Welding training troubles

[Jurek]

I'd echo what Kim says - particularly that of glue choice when glueing plastics.
Polyprop is notoriously difficult (but not impossible) to glue.

[SteveC]

Welding engineers rarely use words such as 'perfect' in relation to weld quality; they are far more likely to talk in terms of 'fitness for purpose' and so forth.

<dusts off very old metallurgy degree>
One thing I do remember from the course (and from a vacation job where I spent six weeks polishing, etching and photographing some welds in very thick stainless steel pipes) was that no weld is ever perfect. There will always be a weakness somewhere. Part of the skill is ensuring that the weakness is somewhere where it won't matter.

Disclaimer: I have never actually welded anything! This is probably a good thing knowing my general lack of ability with such things.

[Kim]

I'd echo what Kim says - particularly that of glue choice when glueing plastics.
Polyprop is notoriously difficult (but not impossible) to glue.

I had good results with Techbond 261 when using correx to improve the hairodynamics of The Red Baron.  Important thing was getting everything in place quickly before the glue could cool (which is probably another argument for a higher-power gun).

[Jurek]

I'd echo what Kim says - particularly that of glue choice when glueing plastics.
Polyprop is notoriously difficult (but not impossible) to glue.

I had good results with Techbond 261 when using correx to improve the hairodynamics of The Red Baron.  Important thing was getting everything in place quickly before the glue could cool (which is probably another argument for a higher-power gun).

You may've seen the tool bottle from my Van Nic

It's had a ~20mm extension added to one end, which means a bit more storage, and I don't need to have fingers as long as Gollum's, as there is no bottom to this bottle.
That was done by roughing up the mating surfaces, coating them in RS's Polyolefin Primer and running in some very thin cyanoacrylate.
It has held intact since 2008.
No HMG was involved.

[Kim]

Double-ended tool bottle!  Those really ought to be a thing.  Or just have the cap at the bottom end, so the small items migrate to it, rather than hiding from Gollum...

And I have now learned that Polyolefin Primer is a thing.