what adhesive/epoxy can support 3lbs?

D

deft touch

Limp Gawd
Joined
Aug 3, 2006
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Im mounting a window in a aluminum case I'm modding. A guy I work with gave me a sheet of 1/4" plexi for free. After I cut it down to size, it will weigh a little under 3 lbs. I hate when case windows are mounted with rivets or screws and you can see them on the outside. I bought some offset steel mirror clips that I want to use to mount the window. I was thinking of using JB weld but i don't think it can support weight. Would epoxy work? I know the 3m double stick tape can only support 2lbs at the most
 
Epoxy should definitely work.

Have you ever seen the informercial for that epoxy? It "pulls trucks".
 
I would think that JB weld should work. It would hard to work with for your application though. I once used it to plug a hole in an old set of headers I had on my car and it held for a week, that's just amazing for a putty.
I think most epoxies would work in this case. You are distributing the load over many points to no one area has to support all 3 lbs. Make sure you rough up with metal where you are epoxying with some rough sand paper, it'll help it grip and let it cure fully. Most epoxies have their strength listed on the back.
 
3M/Scotch #4010, should work, says supports 2lbs on the pack, but i think if you placed enough of it right then youd be fine. #411 is similar but its that foamy crap. #4010 is clear. They are both indoor/outdoor mounting tape.
 
How much any adhesive will support depends on the strength of the adhesive per square inch (different for tension, shear). Total load will be the relevant capacity times the area covered by adhesive.

The adhesion will also depend on the surface preparation.

The strength per area in turn will depend on the material(s) joined, with the net strength being that of the weaker bond. IOW, if you adhere plastic to metal and the metal adherence is weaker, that's what you use to determine the net strength.

It's likely that you'll need to support weight with shear and impact on the window with tension in the joint.

Different epoxies have different strengths. Ditto other adhesives. Many manufacturers have spec sheets for this info.
 
There is other industrual double sided tape that should be able to support 3lbs. look at carpet tape products also. Epoxy is messy for this application.
 
Another vote for 3M double-sided tape. I'm not sure of the part number, but the tape material is a few mm thick and grey in colour w/ red backing. I've used it for many things and even reattached the rub strip on a car door... it's been years and it's still holding firm.
 
I'd say stay away from double sided tape and epoxy.

Double sided tapes tend to harden and fail , wheras epoxies do not bond well to smooth surfaces.

Michael daly is right about the 'effective surface area'.

I would suggest , based on the materials , the best bet would be silicone caulking.It has good adhesion to both acrylics and glass , and aluminum as well.I've used it for a lot of glass to aluminum work , and it hasn't failed yet.

:D
 
One advantage to silicone caulk is that it is removable. It can stick like crazy, but it is removable. Removing some adhesives is next to impossible.

There are some exotic adhesives that are perfect for applications like this. Check Loktite's and 3M's web sites. Even a thick cyanoacrylate glue may work well in this kind of thing - unlike ordinary superglue (which requires a really tight fit) the thicker variants will fill spaces well.
 
This is super-ultimate-omega-IndustrialGrade-Superglue. It is capable of gluing metal, glass, plastics, any manner of things, just like regular superglue. But unlike normal superglue, this stuff has a 3000 pound sheer strength. A rhino could do chin-ups on whatever is glued together with this stuff all day long. It has a 10 second set time, so be careful when you apply it ( it really seemed to set in about 3 seconds when I was using it). So.. when you use it, don't screw up, if you do, act REALLY fast, and pull REALLY hard... Not that I figured that out the hard way... Oh, if you want it, it is 17 bucks a bottle. I got it at McMasterCarr - and industrial supplies company.

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I am using this on a case I am currently building, and it holds amazingly. I glued acrylic to metal, but it sticks very well to most plastics, iirc. (Project S-D in the worklogs)

The 3M double-sided acrylic tape with a foam core is also amazing, we use it in the museum industry all the time to hold very heavy things to the wall. The bong gets stronger over time, however, lots of heat can make the adhesive a little gummie.
 
wow thanks for all your inputs. I think I'm going to use a glue. My brother has a bottle of Loctite sumo glue which is supposedly better than gorilla glue. I'll give that a whirl.
 
You compare the Loctite sumo glue to Gorilla. I don't know how similar they are, but just in case:

Gorilla glue and similar polyurethanes do not bond well unless the fit is extremely tight. Any gaps will result in foaming that is extremely weak.
 
Any epoxy will work absolutely fine if you sand both surfaces with 80g sandpaper, and then wipe it off.
 
Arcygenical said:
... then wipe it off.
Click to expand...

Use alcohol and a lint-free cloth to clean it. Sounds finicky, but I hate knowing that the finest bits of grit will stay if you use a simple wipe. That fine grit can mess up epoxy adhesion.

Now we can debate which alcohol :)
 
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