What Glue For Acrylic

[Dean Fowell]

Hey all,

I'm doing some more acrylic and wanted know what people are using for glue ?


Thanks

[Larry Bratton]

Dean:
I think I have tried most everything. Weldon #3,#4 and #16. Also tried one from Acrylite called Acrifix . Of late, I have been using some UV curable that is cured with a black lite. The Acrifix 00117 is Methylene chloride free but is a lot slower than Weldon #3 which contains it. The Methylene chloride is a dangerous chemical and you need to be careful using it. Weldon 4 is the same stuff except slower. Weldon 16 is like thick syrup but is pretty fast. The UV curable is optically clear but you will need a good blacklite to cure it. All of this stuff is tricky to work with and will craze extruded acrylic in short order.

[John J Wang]

I've used Weldon #4 and Tap's acrylic cement a few times. Both has very high vapor pressure. They literally squirt themselves out of the bottle. Taps has a video on how to use the liquid cement.

Like Larry has mentioned, the cement will mar unprotected surface. The next time I join acrylic, I will give #16 a try, or even the UV stuff. I don't think I glue enough acrylic to become proficient using the #3 and #4. with a squeeze bottle. It's a delicate balancing act between keeping most of the cement in the bottle while letting just enough out into the joints, but not too much to mar the surfaces.

[Mike Null]

When gluing clear acrylic I use Weldon 3 or 4 and get very good results. I just finished 12 awards and all looked great. I think it just takes some practice and knowing that more is better than less.

[Larry Bratton]

When gluing clear acrylic I use Weldon 3 or 4 and get very good results. I just finished 12 awards and all looked great. I think it just takes some practice and knowing that more is better than less.

"knowing that more is better than less."-I tend to disagree with that statement. I have found that small quantities of #3 are usually sufficient. I have used wayyyy too much in the past and found it not necessary. I suppose it depends on the application though. I do agree that it takes practice. Some folks use a syringe for joint application, I've done that, but I find that a small artist brush works very well and tends to be easier to control.

[Mike Null]

Larry

I find that sparse use leads to a bubbly look at the joint. I think that is a flaw. I want a perfectly clear joint with no trace of glue or bubbles. Too little can make a weak joint that won't stand up to shipping.

I should say that I'm dealing exclusively with awards when I'm doing this so other applications may be different.

[John Frazee]

I use cement from Acrylic Idea Factory purchased from any of the trophy suppliers. I use a medical syringe to apply it. I draw it out of the can with the syringe and squirt where I need it. After I put the two pieces together I normally do a small dose across the backside for added strenghth. I then shoot the rest back into the can. As someone said it practically jumps out of the can. Try to keep the lid on as it evaporates rapidly. BTW, I have used the same syringe for several months. I guess the way dope heads do!

[Mike Null]

There is a photo in this thread showing a no bubble joint---actually two.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?158044-Glueing-acrylic-that-has-polished-edges