South Yorkshire folk are normal it's the rest that are odd HaHa
Evostick PVA in blue (exterior) and green (interior) both do the same job apart from waterproof
What part of God's own county are you from ?
Evostick PVA in blue (exterior) and green (interior) both do the same job apart from waterproof
What part of God's own county are you from ?
Sounds like Rotherham then lol
As others have advised clean it off while still wet. I made a little scraper from a broken small flat file. I cut it at a bevel and then sharpened that bevel like a skew chisel and use it to scrape excess from the corner of the joints. If I miss a spot I also have a selection of old dental scrapers, riflers, and picks to get to those pesky corners…
Good luck and fair winds!
Good luck and fair winds!
I am amazed that this thread has become so complicated. PVA is not waterproof so all you have to do is brush some water on the excess,give it a couple of minutes to soften and then just cut/scrape it off. The remaining will will be ok when it dries
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Yes, I always assumed PVA could be softened/removed with water.
So now I'm aware of interior/exterior use versions, but still don't know what is the difference.
(The exterior use 'EVO-STIK' small print advises not to immerse continuously in water).
The 'FALCONET' kits I intend building are 1:72, which to me means 'miniature' plank on frame construction.
It's reasonable to assume the components (Pear wood) will be tiny and wafer thin; so I guess getting anything wet with either water or paint risks warpage, which is what I would want to avoid.
No need to change your glue, PVA is awesome, almost archival, and non-toxic. Use isopropryl alcohol, 99% to soften PVA glue and scrape off the goo afterward. After you are done soaking it, it dries quickly, sanding or scraping will be minimal and there's less risk you will misshape the work.
It is also a great way to debond things bonded with PVA. I run some alcohol over the material and let it sit a little while. It's not always instant. Sometimes I drench a joint that I need to debond, then wrap it in a little paper towel soaked with isopropanol, then wrap again in a little plastic wrap to avoid rapid evaporation and find something else to do for a little while. Then drench a little more and gently pull the pieces apart. For big joints with a lot of surface area, let it go overnight. Then I scrape the joint with the back of my knife or a small cabinet scraper to get the goo out. The work dries in seconds and is ready to re-glue right away. Don't bother with the 70% isopropanol. It works but the extra water soaks the wood and can make it swell.
I always have a bottle and a squirt bottle of 99% isopropanol. Use with plenty of fresh air but it's not toxic. I seem to glue stuff up wrong all the time so it's not theoretical for me. I guess that's what happens when you send a chemist to do a shipwright's job.
It is also a great way to debond things bonded with PVA. I run some alcohol over the material and let it sit a little while. It's not always instant. Sometimes I drench a joint that I need to debond, then wrap it in a little paper towel soaked with isopropanol, then wrap again in a little plastic wrap to avoid rapid evaporation and find something else to do for a little while. Then drench a little more and gently pull the pieces apart. For big joints with a lot of surface area, let it go overnight. Then I scrape the joint with the back of my knife or a small cabinet scraper to get the goo out. The work dries in seconds and is ready to re-glue right away. Don't bother with the 70% isopropanol. It works but the extra water soaks the wood and can make it swell.
I always have a bottle and a squirt bottle of 99% isopropanol. Use with plenty of fresh air but it's not toxic. I seem to glue stuff up wrong all the time so it's not theoretical for me. I guess that's what happens when you send a chemist to do a shipwright's job.
Wet excess glue is easily brushed away with a water wet brush. When PVA glue dries, there's a chemical reaction and it needs an alcohol like isopropanol (IPA) to break the bonding if water doesn't work. Conversely, IPA is pretty crappy at diluting and wiping away fresh glue.
Heat also works well to soften glue and disassemble parts.
I use this small heat gun with various adaptors.
I use this small heat gun with various adaptors.
Just be sure not to use anything that can get too hot or be a spark source if you are using IPA as well although I'm sure that goes without saying.
Get something like Titebond ll or lll for wood kits. I don't use anything else and it's proven very good so far. Water proof too. AC bothers me a lot so I don't use it any more.
If the PVA is not hardened it can be removed with water. Heat will also soften the glue even after it has completely dried. I have used a hair blow dryer to soften the glue to disassemble parts. Rather than cutting off the excess glue try scraping off the glue. I use the scraper listed below.
40 years ago I used to drive HGV's part-time, for the now 'defunct' Littlewoods Stores, mostly night runs to collect from their Maltby depot. I wonder what's there now!
As Roger, I've used nitrocellulose adhesive for modeling for over fifty years now with no apparent ill effects. I've always found it a very effective option although it is not particularly strong in shear force situations.
For those who have difficulty sourcing it due to local regulations, an effective "homebrewed" version can be made by dissolving styrene plastic (e.g. old waste parts "tree branches") in acetone. Keep adding the plastic until the dissolved plastic creates a syrup consistency.
It seems that many, perhaps younger, modelers are shy of using paints and adhesives that have a strong aroma resulting from the evaporation of their various solvents and so go seeking non-volatile solvent products which are in many cases inferior or at least less easy to work with. If the fumes are a concern, a cheap plastic desk fan and an open window will solve the problem. It takes a lot more than what's needed to glue model parts together to get a buzz off of acetone! (The "huffers" empty an entire tube into a paper bag and then place the bag over their nose and mouth and deeply breathe the contents of the bag in order to get enough for any amount of intoxicating effect.)
For those who have difficulty sourcing it due to local regulations, an effective "homebrewed" version can be made by dissolving styrene plastic (e.g. old waste parts "tree branches") in acetone. Keep adding the plastic until the dissolved plastic creates a syrup consistency.
It seems that many, perhaps younger, modelers are shy of using paints and adhesives that have a strong aroma resulting from the evaporation of their various solvents and so go seeking non-volatile solvent products which are in many cases inferior or at least less easy to work with. If the fumes are a concern, a cheap plastic desk fan and an open window will solve the problem. It takes a lot more than what's needed to glue model parts together to get a buzz off of acetone! (The "huffers" empty an entire tube into a paper bag and then place the bag over their nose and mouth and deeply breathe the contents of the bag in order to get enough for any amount of intoxicating effect.)
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When it's water soluble white PVA glue, I don't see the problem to get it off when dried. I use sanding paper or scrapers. When it is difficult to scrape I use a wet cloth to make the glue soft (not to much, you don't want to lose the glued parts) but when you make the excessive glue a little wet it gets soft and is easy to remove.
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2 types, one on water based and one not. We have here in the Netherlands for example Bison woodglue (PVA) Bison D2 and Bison D3
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Misc comments:
Uncurred PVA glue is easily removed with water. Once it cures; ie, the chemical reaction is complete, it is either water resistant or waterproof depending on the formulation. For example Titebond II is water resistant, Titebond III is supposedly waterproof so is rated for outdoor applications Titebond II is rated for indoor applications. Either would be sufficient for ship model building. Removal of the cured glue requires use of a chemical to attack rather than just dilute the glue. Isopropyl alcohol does this. Here in the USA 90 percent Isopropyl alcohol is readily available as camp stove fuel.
For those concerned about longevity, acid free PVA is sold for bookbinding applications.
A technique that I used to secure tiny ringbolts to hatch boards where I had access to the underside: Push the wire tail of the ringbolt through its drilled hole and fold it over against the underside of the hatch board. Cover the folded tail with a generous blob of Nitrocellulose glue. When dry the wire is fully encased in plastic. In some applications I tape down the wire down with a small piece of yellow Tamiya tape before covering the whole thing with the glue.
Bob brings up an interesting point that a glue joint’s ability to withstand a load or fail depends on the direction of loading. For example I have found that otherwise high strength Epoxy can have very poor peel strength where brass is glued to wood. Like other ship modeling problems, it’s smart to experiment before using it on your ship.
Roger,
Uncurred PVA glue is easily removed with water. Once it cures; ie, the chemical reaction is complete, it is either water resistant or waterproof depending on the formulation. For example Titebond II is water resistant, Titebond III is supposedly waterproof so is rated for outdoor applications Titebond II is rated for indoor applications. Either would be sufficient for ship model building. Removal of the cured glue requires use of a chemical to attack rather than just dilute the glue. Isopropyl alcohol does this. Here in the USA 90 percent Isopropyl alcohol is readily available as camp stove fuel.
For those concerned about longevity, acid free PVA is sold for bookbinding applications.
A technique that I used to secure tiny ringbolts to hatch boards where I had access to the underside: Push the wire tail of the ringbolt through its drilled hole and fold it over against the underside of the hatch board. Cover the folded tail with a generous blob of Nitrocellulose glue. When dry the wire is fully encased in plastic. In some applications I tape down the wire down with a small piece of yellow Tamiya tape before covering the whole thing with the glue.
Bob brings up an interesting point that a glue joint’s ability to withstand a load or fail depends on the direction of loading. For example I have found that otherwise high strength Epoxy can have very poor peel strength where brass is glued to wood. Like other ship modeling problems, it’s smart to experiment before using it on your ship.
Roger,