There was some of this stuff around

When I was a teenager.  Don't know if this is the same formula.  The stuff we had then would "let go" after several months.  If this is the same formula, then it is not a good idea.

You going to Melbourne in October?

My kids and I use it for their models

No, it's not as good as using liquid.  I have all the same problems I had as a kid - finger prints on the model, glue oozing out, things falling apart because it takes a while to set.  I also seem to have to use much more than I would if it were liquid.

Someone told me there are non-toxic liquid solvents too, but I've not put much effort into looking for them.

Citrus solvents

The Citrus solvents are slower, but otherwise the joint is just as strong based on testing I've done.

You can also get a Citrus liquid solvent from Microscale called Micro Weld that's a direct replacement for MEK.

You can buy it on Amazon: Micro Weld,  http://amzn.com/B0006O028K

Agree with Joe about the setting time

I found that the non-toxic Plastruct solvent with the orange scent (white label) was slower than their regular solvent (orange label).  I liked using it for making the styrene masters for my structure kits because it gave me a few seconds to move things around.  I was using it all day long and never got any kind of buzz from it.   It was a little hard to find about five years ago. and can still be found on shelves even though it may be discontinued now.

I've had unsatisfactory results with any Testors cement in a tube.  I imagine that the non-toxic version isn't much better.

Ambroid Safe Weld Recommendation

I use a citrus based liquid cement: Ambroid Safe Weld. I highly recommend it. I've "tested" small structures like the Atlas water tower kit by actually throwing it repeatedly onto the floor (carpeted thinly) and dropping it/them to a formica counter top from about 2' and no coming apart of the seams.

The oldest model I have using this cement/welder is about 3 years old (since the build/test) and is holding together fine.

It IS slower. For small/complex assemblies such as Micro Engineering's city viaduct, a faster solvent glue helps but for everything else Ambroid Safe Weld is my go to glue. I'm chemically sensetive and so is my wife. No buzz, nothing but a rather pleasant odor.

Hope that helps in your search for a good non-toxic glue.

Jim

Does anyone other than me

Does anyone other than me find it just a bit ironic that there are a bunch of adults discussing what the glue smells like? I know no one is advocating inhalation of the fumes but it has been mentioned several times and given all the cautionary statements on the packaging it just seems odd that so many folks comment on the smell.

Ambroid not in business

Ambroid has no website and is not in business any more. As their products sell out, they are going permanently out of stock.

So if you're looking for Ambroid anything, good luck. It's not a product line that's easy to find any more.

Microscale's Micro Weld is the same stuff and it's still being made.

Not odd at all

Not at all, nasty fumes can be a real health concern. Getting a glue that's non-toxic involves getting something that isn't going to take 5 years off your life just by smelling it, among other things.

So what it smells like matters A LOT. As I've gotten older, I've started to have health issues brought on by nasty chemicals so I now look for non-toxic equivalents every chance I get.

TBT

Rob, it's Throw Back Thursday, reliving our youth!

Sorry, I'm one of those creatures that if I think it I sat it.

Thanks Joe I Hadn't Realized

that Ambroid has gone out of business! Good to know that Micro Mark's is the same stuff. That explains why I haven't seen the stock at my LHS being replaced lately. I asked about it, but no one mentioned that they couldn't get it anymore.

Jim

Not at all, nasty fumes can

Joe that was my point, if it is toxic and possibly bad for us we should not know what it smells like. There were several folks that were able to describe the difference. That for me was the ironic part. I guess my exposure to Hazmat training makes it seem odd to me. I also know that sometimes one is exposed to it and your desire to find non hazardous materials is an excellent idea. I whole heartedly agree with your concern regarding harmful vapors having actually seen people that have destroyed themselves from inhaling paint fumes, their motivation for it was that it defeated the drug testing measures of their employer.

Drop Test

Not a fan

Thanks, all!

I decided against using the non-toxic cement and will use my regular stuff.

Testor's Non Toxic Liquid Cement for styrene train models

I've built dozens of airplane and car models, sanded, laminated, filed and painted over Testor's non-toxic liquid joints. No parts fall off, over decades. The usual solvent paint, Polly S, Polly Scale, Testor's Acryl II, Tamiya acrylic, Gunzie Sangyo acrylic, Testor's Metalizer and Tamiya lacquers all work fine. For a double-check, I built a couple of non-toxic tube glue kits recently and they're fine. I don't paint our HO trains, yet, but that's coming.

When the non-toxic liquid appeared at the LHS, 30-35 years ago or so, I tried it and liked it a lot. It does have a citrus smell, and is said to be flammable... neat trick there. I tried and wasn't impressed with the blue "tube" cement, back when I used Testor's Liquid (toxic). I wasn't all that big on the toxic (red) tube glue either....  Once dried, the bonds were just as good as the toxic liquid- including Testor's, Uhu, and something toxic I bought in Japan in the 1980s. I tried Tenax and one of the other specialist solvents and they were differently stinky but no better than Testor's ubiquitous product. 

Now that RPM aka Rustoleum is pulling Testor's products out of the hobby market, I'm reluctant to endorse them but I'm trying to get some put aside for my future projects -don't have a tested alternative.

See my work: https://www.flickr.com/gp/wbaiv/9072C5

the so called "non

the so called "non sniff-able" stuff of decades back was trash. not sure if it has been re-fixed. to really work. as i have been using the super glue stuff for so long.  it was best back when as it would melt the plastic parts a bit to get a permanent attachment...but some just glued there brains with it.

Tamiya

I have been using Tamiyas citrus adhesive and it seems to work fine.  It’s easy to obtain in my part of the world.

Micro-weld and Tamiya citrus

I have been getting more careful about exposure to chemicals, and so I have been using Micro-mark's Micro-weld. It has worked very well for me so far. mmount, the Tamiya citrus adhesive product looks quite interesting - I may buy a bottle. Here's what looks like the right Tamiya product:

https://www.tamiya.com/english/products/87113limonene_cement/index.htm

https://www.amazon.com/NYA-Tamiya-Limonene-Cement-40ml/dp/B002TZ6K4Y

Micro-Mark's Micro-weld doesn't exist???

Ssagrawal,

When you say you've been using Micro-mark's Micro-weld, I assume you mean you've been using MicroSCALE's Micro-weld?

I ask because MicroMARK makes "Same Stuff", which is purportedly the same stuff as Ambroid PRO Weld. But it's as toxic as anything else, same as Pro Weld was.

MicroSCALE makes "Micro Weld", which is non-toxic and (according to Joef's post on this thread from back in 2014) is the same stuff as Ambroid's SAFE Weld, was was also non-toxic.