Humbrol Clearfix

[kitbasher]

Never used it.  Is it any good?

[Hobbes]

I've been using it for gluing windows in place, it works well for that purpose. I haven't used it to create windows yet.

[Mossie]

Yeah, I've been using it recentley & it's pretty good.  Works well as a canopy adhesive, I've also used it for sticking some non-polystyrene parts together as it gives working time that you don't get with superglue.  Doesn't sand very well though, so try not to dribble it onto other surfaces.

It works well for making small windows, airliner type less than about 3-4mm.  Put a small amount on a cocktail stick or simillar & create a thin bead around the around and let it dry for at least 10 minutes.  Then put a blob on, draw it back & forth and pull out your cocktail stick.  I reccomend masking around the window as it's easy to get small dribbles.  There's two ways that I know to remove these but they have their drawbacks, wait some weeks until it dries hard & scrape it off, or wipe it off with meths although the vapour will attack the window next to it.  Masking prevents the dribbles in the first place.  If your unhappy with results once it's dried, you can get a little more Clearfix on your stick which will 'melt' the original again.  If you want to completely remove it, meths will do the trick well.

You can use it for larger windows, I used it with some success on a 5mm x 8mm truck window, but it takes a bit of patience & practice.  Start the same way as you would normally, then get a good size blob on somethin large like an organe stick and draw it back & forth quickly & continuously.  Webs will start to form & try to connect these, eventually they'll connect.  Don't twist the cocktail stick as you introduce lots of little air bubbles.  It took me many attempts to get something that I was reasonably happy with, although I've seen better on the net.

[NARSES2]

I use it for attaching clear parts and it's preaty good

[kitbasher]

Thanks for the tips, guys.  For glazing I would still use Krystal Klear, I was more interested in the adhesive qualities to be frank (apologies, should have made this clear - no pun intended - at the start) but still good to know the various tricks.

Regards,

KB

[Mossie]

Worth giving it a try for glazing, most people I've heard who have tried it tend to favour it over Krystal Klear.  It dries completley clear, doesn't have that milky look you get with KK.

[kitbasher]

So if I wanted to create canopy framing, rather than use Krystal Klear to glue one strip of clear plastic to another, Clearfix would achieve a better bond and would dry clear, with no damage to the 'cockpit' side of the 'frame'?  I mention clear plastic strip as it would then be painted the colour of the interior frame, with the exterior frame colour on top of that.

[JayBee]

In my experience, Clearfix does not dry hard but remains "softish" (my word) rather like not totaly hardended rubber. In otherwords the canopy can be peeled of quite easily.


Jim