A while back I asked for glue suggestions for gluing metal to wood and metal to acrylic. One of you suggested UV Curing glue or resin.
I think this is how I want to go but overwhelmed with the products out there. So need help narrowing down the brands.
I want to attach a metal to acrylic surface to make keychains and pins like this (not my photo)
Anyone suggest a good brand?
I use Bondic for a few things now and then (it’s really useful as a hold-down), but it’s not meant as a permanent solution so wouldn’t work for your application. I suspect other brands will have similar problems. It also only bonds where the light can reach, which means your pin would only be bonded right around the edge, giving you a very weak attachment point.
I would think that epoxy would be a better solution for this application, especially if you cut/engraved/drilled out a slight recess for the pin base, slightly larger than the metal itself, to give you the roughed-up surface that you will need for better glue adhesion.
I guess I don’t understand adhesives. I thought the UV is like glue the way some people show it on you tube and it looks strong. I currently use E60000 for pins (metal to wood). That’s okay since the pin is less likely to hit things to loosen the backing. Keychains get mashed in pockets and black hole wormhole purses. Does anyone confirm E6000 would works for keychain?
Like all resins, there are different hardness ratings, and different strengths that they bond to surfaces at. Bondic (one of the more popular brand names for these adhesives) and all of the other “home repair” type ones are nowhere near as strong as 2-part epoxy, and many of them (including Bondic) are marketed as being removable. E.g. I use bondic to add a bit of extra thickness to the inside of my slightly-too-large wedding ring. If I clean the inner surface of the metal really well, and do a LONG cure with the resin (1-2 minutes using MUCH brighter lights than the one that comes with the kit), I get 2-3 months before it eventually peels off and needs a new application. I’m sure there are stronger UV curing resins (which hopefully someone else will weigh in on) but those may be out of reach for the general hobbyist.
Additionally, UV cured resins require UV light to penetrate all the way into the resin in order to cure, which makes them useless for bonding opaque things like your pins – you’d get a cure around the outside where the light can reach, but it would remain fluid and un-stuck in any parts covered by the metal/acrylic.
I should add that UV resins aren’t actually “adhesives” like glues and are, either. They don’t bond surfaces, just get hard. Unless there is a rough surface for them to penetrate (and most of the varieties for sale don’t flow well enough to penetrate very deeply), and the UV light can get into that surface to cure it, you’re basically wrapping a bit of liquid plastic around whatever you want to bond, and then hardening that. On a large scale, think of it like saran wrap or plastic shrink wrap – you can wrap it around things, it sticks to itself for multiple layers and sort of sticks to other surfaces – but it doesn’t really bond two things together like glue does, just holds them in place with its own strength.
Thanks! Your explanation makes more sense the difference between epoxy and uv cure resin. People use the resin like a type of glue. I just need to find the right glue for my keychains
Gorilla glue for wood to metal or E6000 for both. (Most people I know in the convention circuit use E6000 or super glue.)
Or use an epoxy. There are some amazing epoxy putties that I love that JB Weld makes: https://www.homedepot.com/p/J-B-Weld-2-oz-SteelStik-Steel-Reinforced-Epoxy-Putty-Stick-Case-of-6-8267H-6/305280481
Or use a quick hardening 2 part epoxy like: https://www.homedepot.com/p/J-B-Weld-0-47-oz-ClearWeld-50114H/303710929
It pre-mixes in the neck as you squeeze it.
Thank you! I think E6000 is great for pins. What I am looking for is gluing a metal key chain with an LED to clear acrylic so it glows. The glue I need must be clear so the light still penetrates the acylic. I’ll definately try the clear you suggested a shot