Preferred adhesive for plaques

[R. A. Mitchell]

Newbie question -

I'm not normally in the plaque business, but a customer wants a special order and I'm always up for something new. What adhesive do you guys prefer to use to apply a standard 6x8 plaque plate to an 8x10 wood plaque? My guess is that one roll will last me a long time, so I'd like to get the right stuff up front.

Thanks!

Rob

[Abdul Baseer Hai]

Newbie question -

I'm not normally in the plaque business, but a customer wants a special order and I'm always up for something new. What adhesive do you guys prefer to use to apply a standard 6x8 plaque plate to an 8x10 wood plaque? My guess is that one roll will last me a long time, so I'd like to get the right stuff up front.

Thanks!

Rob

rob
I always use clear silicone because it is strong and gives me a little time to position the plate correctly,
This way I dont have to mark the outline of the plate on the plaque, just eyeball it.

abdul

[Mark Winlund]

Whatever you do, make sure it is of good quality. Using poor quality tape will cause the plate to "drift" down due to gravity over the years. Not something you want your best customers to see!

Mark

[Frank Corker]

I'd be looking at a good brand name contact adhesive. Apply on both pieces, allow to dry for 15 minutes and then press together, very hard to split them apart, job done!

[Joe Pelonio]

You don't want to buy a big roll of something like 3M 467MP, too expensive and age does affect it. The best is what's called "banner tape" which is less expensive in 1" and does have a better shelf life. It's also handy for a lot of other things.

I get it locally but major suppliers like Grimco have it, s/b about $15

I also apply it to the backs of engraved signs for customer installation.

[Steve Eide]

This site has a handy glue calculator that you might find helpful. It's called thistothat.com

[Richard Rumancik]

You don't want to buy a big roll of something like 3M 467MP, too expensive and age does affect it. . . .

They are expensive . . . but one thing about 3M's PSAs are that they stick really well. (I haven't ever used the banner tape - maybe I will try it.)

For ANY tape, I find it is best kept in a zip-lock bag, stored flat in a cool dark place. Flat storage is important as the roll can telescope with age, and the roll will be useless.

I like the 468MP as the adhesive is thicker (.005") than the 467. The thicker adhesive is good when bonding iems that are not perfectly flat or or a bit porous.

I also have 3M 950 which is similar to 46X, except that it will bond "LSE" (low surface energy plastics) as well as HSE materials. LSE plastics (and coatings) are "slippery" and resist adhesives. So it is a bit more universal, but it is quite expensive.

This site has some prices to compare:

http://www.tapecase.com/p.482.108/3m-468mp-3m-adhesive-transfer-tape-5-mil.aspx

http://www.tapecase.com/p.416.140/3m-950-3m-adhesive-transfer-tape-5-mil.aspx

One thing to note - when you are referring to your substrates, you have to take into account the coatings on them. So although one substrate is "wood" you are really bonding to the polymer coating on it. Likewise, the metal might also have a coating. Bare metal is not the same as lacquered metal (or powder coated metal) from an adhesives standpoint. So be careful if you tell an adhesives supplier you are bonding wood to metal, as you might get the wrong adhesive.

If you don't think you will use a roll in a year or two them maybe a liquid adhesive would be a better route. Silicone, contact cement was suggested - maybe even some construction adhesives would work well for infrequent jobs. eg "No More Nails" and similar products

[James Stokes]

I use double sided carpet tape my self. It comes 2 inches wide and can be bought at any of the Borgs for around 5 bucks a role. That being said I still like to use screws and rosettes. I think they look better.

[Mike Null]

The correct tape for you to buy is JDS Industries Gold Line Premium 9 mil.

I'd recommend the 1/2 width using three strip on the plate. It will hold forever without moving. The number is H120.

I have used this tape on a couple thousand or more plaques over 12 years with no complaints or failures.

There is no need to buy wider tape as you may need this for other applications where wide tape wouldn't work. Since you don't plan on using a lot this would be the most economical size.

[R. A. Mitchell]

You guys are great. Thanks for all of the advice!

Rob

[Stephen Beckham]

The correct tape for you to buy is JDS Industries Gold Line Premium 9 mil.

I'd recommend the 1/2 width using three strip on the plate. It will hold forever without moving. The number is H120.



I second Mike's comments. I use the Gold line and have not had problems except the point mentioned about re-position time using silicone. With Gold line - you pretty much get one shot unless you have a super soft touch to lay a plate - without the "grasshopper" touch you'll stick it and then replace it. I keep three sizes in stock - small, medium and large (okay 1/4", 1/2" and 3/4") and have not needed anything larger. I use the multiple strip process as well. I also place the strips so they'll hang vertical depending on the use of the plaque.

The only advice I'd offer would be to designate a set of scissors for the tape. Don't plan on using them for anything else and be prepared to clean them often. I offer that, because the first time you grab them to use for another project and you're between cleanings, it might cause issues.:o

[Dan Hintz]

A suggestion for those doing layout (pulled from my old drafting days when using contact cement)...

Place strips of poster board in between the two pieces (wood plaque and metal plate) and not touching the tape/cement. Once you have the position correct, apply a light pressure to one edge of the plate and slide the poster board strip out from the opposite edge. Apply heavy pressure to the section you just removed the strip from to set the tape/cement, and finally remove the remaining strips. This gives you all of the working time you need.

[Mike Null]

I've tried various jigs and found they're more of a hindrance than a help.

I've found that the eyeball method is reliable and fast.

Line up the upper left and right corners so the backer plate is revealed equally top and sides. The bottom will be in place if you've cut the plates square.

[Brian Robison]

I too use the JDS tape. Very good stuff.

[Bill Cunningham]

I use double sided carpet tape my self. It comes 2 inches wide and can be bought at any of the Borgs for around 5 bucks a role. That being said I still like to use screws and rosettes. I think they look better.

Any carpet tape I tried in the past, was never a perm. hold, and quite often just the weight of the plate stuck on will cause it to sag down.. Warm days, or sun on the object will soften the glue, and down it slides...