How to Choose CA Glues for Your 3D Printed Parts

Aladdin Model
May 3
2 min read

Your typical plastic cement won't work on your printed resin parts. Here are the methods you can use to glue your 3D printed resin models.

Before buying CA glues, consider using the 3D printing resin and UV flashlight to glue your model

Your 3D printing resin can be used to glue your models, you can buy a UV flashlight to solidify the resin after application. You can also use a resin with darker colors than your print to better see where you applied the resin.

The advantages of using your 3D printing resin are:

1) It only requires you to buy a UV flashlight, no need to buy extra glue.

2) 3D printing resins have medium viscosity so it will not flow uncontrollably, and can be used to fill small gaps between parts.

3) Unlike CA glue that starts to cure instantly in contact with moisture in the air, 3D printing resin will not react with moisture and only start to bond if you decide to put it under UV light, so you're not in a rush to position the parts.

The drawback is that with resin, there is no debonder if you want to remove the glue.

Not All CA Glues Are Created Equal

Different types of CA glues suit different use. For scale modeling, we care about criteria like viscosity, curing time, gap coverage, color, and flexibility after curing.

1) Avoid CA glue with low viscosity

Have you ever applied CA glues that flow away from where you want to apply it, and once you put more, you realized it glued your fingers instead of the parts? Those are low viscosity (flow like water) CA glues that are to be avoided for gluing your 3D printed scale models.

Instead, you should buy medium viscosity CA glue for parts with tight fit, and high viscosity CA glue (gel like) for parts that have larger gaps (maybe due to warping or other printing distortions) so it acts as a filler.

2) Use accelerant for higher viscosity CA glues

Higher viscosity CA glues might take longer to cure. If you want to shorten the curing time, you can apply IPA alcohol as an accelerant using a paint brush or spray. Yes, you heard me right, the same IPA alcohol you use to wash your resin parts can accelerate the curing time of your CA glue.

3) Use dark color CA glue

Dark color CA glue are more visible against your resin print (unless you print with black resin, then you're screwed), so you know where the glue is and it's easier to sand it down.

4) Flexibility after curing

Some CA glues are infused with rubber or silicone, it will give the parts some flexibility after cure, so it will be less likely to break, especially for small parts.