PVC Pipe to Wood Attachment Adhesive

[Thomas Canfield]

A project for the local Discovery Science Place (hands on activity for children) is to have a metal wall that sections of PVC pipe and fittings with magnets can be placed to allow a ball to freely drop and change directions. The sections would not be attached together so that the pieces would have to be positioned for the "falling and rolling" ball. I have determined that wood blocks will need to be attached to the fittings and pipe sections to obtain the correct center line or flow line for the pieces and also provide flat surface to mount against the wall. Rare earth magnets will be attached, 2 per piece to reduce twist of the piece. The big question is how to attach the wood and magnets to the PVC? I have tried 5 minute epoxy and it does not adhere to the PVC pipe.

JB Weld was suggested and I have not tried that yet. Any good experience out there. The wood block are drilled or sanded to the contour of the pipe and fittings so there is good surface contact and plenty of surface area.

[Kevin Groenke]

I would try a polyurethane construction adhesive (in a caulk tube) or polyurethane (Gorilla) glue. Both seem to stick to almost anything. I tend to prefer the construction adhesive as there is no "expansion ooze" to clean up as there is with the glue.

-kg

[Zach England]

Gorilla glue worked for me when I had to attach a dryer vent assembly to a wood frame in a tricky way. I have also used it to install PVC loudspeaker port tubes. Construction adhesive will work too, but will take many days to dry.

Sanding the PVC helps.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,
Loctite Power Grab will do it.

(Fantastic stuff! Best adhesive invention in the last 50 years.)

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

May possible be one of the few things that a Urethane glue might be good for.
I've used the stuff for rubber (like material) to wood it worked OK hasn't fallen apart.

[Myk Rian]

Use strap steel around the pipe, and fastened to the wood with screws or bolts going through from side to side.

[Thomas Canfield]

The block of wood to be attached only makes about 120 degree contact with the PVC. I am trying a section with Liquid Nail now, but it needs about 24 hour cure time to really set up. Whatever used, it has to be durable and safe for small children to handle unsupervised. Metal straps and/or screws into the PVC would present safety problems with sharp edges and possible internal restrictions.

The Discovery Science Place is a great hands on place for children up to about 12 or so, and grandparents also. It gets used a lot for day trips for students during the school year and also a lot of home schooled children. They have a shop for building and maintaining exhibits, and allow our local woodworking club, Woodworkers of East Texas, to meet there, and some members do some volunteer work to help out. This is one of those projects.

[Charlie Plesums]

My favorite poly glue is PL Premium Polyurethane Construction Adhesive. It dries in hours, not days, like most construction adhesive, and is really poly glue. It foams much less than Gorilla glue, which was responsible for the only joint failure in my career.

Available for about $4 per tube from the borgs (expensive for construction adhesive, but cheap for poly) - you have to look for it since there is typically only a row or two instead of cases of it. The nozzle gets plugged too much to use later, but I punch small holes in the side of the tube and keep using it for small projects. They seal themselves, then punch a new hole next time.

[Alan Schwabacher]

If you find there is still a problem, one solution would be to use PVC trim blocks instead of wood. Gluing pvc to pvc is easy: use the plumbing cement made for that purpose. If the magnets won't glue in, use the little cups Lee Valley sells for the purpose: inset and screw them in, then drop in a magnet. It makes the magnets hold better too.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,

I am trying a section with Liquid Nail now, but it needs about 24 hour cure time to really set up
Been there/done that - which is why I recommended Loctite Power Grab...

[Greg Hawthorne]

PVC needs to be etched prior to gluing, e.g. sandpaper and acetone, or an etching solvent sold at plumbing supply stores. I have had success with Bostik Seal 'N' Flex polyurethane.

[Byron Trantham]

+1 for JB Weld. The stuff is tough as nails. ;)

[Dino Makropoulos]

A project for the local Discovery Science Place (hands on activity for children) is to have a metal wall that sections of PVC pipe and fittings with magnets can be placed to allow a ball to freely drop and change directions. The sections would not be attached together so that the pieces would have to be positioned for the "falling and rolling" ball. I have determined that wood blocks will need to be attached to the fittings and pipe sections to obtain the correct center line or flow line for the pieces and also provide flat surface to mount against the wall. Rare earth magnets will be attached, 2 per piece to reduce twist of the piece. The big question is how to attach the wood and magnets to the PVC? I have tried 5 minute epoxy and it does not adhere to the PVC pipe.

JB Weld was suggested and I have not tried that yet. Any good experience out there. The wood block are drilled or sanded to the contour of the pipe and fittings so there is good surface contact and plenty of surface area.

3M VHB ( Very High Bond ) double sided tape. 1/8" thick.

Not available at retail stores and the min. order
for the "right stuff" is a full box.

If you need some, let me know.

good luck.

[Walter Plummer]

Hell Thomas, I could not remember the name the other day, so I had to look it up at work. http://bondfill.com/ It is for all the new pvc trim boards available now.