scratch building with styrene

If the stock, such as Evergreen brand is .020 inch thick or greater, I just use it as is and don't laminate it to anything else. I usually bevel the corners to 45° angle at the corners using a large, very sharp, flat file and then glue together with a solvent like Tenax 7R. I then add a strip of .030" square stock on the inside to get a good joint. The only thing I laminate is some of the Plastruct styrene patterns as they are quite thin. I try to use heavy stock like .040 under them to help avoid warping that sometimes occurs after a few years. I have a few buildings I made years ago that have bowed walls.

 

When I do laminate, I use the same solvent type glue. I only bond two surfaces at the edges and any openings like windows. The capillary action of the cement wicks it in from the edge a little if you pry the two pieces apart with a few pins.

 

The two plastics do not mix well together when using a straight solvent. The bond is very weak. About the only thing that kind of works for ABS to Styrene is the Plastruct cement. It has some sort of residual bonding agent left behind that sticks to both plastics after the solvent has evaporated. And then you open yourself up to warping as the bonds cure. As a rule, I stay away from laminating when at all possible. I have had too many buildings warp and bow after a few years. Notice how the roof on this house curls up at the edges like a pagoda.