[Closed] Attaching metal trim

You are right to worry about this. There are a lot of wrong ways and few right ways to fix this. First is to make sure it is very clean of foreign debris. I would use a cotton swab or Q-tip here. Next is the glue. I like fast acting super glue better known as cyanoacrylate. Make sure it is fast acting. But applied only with a steady hand and a toothpick. And exactly where the chrome will go. Then move your chrome piece to exactly where it belongs and hold it there for just a moment when the glue will hold. It will only take a few seconds. This way you never use tape and worry about where the glue seeps. If you need practice try this way on something very delicate. And good luck.

I have had good luck using some clear nail polish under the piece applied with an Exacto knife. Then I weight the part down with an appropriate tool or item, usually with the car on its side until dry.

Glue

I was trying to avoid super glue because I have ruined a few paint jobs. I was using white glue and you can see I haven't cleaned the residue off from last attempt.

Thanks to all for help.photo no longer available

photo no longer available

I see what you mean.

Flat photo etch on a curved quarter panel. Definitely out of the range of what white glue will do. I hope others will make better recommendations. Superglue is so unforgiving.

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Since this is closer to photo-etched trim rather than a wire metal strip, I would try Elmer or Lepages white glue. It is water based and will not damage the paint surface if you mess up.You can buy a generic brand at the dollar store which is just as good. It can be washed clean with a couple of drops of water on a small cloth if needed. I would apply the glue directly to the strip with a toothpick, pin or small sewing needle.Not too much as it can carry out onto the paint when pressure is applied. Let it get a little tacky (less than a minute) before smoothing it in place with a clean toothpick. I would not use cotton swabs as mentioned above as it will stick to the glue and leave fibres. You may have to smooth it down a couple of times before it sticks but be patient.This glue should hold it. I use it to attach metal parts on Brooklin models and once dried (overnight is best) it won't let go. Warm water will break the bond. Good luck. If it doesn't want to hold, try an small alligator clip to keep it in place until the glue sets.

Thanks!

Hobby stores sell canopy glue for airplane modellers. That's another option.

I've used Gator's Grip quite sucessfully a few times.

It seems to be a kind of combination of white glue and acrylic. It is reasonably strong when cured and dries clear.

It looks and feels much like white glue. and you apply it the same way. Put it on a thin blade or on the point of a cocktail stick and apply a decent smear coat directly on the P/E strip rather than on the paintwork. If the trim strip is only partly detached, use another stick (or tweezers or whatever) to hold it against the bodywork just before the point where it has started to lift, to prevent it detaching even more as you lift the loose end to apply the glue.

Press the trim piece into place and hold it on to the body with a fingernail (or cocktail stick) at its far end while you gently wipe away any excess glue with a dampened cotton bud and wipe dry with the other end of the bud. I haven't had any problem with fluff coming off a cotton bud and sticking to the model, but you could use a piece of clean folded cotton fabric, like a scrap of old bed linen, which shouldn't have any loose fibres. (But I think a cotton bud is better at picking up excess glue right up to the edges of the trim strip).

Although Gator's Grip claims to give a tacky hold within minutes, it's not actually strong enough to hold down a piece of springy P/E until it has dried for several hours, so I apply a small strip of masking tape to the trim strip and surrounding bodywork, rub down gently with a finger and leave overnight. Then CAREFULLY peel off the masking tape, working from the intact end of the strip TOWARDS the re-attached end. With any luck the loose piece should be safely attached.

I would just echo the other warnings that superglue is a dangerous proposition. I have in fact successfully applied a small smear of superglue to re-attach a trim strip that has come loose just at the very end, but for a larger piece of trim the chances of almost instant (and non-removable) marking of the paintwork with excess glue are high. Remember also that if superglue is used anywhere near clear plastic glazing, the fumes can turn the plastic milky white. And that can't be fixed either, it is a permanent chemical reaction.

Not only that, but if your re-attached trim strip gets lifted again by a careless finger or an over-enthusiastic attempt at dusting, the superglue will likely pull off a chunk of paint along with it, whereas a weaker white glue is more likely to detach from the paint, leaving it slightly marked but otherwise intact (warm water on a cotton bud should remove at least the worst of the mark).

Another option is clear gloss model varnish, applied in the same way. Or, as Harvey says, model aircraft canopy glue. They are maybe not quite as strong but will do the job if the trim piece isn't too curved and springy, and if you do get a touch of excess squeezing out here and there along the edges of the trim strip, it will be clear gloss on top of the original gloss paintwork, so hopefully not too painfully visible.

Still, it's always a bit of a nerve-wracking process on a delicate model.

Thanks

Lots of good info and suggestions. I am going to try several (this is a reoccurring problem.) Thanks to everyone.

I've used Future Floor Wax with excellent results on P.E. parts on models. It's water soluble too.