F-16 Posted February 24, 2021 Share Posted February 24, 2021 (edited) I recently purchased this Tamiya liquid cement. I assumed it was "Non-toxic". It has a nice "orange" smell to it. Tamiya Limonene Cement Extra Thin However it has been giving me problems. It seemed to be acting funny. Let me try to explain.. I first applied the cement to a piece of thin sheet plastic and left it for 24 hours. The next day I noticed that the cement did not dry or evaporate at all, and was still liquid. It did not even thicken up. I could wipe the cement off completely with my finger with no residue left over. Next I tried to attach two small, thin plastic strips together, and let them for dry 24 hours. The next day, I noticed that the glue had not dissolved or bonded the plastic pieces and was still liquid. I could pull the pieces apart as if there was no glue at all. It did not even leave any glue residue on the parts. No tackiness or anything. The glue just sat on the surface and did nothing. It did not dissolve, evaporate, soften or bond the parts at all. So then I tried using it on a scrap model joining two fuel tank halves. After 24 hours, the glue joint never fully cured, dried or evaporated and did not bond the parts together. I could easily pull the apart. Perhaps I was wrong in buying this and should have gotten the green bottle of regular Tamiya extra thin instead. I have never seen (or heard of) a Tamiya extra thin cement that did not work as advertised. I am wondering if this "Limonene" cement has some ingredient that is affecting it's bonding properties somehow. It does have a nice "orange" small to it (I assume it is non-toxic?). Scott CNJC-IPMS Edited March 6, 2021 by F-16 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RichardL Posted February 24, 2021 Share Posted February 24, 2021 It's citrus similar to Testors non toxic cement in a blue squeeze tube. Should have worked unless you got a bad bottle. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
spejic Posted February 26, 2021 Share Posted February 26, 2021 On 2/24/2021 at 12:51 PM, F-16 said: I have never seen (or heard of) a Tamiya extra thin cement that did not work as advertised. This has happened to me on occasion. I'd get a bottle of the standard green labeled stuff and it wouldn't bond anything. Then I get another bottle and it worked fine. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
F-16 Posted February 26, 2021 Author Share Posted February 26, 2021 Here's something else that I just noticed.... I just opened the bottle and a small plastic O-ring seal fell out of the cap in three pieces...broken. If this O-ring has been broken for the past three months and not sealing the cap, then the glue would have evaporated and now has lost it's "bonding" properties...? Does this sound reasonable? What do you think? It's possible..right? If so, then I will probably trash it and get a new bottle. Scott CNJC-IPMS Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RichardL Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 If you are looking for a liquid cement that's low odor and non-toxic, give Deluxe Materials Plastic Magic 10s a try. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ElectroSoldier Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 Limonene is a chemical added to change the smell to stop solvent abuse or remove the strong smell so its more friendly to children. I had a bottle of regular extra thin do that same thing to me. it just didnt cure. I cant only imagine it was a bottle gone bad. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
F-16 Posted March 6, 2021 Author Share Posted March 6, 2021 I would like to thank RichardL for suggesting the Plastic Magic cement. It's great! When I got it, the first thing I did was open the cap and take a sniff... NOTHING. No fumes or smell at all. WOW! And non-flammable to boot! I then used it to assemble two wing tank halves. The glue dried to the touch in a 1/2 hour. It was ready to sand in about an hour. I then sanded the seam and the glued joint was smooth. My only complaint about this stuff, is that the cap is too smooth and it is hard to get a grip when opening and closing. My fingers would slip easily. (Any suggestions on how to make the cap "grip"?) Scott CNJC-IPMS Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RichardL Posted March 6, 2021 Share Posted March 6, 2021 10 minutes ago, F-16 said: My only complaint about this stuff, is that the cap is too smooth and it is hard to get a grip when opening and closing. My fingers would slip easily. (Any suggestions on how to make the cap "grip"?) I would get a roll of Friction Tape Wrap a layer or two around the cap, and you will be able to grip it and unscrew it without any effort. The piece of friction tape you cut out from the roll can be reused multiple times. You can also use it on a stuck paint bottle cap. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
F-16 Posted March 6, 2021 Author Share Posted March 6, 2021 Thanks again Richard! I'll look into this "friction tape". Great tip! Scott CNJC-IPMS Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RichardL Posted March 6, 2021 Share Posted March 6, 2021 For now, you can just wrap a thick rubber band around the cap. That will help you unscrew it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
F-16 Posted March 7, 2021 Author Share Posted March 7, 2021 Well, I found a satisfactory solution to the "grip" problem... I had a roll of "blue painters tape" that I got in the dollar store on my bench. The tape has a rough texture on it, so it has some "grip". So I cut a small piece and wrapped it around the glue bottle cap.... Now I can grip the cap firmly without slipping. Scott CNJC-IPMS Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RichardL Posted March 27, 2021 Share Posted March 27, 2021 Sweet deal. Glad to hear it's working out for you. I think you will like friction tape at least 10x better. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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