bonding acrylic

[roho]

I plan to build a refugium, so I wanted to test the bond that the Weldon #16 would give to two well fitted pieces of 1/4 inch acrylic. I placed a even coat of the Weldon on and let it set for several hours. I put very little pressure on the bonded piece and it came apart. Can I trust this stuff to build a refugium.

 

[justDIY]

weld on #16 will work fine, but you must apply it correctly

using a natural hair fine point paint brush (look at arts and crafts store for the smallest cheapest natural hair brush), you must apply a thin layer of #16 to each side of a joint and then quickly clamp the pieces together

if you want to weld a joint that you already have taped together, you need Weld on #3 or weld on #4 ... set your joint with tape, apply the adhesive to the joint and then clamp tightly together, come back in 30 min and repeat 2 or 3 times for max strenght.

also, if you have a 90 degree joint and you bend the pieces away from each other, you're placing a LOT of pressure on that very small joint - I doubt any adhesive would hold it. but if you glue two pieces together end to end, and then try to pull them apart - good luck

 

[loganj]

I usually put a thick bead of #16 down and stick the piece I'm glueing on top of the bead. Let it set up for 24 hrs...the #16 takes a bit longer to achieve full strength. Once you build the fuge, the acrylic will break before the glued joints will. I always clamp whatever I'm glueing while it sets up too. I use cabinet clamps with a piece of 1x4 for a block.
The way I would build something like this is to cut the pieces and tape them together. Then glue it with #3...you can use a syringe or a squirt bottle with a needle or sharp tip on it for an applicator. After that sets up, I use the #16 in all the seams like caulking...it will seal any tiny holes and make the tank watertight as well as adding strength.

 

[roho]

Thanks Guy's. I'll have to use the #16 because I have to order it online and shipping would be to much to order #3. Thanks for the advise.

 

[biotoxin]

ive made 2 skimmers with it and they have water tight bonds.

 

[Electrobes]

Acrylic bonding

One product that you might look at is PS-30, made by Caseway and distributed by GE Plastics. My dad makes most of the acrylic windows for the US Army helicopters and uses gallons of the stuff. It's a two part MMA, which makes it basically...acrylic. It's very strong and works best if you rough up the smooth surfaces before it's applied. The rough surface dissapears when it sets. Catalyst is 10 - 12% depending on the temp. For a tremendous bond he post-cures it at temp. He says that Weldon #3 & #4 are basically capillary cements where you need a nice smooth and matching surface.

 

[loganj]

Correct...you do need a smooth surface for #3&4 Weld On. The #16 will work just fine and will give you a strong bond. It is just a thicker version of the #3. Actually, you can take #3 and add small chips of acrylic to it to make it thicker like the #16. As long as you clamp the pieces together and let it set up for about 24 hours, you'll have a strong bond.
The stuff Electrobes mentioned sounds great too. Is there a place online you can order that stuff?