidays are upon us one staple toy for a boy is Plastic Model kits.  These models of cars, ships and airplanes come in a variety of sizes and are all glued together with model glue.

So what are models and how are they made.  Models start in an injection molding machine, which molds the models in styrene plastic.  This plastic can be colored to any color the manufacturer wants and usually is a neutral color to make it easier to paint the model. 

First Step is to snap the model parts off the grids that are molded with the parts to hold the model together.  Once that is done they can be glued.  Model Glue is very strong and actually forms a "chemical welding" of the parts by melting them together.  This process takes about 1 to 2 hours to set up.  Clamps, masking tape and other methods can be used to hold the parts together while the glue sets up.

Once dry the model is ready to be painted and finished.

These same techniques are used in the construction of display products.