Plastic Cement vs Super Glue
Plastic cement welds styrene parts together. CA glue bonds almost anything, including resin and metal, but does not melt plastic.
| Plastic cement | CA super glue | |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | Styrene plastic only | Plastic, resin, metal, photo-etch |
| Bond type | Welds plastic | Surface bond |
| Working time | Some time to adjust | Seconds |
| Seams | Melted plastic helps fill seams | Can fill gaps and sands hard |
| Clear parts | Can craze clear plastic | Can fog clear parts |
| Best use | Main plastic assembly | Small parts and mixed materials |
Choose Plastic cement if
- You assemble standard plastic kits
- You want strong seams
- You need a little adjustment time
Choose CA super glue if
- You attach photo-etch or resin parts
- You need instant grab
- You fill small gaps
The bottom line
Keep both: thin plastic cement for main assembly and CA glue for small and mixed-material parts. Use canopy glue for clear parts.