Looking for a store bought product vs mail order. Anyone got a brand name for me? Instructions? I read the thread with MEK in it, have lots of it around but how do you use it?
IPS Corporation "Weld On" #4 "Clear, water-thin, moderately fast curing solvent cement for joining acrylic." I have two cans of this stuff, you'll need a paintbrush or syringe to apply it with. Its water thin, and make sure you keep the lid tight, or it will evaporate. Stuff works within seconds of applying, and makes a clear joint. Best way to use it is to have the pieces clamped lightly in place, then apply the Weld On to the seam...it soaks into the joint and seals it tight quickly.
Agree, 100%. Skip the MEK, it will bond, but since it's hygroscopic, it will give you a cloudy joint in humid conditions. Weld-on is formulated specifically to be less hygroscopic, so your joints will look much nicer. The guy I know who builds acrylicic boxes all day every day (and has for the last 15 years) mixes his own adhesive, and adjusts the formula for the day's batch based on the humidity. The rest of us should just use Weld-on #4.
I third that. Weld On is the way to go. I use #3. Same as #4 but has "very fast curing" on the tin instead of "moderately fast curing". I would prefer #4 as it looks like it gives you a little more leeway to get things right with the drying time being slower. Both give great clear joins and are incredibly strong. With the #3 they specifically don't recommend a brush as it dries too fast to apply with one (unlike the #4 it seems) - I use a syringe.
Hey G-gnome, what type of syringe did you use? Being that this stuff melts the surface to form the bond, I would think that you couldnt use a plastic syringe? What type and where did you get them from if you don't mind. Would help me to find an American equivilant. the #4 says medium bonding time, but Ive found that its formed a bond before I can do anything with it! The fast cure must set before you get it out of the can!
Polystyrene is okay. Not that I'm aware of, but I'm in the wrong place to tell for sure. There are other solvent cement formulas available though, that are based on Methylene chloride like Weld-on is. I just don't know what the brand names are over there.
Ok Linear, since you're in the USA, where can I get syringes from, besides the corner junky? Is that the sort of thing thats carried by Walmart or the corner drug store?
I found a few places in the UK but they were all in large quantities, cheapest ended up being about £35...
Solvent cement makes the acrylic reassemble, what you get is a bond stronger than the material itself, so I've read. Provided you get the technique right of course. I did several "test to destruction" sort of trials, and the bond is quite strong, although it won't reach full strength until after 24-48 hours. You couldn't disassemble my cube case wihtout significant effort. They're going to be cheapest from a supplier of medical stuff, but I think craft and hobby stores sell them too for purposes like applying adhesives.
Or your local plastics supplier, Mine carries the glue, the syringes, the buffing wheels, the rouge AND the plastic! Look in the yellows...
I used a medical syrynge - It's plastic and rubber but the IPS has no effect on it at all. It looks like a PVC-type of plastic? I got the syringe from the med centre at work. Plastics places like www.craftics.com sell applicators as well and ship international very fast (get it in a week at the latest - that's to Australia so UK will be a few days?). The main type of applicator I have seen (on this and other sites) is a small PVC-type squeeze bottle with a long, hollow needle in the cap i.e. a big fat 'syringe'. Yes it does bond within a second or two of pressing the parts together. Need lots of care and pre-positioning. I purchased my IPS at the local plastics fabricators where I buy my acrylic. If I can get it in small-town Australia I'm sure you could get it in the UK. It's a professional product so I am guessing you may find it in a hardware but more likely a specialist plastics wholesaler/fabricators?
Just my two cents. I have a local plasics store, and so I was able to get a 500ml bottle of methelene chloride. From the description of Weld-On, they behave similarly, but methelene chloride is very fluid, and so a syringe is really useful unless you want it flowing over your project. I'm not sure what most medical syringes are made of, but they are designed to be non-reactive, and I've never had a problem with them clogging. Also, I've found that I don't need lots, and after it dries, if it's still a little flimsy, go over the inside corner with a tiny, tiny, bead, and that strenghtens it up.
Kermet did you find anywhere in the UK that sells this stuff. I'm looking to do some acrylic work but will switch to Alu if I can't find a good way to bond it
Shwang: I'm just waiting on a reply email from Cox Plastics on this sort of stuff here in the UK and I'll let you know when I do - how much are you looking for and is it just the adhesive? Cheers,
Kickn: I'm just looking for a small amount. From your sig you're in Edinburgh too. Theres a place that sold me some acrylic that I've just thought might have some however I can't remember the name of the company. The best place I've found is here however thats far more that I need so I might just use something like araldite since it doesn't matter too much for me if te bond is clear or not, heck I might even try super glue
What do you think is better - the tensol or the solvent? http://www.mutr.co.uk/MechComp/Mech6.htm (if you want - i need some anyways so I can mail you a bit if you only need some)
Also, it should be possible to make your own glue by dissolving the acryllic in some Acetone. Look here!
