Sheffield Midlands Posted January 8, 2020 Share Posted January 8, 2020 Silly question perhaps but what methods do you use to apply Butanone / MEK (Plastic Weld) to fix rail chairs to sleepers? I may be applying too much or too much pressure but many look distinctly melted and distorted. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Prism Posted January 8, 2020 Share Posted January 8, 2020 Functional or cosmetic chairs? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Andy Hayter Posted January 8, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 8, 2020 AFAIK Plastic weld is not MEK. However, regardless of that, I use a very fine brush for small components and normal joints. By small I mean a 000 brush, that having done its job in painting and beginning to lose its hairs has now been promoted to glue duties (so probably closer to 0000.) Even a small drop left on the tip should not cause a problem but I aim for the brush to be wet but not have a visible drop at the end. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheffield Midlands Posted January 8, 2020 Author Share Posted January 8, 2020 32 minutes ago, Miss Prism said: Functional or cosmetic chairs? Both 9 minutes ago, Andy Hayter said: AFAIK Plastic weld is not MEK. However, regardless of that, I use a very fine brush for small components and normal joints. By small I mean a 000 brush, that having done its job in painting and beginning to lose its hairs has now been promoted to glue duties (so probably closer to 0000.) Even a small drop left on the tip should not cause a problem but I aim for the brush to be wet but not have a visible drop at the end. plastic weld is definitely MEK according to the label..... i guess I need a smaller brush than the 000 that I’ve been using. Wondering if syringes might be good to with a very fine needle? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Prism Posted January 8, 2020 Share Posted January 8, 2020 Are the timbers stained or unstained? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheffield Midlands Posted January 8, 2020 Author Share Posted January 8, 2020 12 minutes ago, Miss Prism said: Are the timbers stained or unstained? a mix of unstained wood ones and plastic/styrene (concrete) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sulzer27jd Posted January 8, 2020 Share Posted January 8, 2020 Apply the solvent to the sleeper and let it run under the chair. It doesn't require much pressure. I find using several gauges and a steady methodical approach of doing two or three chairs and then leap-frogging the last gauge over the nearest is a reasonable method. With wooden sleepers you can actually see the solvent getting drawn under by capiliary action. They generally require a couple of seconds more to get a solid bond. John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
flubrush Posted January 8, 2020 Share Posted January 8, 2020 1 hour ago, Sheffield Midlands said: Wondering if syringes might be good to with a very fine needle? I now use syringes to apply MEK/Butanone when building track with plastic chairs. I find that I can apply the correct amount quite easily and there are very few fumes compared to using a brush. You can also pick up and put down the syringe quite easily with one hand - no "brush in bottle" action required with the possibility of spilling the bottle. The syringes and blunt needles can be got from Ebay - maybe get an assortment of needle sizes to let you decide on what size is best for you. Jim. 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dave Hunt Posted January 8, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 8, 2020 2 hours ago, Sheffield Midlands said: plastic weld is definitely MEK according to the label..... Not so, Plastic Weld is methylene chloride (AKA dichloromethane) whereas MEK is methyl ethyl ketone - different substances and although both work with polystyrene, only methylene chloride will dissolve acrylics. Dave 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharris Posted January 8, 2020 Share Posted January 8, 2020 6 hours ago, Andy Hayter said: AFAIK Plastic weld is not MEK. And as you pointed out in this thread a couple of years ago, even MekPak isn't MEK these days... What a confusing world we live in if we expect, from experience, a product to do something, and it doesn't do exactly the same thing any longer. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brossard Posted January 8, 2020 Share Posted January 8, 2020 I use a cheap old brush to apply MEK. I'm using Peco chairs and stained timbers. It all works very well. Check out your DIY store. I got a liter tin of MEK at my local. I suspect it is cheaper than buying those tiny bottles from modelling outlets. MEK and Butanone are the same thing. John 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedman Posted January 8, 2020 Share Posted January 8, 2020 MekPak was never in its entire life MEK. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Izzy Posted January 8, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 8, 2020 I have only ever used a good quality sable brush (W&N mainly) for liquid glue, Mek-Pak, Plasticweld etc. My current one is around 10-15 years old, and still with plenty of bristles. I usually give chairs a few doses in a batch of 3-4 sleepers in rotation before moving on to the next batch. Takes a few mins for the bond to the ply sleepers to fully go off as a rule. I always slosh a bit of paint ( poster paint mostly) over them and the side of the rail to help key them together later on so don’t really notice any surface melting as such should it occur. But then I probably don’t work to the high standards others achieve. Izzy 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dave Hunt Posted January 8, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 8, 2020 1 hour ago, thedman said: MekPak was never in its entire life MEK. Yes it was. When George Slater started the business, Mekpak was mainly MEK but after he was found unconscious on the floor one night after a leakage (and was lucky to be found) the formulation was changed. How do I know this? Because I was once a director of Slaters. Dave 2 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheffield Midlands Posted January 8, 2020 Author Share Posted January 8, 2020 16 hours ago, Andy Hayter said: AFAIK Plastic weld is not MEK. However, regardless of that, I use a very fine brush for small components and normal joints. By small I mean a 000 brush, that having done its job in painting and beginning to lose its hairs has now been promoted to glue duties (so probably closer to 0000.) Even a small drop left on the tip should not cause a problem but I aim for the brush to be wet but not have a visible drop at the end. clearly says MEK on it.... 5-15% but also has Methylene Chloride in it Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Andy Hayter Posted January 9, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 9, 2020 Except that that is Plastruct and not plastic Weld made by EMA which as already stated shows its composition is methylene dichloride. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheffield Midlands Posted January 9, 2020 Author Share Posted January 9, 2020 5 hours ago, Andy Hayter said: Except that that is Plastruct and not plastic Weld made by EMA which as already stated shows its composition is methylene dichloride. again - it is Plastic Weld by Plastruct but I originally wanted help with application and not a Chemistry lesson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold BoD Posted January 9, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 9, 2020 For fine work I use the Deluxe Pin Point applicator. Quite expensive for what it is but does a great job. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium rab Posted January 9, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 9, 2020 (edited) 6 hours ago, Sheffield Midlands said: again - it is Plastic Weld by Plastruct but I originally wanted help with application and not a Chemistry lesson But this is RMWeb, where thread drift is inevitable Edited January 9, 2020 by rab Fat fingers syndrome 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium TheQ Posted January 9, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 9, 2020 32 minutes ago, rab said: But this is RMWeb, where thread drift is inevitable Can we stick it down so it doesn't drift , what sort of applicator would you use? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharris Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 48 minutes ago, TheQ said: Can we stick it down so it doesn't drift , what sort of applicator would you use? A large hammer? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dasatcopthorne Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 On 08/01/2020 at 07:29, sulzer27jd said: Apply the solvent to the sleeper and let it run under the chair. It doesn't require much pressure. I find using several gauges and a steady methodical approach of doing two or three chairs and then leap-frogging the last gauge over the nearest is a reasonable method. With wooden sleepers you can actually see the solvent getting drawn under by capiliary action. They generally require a couple of seconds more to get a solid bond. John Exactly how I have done hundreds. Buy Butanone on ebay by the litre. Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dave Hunt Posted January 11, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 11, 2020 And methylene chloride is available on Eebygumbay for about nine quid a litre post free. Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheffield Midlands Posted January 11, 2020 Author Share Posted January 11, 2020 On 09/01/2020 at 15:34, dasatcopthorne said: Exactly how I have done hundreds. Buy Butanone on ebay by the litre. Dave 14 hours ago, Dave Hunt said: And methylene chloride is available on Eebygumbay for about nine quid a litre post free. Dave all good when you live in the UK - although I am british, I live in Canada. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dasatcopthorne Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 On 11/01/2020 at 23:24, Sheffield Midlands said: all good when you live in the UK - although I am british, I live in Canada. Also called Rubbing Alchohol. Get the purest you can. Any good?? Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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