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Styrene?

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1.5K views 15 replies 10 participants last post by  Big_Dave  
#1 ·
Im new and was wondering what kind of styrene you guys use to make guns and other equipment?:help
 
#2 ·
There are two major brands I use - Plastruct and Evergreen, but there are others. Both make sheets and strips in varying thicknesses and lengths, as well as shaped pieces. There are tubes, rectangular tubes, rods, hex-shapes, and on and on. It's generally soft so it's easy to work with. Hope that helps. Were there specific questions you had?
 
#10 ·
For cutting, I mostly use an X-Acto razor saw for thicker pieces (course or fine blade, depending), and X-Acto or hobby knives for thin pieces. For sheets, You can score straight lines then snap your piece off.
As JTFazz said, model or plastic cement melts both parts, then has to be held or clamped together and forms a bond as it solidifies. Super glue is usually quicker, and there are various thicknesses depending on the application (bonding flat pieces, irregular pieces, or parts with gaps between the joins). Super glue, or CA, forms something like an acrylic bond between the pieces. I always score the parts being joined by cross-hatching with a hobby knife point. It gives the CA something to "grab onto" for a stronger bond. They also make accelerator that you apply to instantly harden the CA.
Check with your LOCAL hobby shops and craft stores first, then the modeling companies like Squadron.com. Evergreen put out a book on working with styrene that has all the info you need.
 
#13 ·
I find Evergreen to be the best brand of styrene but it is quite costly here in Australia (where everything is needlessly expensive). As for cutting I would recommend a fine tooth hobby saw rather than a Dremel as even at low speed the Dremel can melt the plastic. Styrene also sands very well but again you should take it slow or it can melt.
 
#14 ·
I haven't completely scratchbuilt any guns, but use styrene to modify existing ones. You can use it to "stretch" stocks that are not scaled properly, add new barrels (Round rod, half-round, hex, or modified into octogon). You can also use very thin sheet styrene or shaped pieces to form details, like on the bottom rifle.

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If you want to go allout and scratchbuild from nothing, you can glue peices of styrene together to get thick enogh sections to form stocks, etc.
 
#15 ·
Any hobby, hand and power tools can be used. Dremels, drill, files (my personal favorites), sandpaper, glue, superglue, gap filling superglue (Dries slowly), modelers putty, hobby knives, scissors, pliers.... You are only limited by your imagination.

Ambroid Proweld is the best. Testors liquid model glue works. Tenax 7, Superglues (cyanoacrylates, make sure you have good ventilation is you use lots of it, as it can cause cancer with long term exposure)

Here is one of my customs with styrene. The magazine is the only thing not cutom made.

http://www.onesixthwarriors.com/for...s-gotta-have-these-1-6-custom-kriss-teaser-pic-added.html?highlight=kriss+super