What to use to bond acrylic/plastic/plexi-glass?

[Reefing102]

I’m thinking about trying my hand at some DIY things that would involve bonding acrylic/plastic/plexi-glass. I know each one is a different material but is there a general bonding agent that works with all three?

If not, what’s the best bonding agent for each material? Preferably commercially available (Walmart, Lowe’s, Home Depot, harbor freight, etc)

 

[Everclear]

@Tenecor Aquariums

 

[Tonycass12]

Weldon 16

 

[Tenecor Aquariums]

I’m thinking about trying my hand at some DIY things that would involve bonding acrylic/plastic/plexi-glass. I know each one is a different material but is there a general bonding agent that works with all three?

If not, what’s the best bonding agent for each material? Preferably commercially available (Walmart, Lowe’s, Home Depot, harbor freight, etc)

It depends. Please read all the way to the end.

I will assume you are talking about the common acrylic which is made from PMMA resin. Plexi-glass is a brand name for acrylic made from PMMA resin. Another plastic is polycarbonate which is structurally different from acrylic. Then we have all sorts of other plastics including styrene (stay away from this one) HDPE (Starboard, also the same as your kitchen cutting boards) LDPE and literally hundreds of others.

Bonding like with like is pretty simple. Acrylic to acrylic, use Weldon solvents 3,4 or 16.

The best way to fuse polycarbonate is with methyl methacrylate since it creates a strong, resilient bond. However, this product is rather niche, and may not be readily available unless the user orders it online ahead of time.

Superglue, also known as a cyanoacrylate adhesive, is another effective way to join polycarbonate. Although methyl methacrylate makes a better quality bond, superglue is much more accessible to the average user. It also bonds faster than methyl methacrylate, making it ideal for quick fixes.

When bonding polycarbonate with superglue, make sure that you’re working in a well-ventilated room. The fumes from cyanoacrylate can be toxic if they are inhaled in high quantities. Don’t apply too much superglue, as it can cause adverse chemical reactions like crazing or blooming. Finally, do not submerge any polycarbonate that is bonded with superglue, since this will cause the superglue’s bond to weaken.

(For all of you who want to make your own mesh aquarium covers, this is how to glue up the polycarbonate perimeters.)

Now, let's talk about cross bonding one kind of plastic to another.

Before we do the dive, let me explain a few things about Weldon. This is a brand name of IPS Adhesives. Same as Scigrip. It gets confusing. All Weldon products have Scigrip equivalents but not all Scigrips are Weldon. Onward.

Scigrip 42.

Scigrip 42 is a water clear two component acrylic glue with exceptional strength and ease of use. It was developed for use in many polycarbonate applications such as sign manufacture and repair, and other plastic fabrication processes such as display case manufacture. This is the what we use for our commercial displays. Scigrip 42 is also quite suitable for cross bonding polycarbonate with other plastics such as acrylic, polyester and butyrate.

Scigrip 5000.

For applications where ultimate structural strength and environmental resistance is the prerequisite, SG5000 is one such product. Available in a range of handy cure times, SG5000 is suitable for bonding polycarbonate to itself, and cross bonding polycarbonate with metals such as aluminum and stainless/mild steel. No surface abrasion is required. SG300 & SG800 are also suitable.

To glue polyethylene materials, you need a glue made especially for HDPE and LDPE. Polypropylene is also a low surface energy plastic, and is used in food storage and other types of containers because it repels liquids easily. Epoxy will not bond polyethylene and polypropylene materials.

You can also sometimes bond acrylic and polycarbonate with another kind of plastic using liquid polyurethane. Polyurethane is ideal for low temperatures – as low as -40F – as it will not become as brittle as other forms of adhesives. It’s also highly resistant to many kinds of chemicals, like gas, oil, and salt. If you’ve ever used classic, brand-name Gorilla Glue, then you’ve used polyurethane glue before. This does not work on all plastics but it is worth a try. You may already realize, a lot of this is trial and error.

All the best.

 

[Tonycass12]

I'll be attaching an acrylic overflow to an ABS tub with weldon 16 this week @Reefing102 ill let you know how that all goes by next weekend when I hopefully preform a leak test.

 

[Tenecor Aquariums]

I'll be attaching an acrylic overflow to an ABS tub with weldon 16 this week @Reefing102 ill let you know how that all goes by next weekend when I hopefully preform a leak test.

Be careful with the abs. The tub is pretty thin and the abs will soften very quickly.

 

[Tonycass12]

Be careful with the abs. The tub is pretty thin and the abs will soften very quickly.

It's all supported. I'll be coating the bottom face of the overflow then setting it on the abs. Hopefully all goes well or it could be a bit of a costly mistake.

 

[Tenecor Aquariums]

It's all supported. I'll be coating the bottom face of the overflow then setting it on the abs. Hopefully all goes well or it could be a bit of a costly mistake.

Another thought. Maybe place (glue) a larger piece of acrylic on the bottom and then attach the OF to that piece.

 

[Reefing102]

Thanks! So the reason I mentioned a variety of plastics/acrylics is two fold. I’m planning on doing a custom vivarium for my son (he wants frogs) (I knew I had tried silicone in the past and that was a total failure) and the other is I have a pair glasses that I need to fix until my next eye appointment. They’re a plastic frame (I just don’t know which type of plastic - tried gorilla glue gel and it didn’t hold more than a couple hours after curing)

 

[Tonycass12]

Another thought. Maybe place (glue) a larger piece of acrylic on the bottom and then attach the OF to that piece.

hmm what were you thinking with that? using something like the scigrip 42 or 5000 to attach the acrylic down to the bottom? Iwould have to cut a square with another cutout on the inside since im not sure sandwitching materials with the bulkheads for the drains would probably not be a good idea in any scenario? Obviously not weldon since the concern seams to be with weldon just causing the abs to soften too much.

 

[Tenecor Aquariums]

hmm what were you thinking with that? using something like the scigrip 42 or 5000 to attach the acrylic down to the bottom? Iwould have to cut a square with another cutout on the inside since im not sure sandwitching materials with the bulkheads for the drains would probably not be a good idea in any scenario? Obviously not weldon since the concern seams to be with weldon just causing the abs to soften too much.

No, just weldon. The "pad" may give you a better mounting surface. Probably best for me to not give any more advice on this. I think you got it covered. But if it does melt through, then you can patch it.

 

[Tonycass12]

No, just weldon. The "pad" may give you a better mounting surface. Probably best for me to not give any more advice on this. I think you got it covered. But if it does melt through, then you can patch it.

Ok I think I'm going to try my original plan with the weldon directly on the base of the overflow to the ABS. I am not going to hold you liable for anything going wrong in this process I know its all a bit of experimentation and trial and error. The more I read up on weldon the more confident I'm feeling but I may reach out to a rep for them today or tomorrow and see what their advice is as well.

 

[Tonycass12]

I reached out to weldon and will report back when or if I hear anything from them.

 

[Troylee]

Thanks! So the reason I mentioned a variety of plastics/acrylics is two fold. I’m planning on doing a custom vivarium for my son (he wants frogs) (I knew I had tried silicone in the past and that was a total failure) and the other is I have a pair glasses that I need to fix until my next eye appointment. They’re a plastic frame (I just don’t know which type of plastic - tried gorilla glue gel and it didn’t hold more than a couple hours after curing)

Weldon 3 or 4 just a drop on your glasses! I fix peoples all the time lol.

 

[Reefing102]

Appreciate it!

 

[Reefing102]

Okay does anyone know of any stores that carry it? Doesn’t look like any local big box stores have weldon

 

[Troylee]

Okay does anyone know of any stores that carry it? Doesn’t look like any local big box stores have weldon

Plastic shop if you have one local.. if not, online or Amazon.

 

[Tonycass12]

I reached out to weldon and will report back when or if I hear anything from them.

Response from the folks that make weldon.

Weld-On 16, 40, and 42 can be used to bond acrylic to ABS substrates.



These adhesives have been used for the fabrication and repair of aquariums (acrylic to acrylic), and we do not have any test data with this type of application in bonding acrylic to ABS. The solvation plastic substrates will require longer cure times (+72 hours), and the bond then will be at least 80% cured. The outcome of the bond and strength will need to be independently evaluated to determine suitability.

Website link: https://assemblyadhesives.com/technical-data/