DIY lexan/plexi welding adhesive

Discussion in 'I made this!' started by serotonin, Aug 1, 2006.

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  1. serotonin

    serotonin Purple Spiny Lobster

    Joined:
    Apr 20, 2006
    Messages:
    498
    Location:
    New Berlin, WI
    If you can't find adhesive to 'weld' two pieces of acrylic glass together, your reading the right thread. I too searched all of my home town for the stuff, but it's just not around here in a retail shop. After a few search attempts I came across a site that suggested making your own.

    What you need:

    -Syringe, no needles please :)
    -A glass jar with a lid
    -A paint stick
    -Acetone
    -Spare, extra lexan/plexi
    -A hammer
    -A hard surface, garage floor, patio, etc....
    -Eye protection

    1. Take your cardboard box and open up the top and the bottom so you can see through it. Set the box on your hard surface ( I used my garage floor ). Make sure you can see the floor through the box, your goal is just to make a deflector for the flying shards of glass. It's a good idea to sweep up the area your box is resting on too. This will avoid contaminating your adhesive.

    2. With some sun/safety glasses on, drop your extra plexi in the box so its laying flat on the floor. Take your trusty hammer and start jabbing the glass and break it up. The goal is small pieces at least small enough to fit into your jar. One inch pieces or smaller seem to do quite well.

    3. Sweep up your shards and put them in your glass container. Get the shards to settle to the bottom as best you can. Take your acetone and fill the glass container enough so the shards are covered. A 1:1 ratio of shards to acetone seems to work quite well.

    4. Cover the container with a lid and set it in a safe place. Away from kids, fire, heat and all the other dangerous things we don't like! This stuff is flammable, an irritant and poison. Please be careful.

    5. Wait 24 hours, periodically stirring the glass jar either with your paint stick or by quickly swirling the jar. After about a day (mine took 30 hours or so because I made a lot) You'll know when it's ready, the acrylic will all be dissolved and suspended in the acetone.

    6. Take a test piece of plexi and try your first weld in a well ventilated area. Use your syringe and fill it up with enough adhesive to suit your test. You'll notice the adhesive skin in less than 5 minutes. After 30min it's stable enough to not need a brace to hold it. 12-24 hours later it will be rock hard. This stuff sets up pretty fast so you can't take your time. Alas, you will practice once or twice right? hehe.

    7. After each piece, make sure to wipe off your syringe with a paper towel, keep up on this and you can reuse it over and over.

    Best wishes!
     
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  3. Urban_s

    Urban_s Sea Dragon

    Joined:
    Mar 13, 2006
    Messages:
    534
    Location:
    Kalispell, MT
    That freaking rules. I was just about to use epoxy tonight. Now to raid the bathroom.
     
  4. mermaldad

    mermaldad Plankton

    Joined:
    Feb 19, 2009
    Messages:
    1
    Good advice for plexiglass and other acrylic based materials, but Lexan is polycarbonate. It isn't soluble in acetone.
     
  5. chetrod

    chetrod Peppermint Shrimp

    Joined:
    Feb 14, 2005
    Messages:
    402
    Location:
    Tampa, FL,Florida
    You can always order the bonding agent online I bought a large tube of that number 6 stuff online for like six bucks. Stores are not supposed to sell it to the public I guess. But I was able to get a tube online no questions asked.
     
  6. chetrod

    chetrod Peppermint Shrimp

    Joined:
    Feb 14, 2005
    Messages:
    402
    Location:
    Tampa, FL,Florida
    Other than that that seems a simple way to make your own sweet deal there.
     
  7. scottf

    scottf Astrea Snail

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2009
    Messages:
    55
    Location:
    new hampshire
    you can buy weld on right at your local glass store too.