I usually use MEK for polystyrene sheet work, it's OK for applying narrow strips, beading ,etc., but it evaporates to quickly for laminating large pieces.McRuss:100978 wrote:I plan to buildt it from two or three layers of 1mm styrene card, which will be laminated together. So is there enough time to apply the MEK Pak to one sheet and then laminate the other sheet on it before the solvent dries?
I form my coach roofs by laminating three layers of 0.5mm (20 thou) sheet 420 x 120mm, then clamp them to a wood profile block until they set. For that I use d-Limonene, sold by Microscale as Micro Weld.
It evaporates fairly slowly, so I can quickly paint it on with a soft flat brush about 12mm wide and apply the next layer while the surface is still wet. It takes a few days for the joint to harden in that application though.
I also use Limonene when laminating up coach sides where the base sheet is 1.5mm, the window frame layer is 0.5mm, the outer side is 0.5mm and the beading is 0.5mm. Limonene has the advantage that it is less likely to attack very thin sheets when laminating them to thicker material. MEK and the other fast evaporating solvents will cause thin strip to crack when applied on curved surfaces and/or soften it to form sink holes in the thin part.
I've also found that if you use Limonene to form blocks that will be sanded down to form curved surfaces etc., the seams between layers won't be visible if you give it plenty of time to set. Fast solvents like MEK tend to allow material to be ripped out of the seam when you sand or file the block, so you have to use filler to get a smooth surface.
Regards,
Graeme