I am working on my first Kormodel kit, a double silo. I'm having trouble gluing the silos. I've sanded the paint away from the bonding surfaces and am using Gorilla super glue. The pieces don't want to bond. Anyone else ever build one of these?

I think it might be the materials involved. I think the silos are PVC Pipe. If that's the case, you probably want to use contact cement. There's a product I like called E6000 (a form of silicone contact cement) available at some craft stores. 5-minute Epoxy should also work, but you have mix/work time issues involved (works well for dissimilar materials.) There's also a site which has a wealth of info on bonding called This to That

Hope this helps.

I used testers cement.Worked great for me.BF

I have never used Gorilla Glue. I heard it was strong. Is it thin? You probably want to use a thicker glue for heavier parts. You might try plain old two part epoxy. I use it for everything, including PVC pipe I am using on my layout. It will hold anything, permanently. I may have used a special two part plastic epoxy on the PVC; can't recall.

If the model is PVC, the hardware stores carry special cement for PVC pipe. It sets up in about 5 minutes. There is a cleaner that you apply first, then a separate cement. The cement does not work too well unless you clean the PVC. Make sure you buy the clear stuff. They have been adding dyes so plumbers can see where they put the glue. You would need to paint over any dye otherwise.

George

I believe Gorilla Glue is a polyurethane glue and requires moisture to activate and cure. The best advise for gluing is to do as Matt says. Go to www.thistothat.com (also in the Sourcelist above) for solutions to gluing different materials. I don't think there is a universal glue anywhere. the old Korber was difficult to bond.Perhaps Justrains, the new owners may select a different, more forgiving material to use in their casting process.

Mike.....I am in the process of building the same silo you are. I used 5 minuite epoxy and it works great. Get a good "name brand" quality epoxy...some brands on the market are junk. I had to cut my tubes an even height as they came in various heights. I did this on a chop cut saw. The paint you are sanding off is a good primer. Before you paint I suggest you put a primer back on for adhesion of the final coat. Good Luck!

Steve


Texas on the West Coast........

My first Korber kit was the engine house a short time ago. I struggled getting the wall sections to each other and to the beam structure. I used super glue gel. The main issue was that contact points on sidewalls were uneven even after sanding. The best solution for me was to glue small pieces of wood on the wall sections in two places per wall section, using a clamp for a secure bond. The wood pieces made it possible to glue the adjoining wall piece to the wood as well as glueing the contact points of the walls. The wood can be painted an appropriate color to conceal it on the interior walls.

I recently used this system on the Atlas enging house as well, making the project go alot smoother.

Hope this helps you.

While I use 5-minute Epoxy for most of my projects, I've found GOO works best for not-similar materials. It can be a bit messy to use ("strings"), but it holds anything together, and retains a very slight "flex" so parts don't shear apart. Just let the glue sit on the 2 peices for a minute before joining. Joe

I generally use masking tape to hold my glued edges together until they dry. I have seen some mention 'clamping'. What are your thoughts on the masking tape? It seems to work for me.

BTW - I checked and did use two part 'plastic fusion' epoxy to hold my PVC pipes together. I taped them while they dried.

George

A few "tips" I follow when using 5-minute Epoxy. First and foremost, don't try to glue too much at a time. Yes, you will waste some, but it's best to proceed in small steps. A real boon to me was finding it in a pack of two 4.5 oz squeeze bottles with caps. No more small messy tubes! ( I HATE those "plunger"-type side-by-side dispensers, as well). I mix it in small plastic medical pill cups, and buy a large pack of them from a hobby shop. I use Lollipop sticks from a craft store to mix it. Joe

Contact Glue or Epoxy will do. Gorilla Glue is great when you can clamp it together.

I HAVE BUILT MANY KORBER KITS. I ALWAYS USE CRAZY GLUE (CY) AND A GLUE GUN. THE CRAZY GLUE IS BRITTLE AND CANNOT HOLD BY ITSELF. THE GLUE IN THE GLUE GUN IS FLEXIBLE. THIS METHOD HAS WORKED WELL FOR ME ON ALL KORBER STRUCTURES INCLUDING THE SILOS. I USE AN ACCELERATOR WITH THE CRAZY GLUE BEACUSE I HAVE NO PATIENCE.

ALAN GRAZIANO

Thanks for the tips, everyone. I especially liked the glue gun tip and am using mine.

As for this particular brand, I won't buy another one. At this price I don't think that one should have to deal with warped parts or uneven mating surfaces.

Perhaps I'm being unfair to the manufacturer. Are warped and uneven mating surfaces typical for this type of kit?

I've modeled in N, HO, and On30 without these kinds of issues before. Of course, I've either built plastic kits or wood. I may just scratchbuild one using the pieces for a guide.

Anyway, thanks for everyones' help.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeAA9ZY:
As for this particular brand, I won't buy another one. At this price I don't think that one should have to deal with warped parts or uneven mating surfaces.

Perhaps I'm being unfair to the manufacturer. Are warped and uneven mating surfaces typical for this type of kit?

I built an Atlas Trainman kit recently. The parts fit fine. I don't recall working with warped parts in a kit before. Hearing about Korber was surprising to me, but you are not the first to report it. Their models are very interesting. I don't know what the alternatives are. It seems we are much more limited in O scale for kits than N or HO.

George

Very early Korber kits had a warpping problem with many of their parts. The newer kits are made of a different material and should not have this problem. If you have a new kit with warpping, I suggest contacting the manufacturer. I believe the current owner is JusTrains. Check their website.

Chris
LVHR