ABS and Styrene?

[nkalanaga]

David:  Sorry about the confusion.  My phrasing isn't always the clearest....

Our sonic welders don't squeal - they howl.  The one I run actually sounds like a foghorn and can be outside the sealed clean room.  I wear ear protectors, but most of the rest of the crew are younger and already deaf from loud music.  They don't pay attention to it.

And, yes, heat welding of any kind doesn't always make the prettiest joint.  My line does, but the parts are designed to be assembled that way.  For general use it would be best where a strong bond is needed, but appearance isn't a factor, or the rough edges can be reworked.  Not really suitable for fine modeling.

ABS glues just fine, and a lot of people have used it for years.  It's just that I've never had much luck with the solvents I've tried, and working indoors with allergies, I tend to avoid the really smelly ones that apparently work better.

[DKS]

Might want to give methylene chloride a try. It does have an odor, but (to me) seems less obnoxious than most others. Only downside is it's really volatile, hence fast.

[peteski]

LOL, nkalanga, how many model railroaders do you know who own a heat welding equipment?  I'm not talking about a soldering iron here either, since you started discussing the industrial units. 

[craigolio1]

Is the Plastruct Bondene not meant to join like plastics, but works on both ABS and Styrene, ie, ABS to ABS and Syrene to Styrene?  That's how I read it.  The Plastic Weld says it can join dissimilar plastics and works on ABS and Styrene .

Craig

[GaryHinshaw]

I think it works fine joining ABS to styrene, even though the label says for joining similar plastics.  I've been very happy with it, but there are certainly many other good options as well.

[DKS]

ABS is more solvent-resistant than polystyrene. So most solvents that work on ABS should also work on styrene, while the reverse would not not true.

[nkalanaga]

Peteski:  None, unless you count the soldering iron MT mentions in their instructions.  My original comment was directed to Dee, responding to her comment on arc welding.

[Kisatchie]

Peteski:  None, unless you count the soldering iron MT mentions in their instructions.  My original comment was directed to Dee, responding to her comment on arc welding.

See the trouble you cause, Dee!


Hmm... if you would feed
me more, I wouldn't be
able to talk so much...

[craigolio1]

ABS is more solvent-resistant than polystyrene. So most solvents that work on ABS should also work on styrene, while the reverse would not not true.

Ahhhhh  I see.  Thanks