Epoxy Metal to Plastic Recommendations

[Bob_Skurka]

I've used a marine epoxy with good success a couple times on tractor projects. I'm sorry but I don't recall the name and I don't have any in the garage right now. But if you are going to epoxy any smooth plastic to anything it would help to rough up the contact surface with some very course sand paper first. You have to make sure of several things with epoxy. It must be UV stable if you are using it outside, it must be able to epoxy dissimilar surfaces and it must be compatible with both of the surfaces you are working with. I also recommend you look for water proof, some are not. Also, look for a high shear strength, something in the order of 4000 to
5000 pounds, you want the light to stay in place if you hit a modest branch.

 

[Michael_S]

Maybe this site can help.
this to that

 

[NY_Yankees_Fan]

For the tractor and cab to fit under the garage door the strobe has to come off /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif, thus the need to use a magnet.

 

[Egon]

Yes there is. I beleive he was involved with laminated airplane parts or coverings.

Egon

 

[MChalkley]

As has been said, there's plastic and there's plastic. If it's a form of polystyrene, or most other plastics, almost any epoxy will work, as will some of the glues that basically "weld" the plastic by softening it. But if it's polypropylene you're dealing with, life is considerably more difficult. In other words, if you try any old ordinary glue or epoxy, even those than claim to work with "most plastics", it'll be your day to be the bug, instead of the windshield. I used a dozen different glues to attach hard drive magnets to the bottom of huge cups and the only thing I tried that hasn't failed yet is this stuff, Loctite Plastix Advanced Plastic Bonder . It works on a lot of plastics, too, not just polypropylene.

 

[aardvark]

I use these kinds of adhesives alot at work. One of the best marine epoxies available is 3M brand 5200, or fast cure 5200. It's indestructible, but it often does not stick to starboard type material, and I suspect starboard is a polypropylene or polyethylene. Basically, it's not good on hydrophobic plastics, ot other plastics with very low surface energy. I also use a Loctite 3900 or 3930 RTV adehsive (I don't remember which it is), that is an automotive product and can be used to glue over liquid oil and other petroleums. It's very good, and might bond to the low surface energy plastics as well. Other than that, you can try the standard Loctite two part epoxy available from HD or Wallmart. It works very well on standard and high surface energy plastics.

 

[slowrev]

JB Weld is not so good on some plastics. I used it on a piece of interior door trim on my wife's car and it did not adhere so well. I will have to try somthing else. JB Weld does work great on most things though. I glued the mounting ears back on a 20 GPM hydraulic pump about 1 yr ago and it is still working fine.
Ben

 

[PineRidge]

I used JB Weld to repair a small hole in the casting of a water pump and it never leaked again.

 

[NY_Yankees_Fan]

Could not find the Loctite product so I used JB Weld. Drying now, guess we will see if it passes the test of time. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

It is 54F today, not too many more days of snowblowing I think. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

 

[chucko]

try PC-7