Adhesive Types
A guide to common adhesives used in model making
Structural
Epoxy Resin (2-part)
Two-part adhesive providing extremely strong structural bonds. Various setting times from 5 minutes to 24 hours. Excellent gap-filling. Messy and slow — not ideal for fine or rapid assembly.
Epoxy comes in two tubes or syringes — a resin and a hardener. Mixed together, they trigger a chemical reaction that produces an extremely strong, rigid bond. Setting times range from 5-minute rapid epoxy to 24-hour structural grades, with longer cure times generally producing stronger joints. Even fast-setting types need several hours or overnight to reach full strength — don't stress the joint just because it feels solid.
Epoxy bonds almost anything to anything. It’s the standard choice for structural joints, heavy parts, and mixed materials where nothing else works well — metal to wood, glass to metal, resin to plastic. It fills gaps effectively and can be sanded, drilled, and painted once cured. The main drawbacks are the mixing step, the longer wait, and the fact that it’s messy and difficult to clean up once it starts to set. Use sparingly — a thin, even layer is stronger than a thick blob.