Gluing Plastic to Diecast???

The two "glues" "cements" I use the most are:

1) Gorilla brand "super Glue" impact tough.

2) J-B KWIK 

I especially like the J-B KWIK for "specialized" Kadee coupler mounting.

Try Loctite 380 Blackmax, I've bonded plastic to diecast with it, and the plastic will break before the bond. 

Boiler bands can be part of the model or part of the finish.  Real boiler bands are about 1/8" thick.  That's only 0.002" to 0.003" in O Scale.  Which also is about the thickness of paper.  To make boiler bands I take printer paper and paint in with a very thin coat of dull coat or model airplane dope.  When dry I cut strips to the correct width.  Once I've got a first coat of primer on the model I glue paper strips in place.  You can use the dull coat or model airplane dope for glue.  I add another coat of primer and paint the model.  The paper is buried in the layers of paint.  This approach is common among British locomotive builders. 

here's a photo of a boiler with paper bands.  Sorry the picture isn't better.

Sounds like the boiler or brass was dirty with oil or smoke fluid.  The CA may also have been old.  It does have a shelf life even if kept cold. Accelorator is also useful if the stuff is old or new.

George Lasley

Thanks guys!

George, I think the superglue (gel) I had was indeed old stuff and too thick.  On the way to work this afternoon I stopped at Lowes and got 2 bottles of the Gorilla superglue, I've used it before and know it works.

HW and John, Lowes didn't have either of the types you mentioned, they may have been out of stock.

Dave, using paper for the bands sounds like a plan .  I have some thin styrene, but I need to check the thickness.  I had used it before but I noticed a few cracks in the styrene after a while.  The paper should do the trick.  I've got some 65lb card stock for the printer, is it too "raggy" to use?

Walthers GOO will glue anything to anything!

Frank

Frank,

Forgot all about the GOO!  I haven't had a tube of that in years (yet I can still smell it in my mind ).

I was assuming you were bonding parent materials...i.e., no painted surfaces??  If you tried to use CA on a painted surface, you're not going to be happy...it'll bond to the paint, which may or not be well bonded itself to the parent material.  I've used CA many a time to bond styrene or ABS to diecast without a problem, being sure both material surfaces were clean of oil, dirt, and paint.

FWIW, always...

KD

I've used white vinegar (mild acid) to etch diecast/brass prior to painting with a primer because it gives some 'tooth' to the surface.  I don't think of white vinegar as a cleaning agent.  Nonetheless, try it.  It might be tricky to keep the vinegar localized to the work area, though.  I usually use it as a bath, and then NEVER with plastics. 

I can't relate to your "oily" diecast description....that just sounds like something not thoroughly cleaned, rather than a description of the parent metal itself. 

Life is one grand experiment, though, so don't be afraid to try new things.

KD

KD thanks!

I'll give the boiler and tender a good wash in the sink, then probably a primer coat before I add the Archer rivets, just to see if they'll stick better than on bare metal or styrene.