Top 10 Household Chemicals For Plastic Models. Tutorial Level: Beginner

[Weaver]

Useful little video:

[Hobbes]

Whiskey, rum, gin, beer...

[Weaver]

Whiskey, rum, gin, beer...

Asprin, Paracetamol, Valium...

[kerick]

Nice video! Some of those I've used before but some are new to me. Very helpful.

[Steel Penguin]

well done     and no where near as dangerous as i thought i may go 

[frank2056]

I use talcum powder instead of baking soda with the superglue. It's not an exothermic reaction like the baking soda and the resulting solid is about as soft as styrene.

[Andrew Gorman]

The Zippo lighter fluid as paint thinner was a great tip!  I put it right to use on some decanted spray can paint and it worked well.  In the US the bulk version is VM&P Naptha- Varnish Makers and Painters Naptha at the hardware store.  I had never thought of it as model paint thinner before this video.  Years ago i tried various household chemicals to thin acrylics with disastrous results.  It's not paint, it's a marshmallow now... I usually pick up the lighter fluid in smaller containers at estate sales/ yard sales and use it to remove stickers and the residual  goo. There are often "free" boxes of household chemicals at these sales that are worth checking out- a last chance to get Future floor wax!

[Rick Lowe]

I use talcum powder instead of baking soda with the superglue. It's not an exothermic reaction like the baking soda and the resulting solid is about as soft as styrene.

I've used it for years, it's always worked well for me. 
I did once try the Baking Soda version, but I used it as a bulking agent as well, and the whole thing turned brown and leached over time...    Maybe it would have been ok under a coat of paint, but maybe not...

[kerick]

I use talcum powder instead of baking soda with the superglue. It's not an exothermic reaction like the baking soda and the resulting solid is about as soft as styrene.

I've used it for years, it's always worked well for me. 
I did once try the Baking Soda version, but I used it as a bulking agent as well, and the whole thing turned brown and leached over time...    Maybe it would have been ok under a coat of paint, but maybe not...

I've only had that combo go bad once over the years. I had glued lead shot in the nose of an aircraft with CA and baking soda. After a few years it ate a hole in the side of the model and the plastic was very brittle all around it. Some crazy chemistry going on.

[Rick Lowe]

That's disconcerting.

I have had that problem of super glue making styrene brittle.
Most recently when I was trying to wrap a strip around something.
I wound up with a lot of little pieces; it seems to fracture best when the styrene is under tension. 

[Wardukw]

I had a whole different problem with CA when I used it to glue fishing sinkers into the nose of that single engined Buccaneer..it turned the plastic to goo ..i ended up having to make a new nose for it 😒
That's the first and only time I've ever experienced that I can tell ya .

[Rick Lowe]

Maybe it couldn't outgas properly? Strange effect, tho.

[Captain Canada]

Lots of interesting stuff there ! Thanks for sharing.

[Rick Lowe]

Finally got around to watching this - agree, some useful ideas. Thanks. 

[kerick]

Instead of CA, baking soda and lead combo in a couple of models I just used scrap plastic to make a sort of bulkhead or box to hold the weights in place. That's if there is room for it. Other times there has been a cramped space and I just let it rattle around.
I don't know how folks use PVA glue as it must take forever to dry and it would run all over inside the model.
I do have one aircraft on a shelf that after a few years is now leaching a light brown substance at the underside of the nose. Nothing disastrous yet.