I'm trying to glue the aluminium chassis plate to a styrene plate on my NR, to make a sandwich for the main spar.  The aluminium plate is 800 x 60 x 3 mm and the styrene is 800 x 110 x 3 mm.  It would take a couple of bottles of CA, so I've tried PVA, Liquid Nails and Urethane so far, but none of them will set up in the airless space between the plates.  Contact cement won't stick to the styrene, neither will the MEK stick to the aluminium.  I'm a bit stumped at the minute.  :shock:

Have a gander at this Max

for a couple of options

or this page as well
Methacrylate Adhesives - PARTITE® Strong Bonding Solutions | Parson Adhesives, USA

Yep.  Thanks, Sol.  I've got a box of tubes of lots of this stuff, but nothing's sticking.  I am hoping some one who's actually glued aluminium to styrene will reply with what they used successfully.

Some stick to one side, but not the other. 

Wouldn't Araldite do the trick? It's what I used to stick rail to plastic on the bridge.

Mike

That,s what I thought too Mike.

This may be worth a try Max.  I use it whenever everything else fails.  Only thing to watch is that any excess adhesive will foam up and harden, but it can be either wiped off before setting or a scalpel will deal with it once hard.

I wouldn't use it for fine work, but excellent on scenic stuff…

http://www.gorillatough.com/

Looks like it's gonna be epoxy, Mike.  Dunno about the Gorilla brand, Gordon but they have epoxy as well.  Araldite's what we've got, so I'll try it.  The styrene is throwing off everything I've tried so far, so I've roughed up the surface and used the super strength Araldite.  It takes 6 hours to set up.  I'll know in the morning.

This is the main spar of the loco, so it has to be strong.  It has to be rigid as well.  I'm aiming for a sandwich of the two materials.  Once the styrene is bonded to the aluminium, the MEK will make strong joins as I build up the rest of the body with more styrene.

Thanks for the advice, guyz.  :thumbs

 

Pliobond is one suggestion from Railpage Forum in which I posed your question.

What's Pliobond, Sol?   It's possibly another epoxy.  So long as the Araldite sticks to the styrene, I think we'll be right.  I just went down to the garage and had a look.  It's certainly sticking to everything else.  :lol:

Pliobond is a old time contact adhesive - remember the track laying clinic at the NMRA convention?
Adhesives - PERMATECH
http://itls-twa.com.au/?page_id=28

Good old Araldite. It used to hold my old Valiant Charger together :lol:

Sorry Max, I gave you the link to the home page.  The particular glue I use is this one.  It's not a two part epoxy, just a clear liquid glue that dries white…..

http://www.gorillatough.com/glues/gorillaglue/index.aspx

I do remember the clinic, Sol.  Contact adhesive peels off the styrene once it's dry.  Good for track making, but.

I'll keep the reference, Gordon.  Bodily gorilla fluids often come in handy.  Our banjo player uses Gorilla Snot (pat. pending), to keep his finger picks on tightly.

Just went down and snuck another look.  It's still the consistency (and colour), of honey.  Doesn't taste anything like honey, though.  :shock:

When I first put it together the aluminium bar kept sliding off the styrene under the weight of the bricks.  The table looked level.  :oops:  It's staying put now - that's a bonus.  I hope I can unstick the bricks - and the table, in the morning.  :thud 

Hi Max, only just caught up with this. I hope the araldite does the job.

If not, have you considered bolting the two pieces together? 6mm countersunk head bolts - say M5 - through the Styrene into tapped holes in the Aluminium.

I'm supprised that no one has mentioned using double sided tape.

At work we bond aluminium to aluminium (Foil and sheet) with a double sided tape about 50mm wide made by a company called TESSA.
It's strong stuff , sticks like S*** to a blanket!

Railpage Forum of Oz - a comment also suggests nuts & bolts at the scale/size.  So if the Araldite don't hold it, two options:
bolts & tapped into the aluminium  or double-sided tape!

I did, Geoff but I'm not sure if I can keep the bolt heads out of the way of the construction.

Never thought of double sided tape, Dd.  You're right though.  We used to use it for sticking mobile 'phone antennae on to car windows.  Amazing!  I stuck a USB hub to my desk near my RR&Co laptop, with it.   I can't get the bl***dy thing off!

Anyhoo, it looks like the epoxy might work.  If not, the DST might be the next option.  :twisted:

Two part epoxy should do it…by now you will know the answer, I guess?

If a future similar job comes up, lightly abrade the aluminium with a wire brush minutes before gluing, to be sure any oxidation of the surface is removed before attempting a bond.

[After experience of fixing plastic H&S notices to alloy sandblasting cabinets]

Doug