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  1. #1
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    Default Glue for Aluminium

    Hi guys, can someone recommend me a good quality glue for laminating 3mm thick Aluminium plate together to form one thickness of say 6mm or 9mm.

    Not talking about large sheets of plate, just smaller pieces from 50mm x 25mm up to 600mm x 300mm, as well as for joining square and rectangular tube together.

    If such a glue is out there, is there any need to etch or sand the surface of the Aluminium prior to applying the glue.

    Cheers.

  2. #2
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    Hi Glenpinn,

    Evostick contact adhesive is as good as any ! But make sure that your pieces are exactly in the right place because you won't be able to shift them once they have made contact.
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by BaronJ View Post
    Hi Glenpinn,

    Evostick contact adhesive is as good as any ! But make sure that your pieces are exactly in the right place because you won't be able to shift them once they have made contact.
    Looks like Evostick is just like the yellow contact gel or adhesive used for gluing laminate to sheets, and i did try that selly's contact glue with aluminium but it didn't work very well, in fact it pulled apart very easily once it dried.

    The glue i saw some guy using in youtube not long ago was a clear liquid, he just squirted it onto one surface and bonded that to another bit of aluminium, i think he was making a power saw track of some kind.

    It seemed to weld the pieces together and appeared to be able to take a lot of bumps.

    When gluing pieces together it doesn't need to be precise, most of the stuff i make will be roughly cut to size, then laminated, then i trim it to the required size or shape.

    Edit: i just found this link that has a video on prepping Aluminium and plastic for bonding using Permabond, and as i suspected, you have to sand or etch the surfaces to be glued and clean it prior to bonding.

    https://www.permabond.com/2017/06/26...ond-adhesives/

    This is what i would be after, BUT it is so expensive, and not available in Australia that i can find, so i need to find something similar.

    https://www.permabond.com/products/epoxies-single-part/

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by glenpinn View Post
    Hi guys, can someone recommend me a good quality glue for laminating 3mm thick Aluminium plate together to form one thickness of say 6mm or 9mm.

    Not talking about large sheets of plate, just smaller pieces from 50mm x 25mm up to 600mm x 300mm, as well as for joining square and rectangular tube together.

    If such a glue is out there, is there any need to etch or sand the surface of the Aluminium prior to applying the glue.
    There are Australian manufacturers of bonding compounds. However they rarely sell their products through retailers like Bunnings or Mitre10.

    While I don't know what you are attempting to fabricate, almost any epoxy or polyurethane adhesive should work. The issues will be
    1. how thick a glue line can you tolerate? Thinner glue lines tend to be more specialist applications.
    2. how flat are your aluminium plates?
    3. what is the maximum cost you can tolerate?
    regards from Canmore

    ian

  5. #5
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    just to add to my earlier post
    There are Australian equivalents to https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop...epoxy-adhesive
    The most versatile of our epoxy systems, Cold Cure is a waterproof structural bonding agent and penetrating sealer. It will cure at temperatures down to 35°F (2°C), even under water. Cure time varies with temperature; at 70°F (20°C) it is 24 hours.
    A low-viscosity epoxy with good wettability. It can be used on wood, metal, plastic, porous or non-porous surfaces, as an adhesive, sealer or laminating resin. A two-part system, 2:1 ratio.

    and also https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop...ckcure-5-epoxy
    A two-part, five-minute epoxy used in a 1:1 non-critical ratio. It is formulated for use where quick repairs or patching must be done. It has good gap-filling ability and can even be used in mold making.
    Hardening time can vary from 4 to 7 minutes, depending on the ratio of mix and on the temperature; a slower cure will result if used below 40°F (5°C). Not recommended for immersion in water or for use above 200°F (95°C).
    It will work on wood, metal, fiberglass, concrete, leather and china, but not on Teflon, polyethylene, or similar plastic and rubber materials. Ideal for carvers and model builders.
    regards from Canmore

    ian

  6. #6
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    This is one of those types of questions you need to be very specific with the application.

    If by joining rectangle and square tube you mean as a substitute for welding processes in a butt joint application you are unlikely to find anything that will have sufficient bonding over such a small area. If you want to glue two pieces of rectangle together along the length of a side then yes there is plenty out there.

    If you are trying to join thinner pieces of plate to make a thicker plate as a cost saving measure it’s not going to work for you. Specialist adhesive products do exist for that sort of thing, but using them ad-hoc to make small pieces of plate is not cost effective. Even at 600x300 the cost of the adhesive is still likely to exceed purchase price of a piece of plate in the finish size you require.

    Sika products are readily available in Australia and their reps are usually pretty good at helping point you in the right direction if you call the product enquiry number. Hilti used to do a more limited range of metal bonding agents, but I’m not overly familiar with their product range these days as I haven’t purchased from them in quite some time. 3M also produce a number of good products but it’s nearly unobtanium here in Australia.

  7. #7
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    Click-bond. They build planes with it.

    Just make sure you've got good ventilation or you'll burn your nose off

  8. #8
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    I thought i covered what i wanted to do in my opening post, but just to clarify, here are a few photos of what i am trying to bond.





    I could get away with riveting some of this stuff, but some of this stuff will be seen on both sides so rivets are not an option.

    I need strength as much as anything, and i would like the Glue Line as thin as i can get it.

    I assumed that a single pack epoxy would be the best stuff, but which one is anyones guess.

    It must be a product that i can buy here in Australia if possible.

  9. #9
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    Brisbane Australia
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    I would buy Epiglue, I am from a boating background and know that it is great, from memory the test on Epoxy glue is to boil it for 24 hours to see if it fails.
    You will need to rough the surface up as if it is shiny it won't stick.

    It is a 2:1 mix and is sold at Whitworth Marine or other marine stores, it comes in various sizes.

    https://international-yachtpaint.com...-epoxy/epiglue

    I have put it in holes in soft timber or concrete then drilled and tapped it.
    I have glued 3/16 bolts into timber then broke the heads off trying to get them out.
    Epiglue is epoxy resin with fillers in in to make it into a glue. it is thick like honey but spreads easily.
    I have also used it to laminate timber or used it to glue timber back together if it is broken.

    Simon

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Somedayplumbing View Post

    I would buy Epiglue, I am from a boating background and know that it is great, from memory the test on Epoxy glue is to boil it for 24 hours to see if it fails.
    You will need to rough the surface up as if it is shiny it won't stick.

    It is a 2:1 mix and is sold at Whitworth Marine or other marine stores, it comes in various sizes.

    https://international-yachtpaint.com...-epoxy/epiglue

    I have put it in holes in soft timber or concrete then drilled and tapped it.
    I have glued 3/16 bolts into timber then broke the heads off trying to get them out.
    Epiglue is epoxy resin with fillers in in to make it into a glue. it is thick like honey but spreads easily.
    I have also used it to laminate timber or used it to glue timber back together if it is broken.

    Simon
    Thank you, this may be what i need, and there is a marine yard in Hobart where i live listed in that website (Peter Johnston Marine) so i might go there on Thursday and take some of the aluminium bits that i would need to bond.

    Cheers

  11. #11
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    Default

    You can also try crash repair work shops, the adhesive they use to attach body panels may work for your application also

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