Acrylic gluing tricks: two flat surfaces?

Everything Else
#1

I need to glue two pieces of acrylic together, flat surface to flat surface. The interface should be as clear as possible.

So, naturally, I’ve got Weld-on 3 solvent adhesive. However, in my tests I get quite a lot of visible artifacts in the glue interface – not crazing, but rather ripples, and what appear to be tiny lines due to variations in solvent evaporation rate.

…um, anyone got tips on gluing flat surfaces to each other in clear acrylic? Would something like Weld-on 16 help? I suspect that at least part of the problem here is that with Weld-on 3 it’s nearly impossible (for me) to deposit exactly the same amount of solvent everywhere, leading to differences in evaporation rate, leading to visible artifacts.

I don’t need the joint to be optically pure, but I do want to avoid artifacts that are visible unaided.

3 Likes
What kind of glue makes the smallest mess with tight fits?
#2

Yeah, the Weld-on products are pretty much cr*p, I got some stuff from @tom called Methylene chloride/Methyl Methacrylate (www.polysciences.com) that really does a much better job.

(Also causes sixteen kinds of cancer if you inhale it or something so it’s not for the faint of heart. Perfectly clear though.)

7 Likes
#3

:rofl: My husband works in chemical harms research, and this is definitely one I’ve heard him talk about. Be careful out there, folks!

2 Likes
#5

Worked as a Quality Assurance Inspector for a heating element manufacturer. One of the workers went to pour a clear solvent into a Styrofoam coffee cup… Melted so fast you never saw the solvent in the cup, vaporized. Methylene Chloride. We used drums of it. The plant was not all that safe, I was electrocuted on a regular basis and burned. Oh and we had X-Ray machine from the 40’s but that’s another story.

3 Likes
#6

I sincerely hope you found alternate employment! :open_mouth:

3 Likes
#7

It was interesting and I learned alot, but yes I moved to the finance (Credit Union) side and then IT.

2 Likes
#8

My husband built an X-ray machine as a science fair project in HS, and x-rayed his arm. He wanted to make sure he got a good exposure, so he ran it for 5 minutes. Says it was the clearest X-ray he’s ever seen.

I keep expecting his arm to start glowing, or something…

7 Likes
#9

No doubt, here I is was a 20 something and with a five minute safety course and an exposure tag. We X-rayed heating elements to determine failures and nichrome wire placement (thats what heats up) inside the elements. Used to get pots welded to stovetop failures and more water heater elements than you can imagine.

That’s why I use Gas :sunglasses:

2 Likes
#10

I swear, the first time I read this it said “cures 16 kinds of cancer” . . .

4 Likes
#11

This is the same chemical used in the Weld-On solvent, although Weld-On goes by its other name dichloromethane.

1 Like
#12

Yeah but IPS decided to go with other representation a few months ago (to their great distress) so trust me when I tell you now that their products are crap…don’t buy 'em. :smile:

1 Like
#13

yea… I did that with acetone wen trying to clean my 3d printer nozzles. (note to self: acetone plus styro cup equals mess!)

2 Likes
#14

I need this…how did you order it??

#15

I didn’t…I literally bought it from Tom…I think you have to buy it in bulk if you get it from that site. :smile:

I suspect his supply isn’t infinite though… I saw that @takitus had a link up earlier for Acrylic Cement from an alternate source…that appears to be the same thing…let me see if I can find it again…yep, here it is…

https://www.tapplastics.com/product/repair_products/plastic_adhesives/tap_acrylic_cement/130

(It is listed as Industrial Use Only, so go grab it while you can…the link might get taken down if it’s considered unsafe.)

3 Likes
#16

I can remember when the shoe stores all had x-ray machines you could stick your feet in to see if your shoes fit correctly… :astonished:

2 Likes
#17

I got this glue to attach acrylic pieces together, as well as affix magnets to them. It easy to use, and dries clear. You have about a 10 second window to position what you’re gluing before it bonds.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00065UAH2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

1 Like
#18

Now you tell me, after I invested in it… ugh…

2 Likes
#19

Chuckle! That’s just me getting a bit of my own back…it sticks things together…but it does leave a mark. The other stuff is a lot more clear.

1 Like
#20

Yeesh. The scary things that we do to achieve beauty.

1 Like
#21

Unfortunately I don’t think there is a good way to glue a decent size piece of clear acrylic without seeing the unavoidable glue gaps and bubbles that happens becasue of the way the glue spreads. I’ve talked to a few different folks at TAP plastic about it and there just doesn’t seem to be a way around seeing the inconsistencies. Obviously, the smaller the piece the more likely you can get good, even glue coverage and the less noticeable it is.

The regular glue solvent is likely going to give you the best shot at a clear, even weld.

https://www.johnsonplastics.com/weld-on-scigrip-4-liquid-solvent-for-bonding-acrylics?utm_source=google_shopping&m=Abstract

3 Likes