Lead Adventure Forum

Other Stuff => Workbench => Topic started by: cheetor on May 30, 2014, 12:00:50 PM

Title: Gluing clear acrylic/perpex with household glue. Recommendations?
Post by: cheetor on May 30, 2014, 12:00:50 PM: I am in the process of getting some clear/translucent acrylic pieces laser cut for use as souvenir items for an event that I am attending. The acrylic pieces are to be supplied as a kit (a very small kit of about the same complexity as a Kinder Egg toy, but a kit nonetheless). I would love a recommendation for an easily obtained adhesive to assemble them with.

The pieces are clear and must remain so for the model to function as intended. Superglue/cyanoacrylate will likely cloud the pieces so isnt ideal. Dedicated acrylic adhesives are not commonly available (AFAIK) and so are not much use in context either. The parts are quite small (3x3x3mm approx in places).

Do any of you guys have recommendations? I am going to try some all-purpose UHU and Bostik that I have at home on some scraps over the weekend, but I am not very hopeful regarding those. A recommendation for a readily available solution would be fantastically helpful for me.

Any takers?
Title: Re: Gluing clear acrylic/perpex with household glue. Recommendations?
Post by: zizi666 on May 30, 2014, 03:31:06 PM: You need some solvent to "weld" it. (I know some people at work used acetone to weld polycarbonate together)

Here's a thread discussing your problem:
http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/general/what-solvent-glue-acrylic-216404/ (http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/general/what-solvent-glue-acrylic-216404/)
Title: Re: Gluing clear acrylic/perpex with household glue. Recommendations?
Post by: Steve63 on May 30, 2014, 05:23:39 PM: You need acrylic cement or acrylic weld, google acrylic cement
Title: Re: Gluing clear acrylic/perpex with household glue. Recommendations?
Post by: AndrewBeasley on May 30, 2014, 08:01:02 PM: I got a tube of glue from Figures in Comfort (type 33 I think) that works great.
Title: Re: Gluing clear acrylic/perpex with household glue. Recommendations?
Post by: Gary Peach on May 30, 2014, 08:14:06 PM: It was Chloroform when I was at school... anything based on that should work.
Title: Re: Gluing clear acrylic/perpex with household glue. Recommendations?
Post by: cheetor on May 30, 2014, 08:24:21 PM: Thanks for all the help guys. The problem is that I will be distributing a small acrylic kit to a number of folks, so I need to find a readily available option so that I can tell each of the guys getting the kit what to assemble it with themselves.

So the best option - a dedicated acrylic adhesive - isnt practical. So I need to find a more readily available "good enough" option.
Title: Re: Gluing clear acrylic/perpex with household glue. Recommendations?
Post by: OSHIROmodels on May 30, 2014, 09:49:54 PM: Carefully applied wood glue (not pva) might be your best bet then. Obviously not the best option but given the situation I can't think of anything better :?

cheers

James
Title: Re: Gluing clear acrylic/perpex with household glue. Recommendations?
Post by: cheetor on May 30, 2014, 09:58:59 PM: Quote from: jimbibbly on May 30, 2014, 09:49:54 PM
Carefully applied wood glue (not pva) might be your best bet then. Obviously not the best option but given the situation I can't think of anything better :?

Yeah, its not ideal but I cant think of much better myself either. Ill have a think. Even Bostik All Purpose might be a decent way to go.
Title: Re: Gluing clear acrylic/perpex with household glue. Recommendations?
Post by: Mitch K on May 30, 2014, 10:54:49 PM: Transparent (high clarity) epoxy, like rod builders use?