Full Version: Acrylic Question

From: Rallyguy [#7]
 11 Feb 2005
To: gt350ed [#5] 11 Feb 2005

Hi Ed,

If you positioned the base and piece you intend to adhere in their final location prior to putting the solvent into the joint, you would have capilary action carry the solvent into the joint. The downside is that there would be air bubbles that wouldn't be escape. If you slightly angle the piece you are attaching, place the solvent material along the joint where the pieces touch, apply solvent, and then rock the piece into position, you will have a bubble free joint. Angling the piece allows all the air to escape, whereas basic capilary action alone does not. It takes practice to get the proper amount of solvent in the joint, so be ready to get a feel for the amount of solvent on the length of joint and total area you need to bond.


Hope this helps,

Brian G.

From: Harvey only (HARVEY-ONLY) [#8]
 11 Feb 2005
To: gt350ed [#5] 11 Feb 2005

I am not sure how old the reply of mine was that you saw. I have switched to tilting the piece backwards and applying a small puddle then rocking into place. It may not always be bubble free but is a great improvement.

The perfection way is to place a sponge in a container and lay toothpicks over it and saturate with solvent. Hold the bottom of the piece on it for about 30 seconds and then rock it into place. That uses an enormous amount of solvent due to evaporation.

This thread has reminded me to do an experiment that I forgot about. I have used PVC pipe joint compound, both thick and thin formulations for badge back welding in an emergency, and it worked well. I need to try it on awards and see it it works better. I usually have scrap around from making awards.[Since my laser I have gone to multi-layer snap on bases a lot, no solvent.]

 

Message 798.9 was deleted

From: Rodney Gold (RODNEY_GOLD) [#10]
 11 Feb 2005
To: logojohn [#9] 13 Feb 2005

If you use tensol 30 or the like , you can flood the flat piece with solvent and just place the other piece atop it , the exposed areas flash off on and only at the acrylic to acrylic contact point will any melt occer. This is a very poor way to bond stuff as the bond strength is very weak. You should chamfer the edge and use a fill type glue to fill in the "wedge". the problem , as I explained is not air bubbles per se , it is the edge finish whose microgrooves can not be filled with a material that has the same refractive index thus making the bond invisible , any high points on the edge will give a really bad bond and dips or low points wont bond at all if you use high flash point solvents. Its better to disolve a small amount of acrylic in the solvent and use this as it slows evaporation and acts as a fill as well as giving the glue a slight increase in viscosity.When we bond stuff this way we fill a syringe and needle with the solvent and run it along the seam between the piece and the flat surface whilst pressing the piece down and capilliary action fills the join. When glueing larger areas to others , it's best to apply glue to the underside of the top piece in a X fashion with a bit of an extra blob in the middle of the X . As you press down air flows out the top and sides of the X and you get a bubble free join, You can laminte large surfaces together with an almost optically clear join this way , the key is the air escape path.

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