1st time Tenax user question

[C. Alan]

Last week I was in my LHS when I spotted Tenax 7r for sale. I have used nothing but CA for year in my model construction, so I decided I would give something else a chance. One thing I noticed is that there is no applicator in the bottle. From searching the forum, I have read that a lot of people use a fine brush to apply it. My question is: What do you clean the brush with after you use it to apply Tenax? Do you have to dedicate one brush for use with Tenax?

Thanks,

C. Alan

[Helo_Dud]

I use Ten-X for all my modeling, scratchbuilding and so on, heck I wouldn't know what to do without it. As for a brush, well I have one brush I use, it's a "00". Over time it becomes stiff, no problem just before using it dunk into the Ten-X and it will soften. One thing...Ten-X is hot and will melt the plastic, but don't let that scare you. Over time you'll be a pro and find that there's nothing like. I say practice at first using scrape parts or sprue pieces.

Oh one more thing, bottle tips easy!!! Found out a few time and made a mess of things all around. So now each bottle I use I stick into a roll of black electric tape.

Happy Modeling,

Joe

[TomcatFanatic123]

I just discovered Tenax about 2 years or so ago, and I LOVE it. I don't know what I'd do without it. For an applicator, I use the "Ultrabrush" (as you can probably tell, it's the one on the far left in this pic):

I can make one "Ultrabrush" last me for a good month or so, but if you really really wanted to, you can toss it after each session at the bench. I got about 10 huge packages (about 500 brushes in each box) for Christmas last year, so I'm set for a while (I apologize, my parents got them for me and I have no idea where they found them). They come in various handle colors as well, I've got blue and orange at the bench, among others.

I have one word of advice about Tenax though: DO NOT...I REPEAT, DO NOT FORGET TO CAP THAT STUFF AFTER YOU USE IT!!!!!!!!!!!! It has an annoying habit of evaporating. Don't ask me how I know ...

edit: for a stupid mistake

Edited September 5, 2009 by TomcatFanatic123

[imatt88]

I love Tenax, and yes, I have spilled a few bottles.

I put my jar in an old rattle can lid, and that seems to work fine to prevent tipping.

I use an old paint brush to apply mine. It works for me.

HTH,

Cheers, Ian

[DutyCat]

Those little ultrabrushes work fine. I have also used a regular nylon white Testor's brush...the one with the chiseled edge.

Tenax is good stuff.

[RedHeadKevin]

3 words: Touch - N - Flow

[balls47]

I love Tenax. I use an old spotter's brush or a touch-n-flow. Just a word on brushes. Don't use those white Testor's brushes. The bristles are made of plastic, and the Tenax will melt the bristles. There are uses for those white brushes, but applying Tenax to a model isn't one of them. Also, when you put your Tenax down, DO NOT put your fingers anywhere near the glued area or the Tenax itself. You will end up sanding fingerprints off of your model. I can attest to the above information from personal experience.

[Tgoetz]

How does Tenax compare to Tamiya Extra Thin Cement? I know that both "melt" the plastic, but are they basicly the same in how well they bond two parts together?

[mkimages]

No worries about cleaning the brush. With Tenax being a solvent rather than a "glue", it simply evaporates. There can be some residue left after it's gone (not sure whether that's from the Tenax, the bristles, or plastic from the model), but a quick wipe will generally get rid of it.

RedHeadKevin has the best solution though. The Touch-n-Flow is the single best thing to happen to my modeling since ARC.

[silver1]

Tenax is no longer available at my LHS. I have heard conflicting rumors. 1). Gone. Never to return. Stock up on all you can get your hands on. Then sell me a few bottles. 2). Temporarily unavailable due to it being a one man operation. The man in charge is going through a divorce and is also having trouble finding a supplier for empty bottles.

I use a Touch-n-flo almost exclusively. Until I got the hang of it, I cursed it as being a "Touch-n-plug".

Ed

BTW...Does your LHS do mail order? I am almost out of Tenax.

Edited October 10, 2009 by silver1

[BOC262]

I use a Touch-n-flo almost exclusively. Until I got the hang of it, I cursed it as being a "Touch-n-plug".

"Touch-n-plug" LOL!! That's been my experience with it. How do you use it without having it plug up all the time?

As for spilling the bottle, make something like this:

[Adam Baker]

Just a rumor. Apparently the manufacturing company shut down for awhile, and has either reopened, or been sold to another company that has begun production again. Expect it to be available again.

Tenax is no longer available at my LHS. I have heard conflicting rumors. 1). Gone. Never to return. Stock up on all you can get your hands on. Then sell me a few bottles. :( 2). Temporarily unavailable due to it being a one man operation. The man in charge is going through a divorce and is also having trouble finding a supplier for empty bottles.

I use a Touch-n-flo almost exclusively. Until I got the hang of it, I cursed it as being a "Touch-n-plug".

Ed

BTW...Does your LHS do mail order? I am almost out of Tenax.

[gotarheelz14]

I am also really interested in how it compares to extra thin cement. Can anyone comment on that?

Thanks!

[Pierre Sacha]

Hi guys,

Can´t find Tenax anymore either so I´ve ordered THIS

andit is the same stuff. ;)

Rgds

Pierre

[konbini]

;) it really IS the same stuff!!

My initial thought was this has gotta be some sorta marketing joke, but its on the micromark website so it would appear genuine.. I was quite surprised. I've never used Tenax (didnt see it here in the LHS I visited - proweld or 7R), but I might just get myself a bottle based on how much people liked it.

How does it compare with Tamiya cement (normal and thin)?

David

[Dave Williams]

Personally, I had little success with the touch-N-flow applicator. After a short while, the tip clogs up with melted sprue that wicks up off the seam and it's a big pain to get it unclogged. I tried it a couple of times and abandoned it. I use a draftsman's ruling pen similar to this with Tenax.

http://www.theartistsdepot.com/RulingPens.htm

The screw adjusts the space between the nibs to pick up some of the cement and you "draw" it along the seam. It's metal so the glue doesn't affect it and if the tip gets clogged, you can spread the nibs to clean it out, or I just usually slide a piece of paper between the nibs and that breaks off the blob of melted plastic.

[BOC262]

Hi guys,

Can´t find Tenax anymore either so I´ve ordered THIS

andit is the same stuff.

Rgds

Pierre

I'm willing to bet that any of the liquid cements out there, such as Proweld, Tenax, Ambroid, Same Stuff, etc, are probably just industrial solvents which have been bottled in small quantities for the hobby market and sold at insanely marked up prices. I know that MEK has been used as a liquid cement, but it's really nasty, so perhaps the solvent(s) marketed as hobby cements are something other than MEK? Any chemists here?

Personally, I had little success with the touch-N-flow applicator. After a short while, the tip clogs up with melted sprue that wicks up off the seam and it's a big pain to get it unclogged. I tried it a couple of times and abandoned it. I use a draftsman's ruling pen similar to this with Tenax.

http://www.theartistsdepot.com/RulingPens.htm

The screw adjusts the space between the nibs to pick up some of the cement and you "draw" it along the seam. It's metal so the glue doesn't affect it and if the tip gets clogged, you can spread the nibs to clean it out, or I just usually slide a piece of paper between the nibs and that breaks off the blob of melted plastic.

Thanks for the tip! I have an old draftsman's ruling pen, so I will give it a try.

[charlespattison]

I didn't like Touch and Flow for the same reason.

If you have a friendly drugstore/pharmacy, and they know you're not a drug dealer, get some hypodermic syrignes - but understand that after a month or sore the Tenax will eat the rubber and you'll have to toss it and use a fresh one.

Personally, I had little success with the touch-N-flow applicator. After a short while, the tip clogs up with melted sprue that wicks up off the seam and it's a big pain to get it unclogged. I tried it a couple of times and abandoned it. I use a draftsman's ruling pen similar to this with Tenax.

http://www.theartistsdepot.com/RulingPens.htm

The screw adjusts the space between the nibs to pick up some of the cement and you "draw" it along the seam. It's metal so the glue doesn't affect it and if the tip gets clogged, you can spread the nibs to clean it out, or I just usually slide a piece of paper between the nibs and that breaks off the blob of melted plastic.

[Space Tiger Hobbes]

I've had the same experience and lost one Touch n Flo applicator. Apparently noone can resist dragging it along like a brush or bottle tip applicator. However, the idea is to 'touch' the area needing gluing and let capillary action do the rest. I periodically blow out the tip and fill it back up a couple of times to make sure the melted plastic is clear.

[Matt]

I am also really interested in how it compares to extra thin cement. Can anyone comment on that?

Thanks!

I find Tenax and Ambroid to be 'hotter' than Tamiya thin. So they work really well when you are able to get the parts together or close together before applying them. The Tamiya will give you a little longer working time (may 5 secs or so) to get it applied and the parts brought together and aligned. As a result, the Tamiya will need a little longer to set up before it will take a strain.

Tamiya thin also comes with a great applicator brush built in, and the bottles are pretty spill proof. I keep my old ones and transfer the Ambroid into them.

Cheers,

Matt