does anyone know of a suitable adhesive for stainless steel

[Robert Lambie]

dp810 is a 3M glue
we use it all the time with alluminium lettes and plastic loacators.
works a treat… just score the surface of the metal apply the glue and press on the locator… heat it with a heat gun and its dry in a few mins… works very well..
paul-d uses arldite which i beleave maybe cheaper… both do same job.

you can get the glue IF YOU CALL THIS NUMBER.
01506 411572

the glue is a two part glue. you have to buy a small plastic dispensire and nozzles… first time. then after that you just buy the tubes and nozzles… well worth investing in…

[Neil Kelly]

Thanks Rob ill let you know how i get on

neil……

[t-winks]

we use plexus MA300 works a treat and has a reasonably quick setting time, about 10 mins.

[Paul Davenport]

Out of interest, what size do you go up to when bonding the nylon locators to letters and have any of you actually tried an HONEST sheer and pull test on the fixings ?????

I have a bit of a phobia about stuff being fixed right, especially metal letters high up which i prefer to solder brass locators to rather than glue

We have some stainless letters in at the moment 500 high x 3mm thick and there is no way i would bond nylon locators to them !!!!!!!!!

Food for thought…….i worked at a company who used glue on metal without really thinking about things……im glad i wasnt the woman who nearly had her shoulder cut in half when it came off and hit her !!!!!!!

Other than that, when its used within its specified capacities, structural adhesives are unbeatable and more to the point easy to use

I prefer araldite to 3m, permabond, permafix and all the others as it has a different make chemical up and better gap filling properties, it also stands up to the temperatures in a powder coating oven without loosing to much strength, where the others will seperate….personal pref really

[Paul Davenport]

something you can have a look at what i did for vantico

http://www.adhesives.vantico.com/news/p … ign_uk.pdf

http://www.adhesives.vantico.com/news/p … gns_uk.pdf

I wrote the articles on behalf of Vantico with Dr Steve pringle, the images are of signs and we have built using the glue

[Paul Davenport]

Rob, you can feature this on the site if you wish mate in all its glory

[Martin Pearson]

I know exactly what you mean Paul, I have seen some of the adds for these products where they say the adhesive is stronger than the original material but I am always a little warry. What bothers me is that when the manufacturers do any testing its in clinically clean conditions at just the right temperature and humidity and the pieces are all new and clinically clean, in the real world it doesnt happen like this at all.
Did you test lots of different adhesives before deciding on araldite or where you approached by them ? If you did test it yourselves how did you test it. If you listen to any of the salesmen its imposible to figure out which is the best adhesive to use, theirs is always better than someone elses.
My real problem seems to be figuring out what adhesive to use for what substrate under what conditions, there are so many different adhesives on the market and the price varries so much.
We did some display panels a while ago for a glass company, we needed an optically clear adhesive so it wouldnt be seen through the various different coloured glass shapes. We ended up with an adhesive which cost £57 for a tiny little tin which was only about a third full. It ran out before we finished the job and when I tried to get some more was told it would take a week, as we needed it straight away I went to homebase and bought a few different types. We ended up finishing the job with loctite clear adhesive which was better than the so called proper stuff and cost £1.99 a tube.

[Neil Kelly]

Thanks for all the tips hear on adhesive I have gone down the locater route and used the 3 M dp810 out of the glue mixing gun we used 3m surface cleaner and a scotch-bright abrasive pad to prepare the surface the bond is excellent and I am happy with the strength of the bond well the test we did resulted in the nipple breaking of the back of the letter before the joint failed and it failed only when struck with the fork end of a claw hammer not very scientific I know but an effective test.

Dave I take on board what you said about safety and I am concerned that long term the polypro cups will deteriorate after 5 or so years and the soldered brass would be a far superior fixing I would like to know how to do this is what equipment is used type of solder preparation and were to by the brass locaters from I imagine you would use a small blow torch with plumbers solder and flux on to a roughed up surface but is there an issue with heat marking the face of the letters the set we are installing are 1mm brushed stainless the largest letter was 300 mm any advise would be great

ill post a pick when the jobs done

Thanks to all and seasons greeting Neil

[Paul Davenport]

martin

in answer to your question the decision to use araldite has come from years of using structural adhesives for differing things

now im fabbing a lot of aluminium, the araldite has virtually replaced the weld or mechanical fixing the main reasons for Araldite on this are the fact that it is thicker than all the others and it will withstand the temperatures in a powder coating oven (all the others come apart) the thickness allows for really good gap filling which in turn lets you sand over and paint without the use for filler

I do use permabond for smaller stuff like fixing big head fastners and probably on the occasions that i will use glue to bond locators on metals

i havent used 3m for ages since something went really wrong cant remember what it was now though..

as for sales men, they get a hard life when they come round selling stuff to us and the guys from araldite have been there with the back up when ive requested it, which is why i ended up doing the article for them

then theres the pedigree of it, you only need to look at there website to see what its used for, in fact if you drive then your life probably depends on the fact that your brake pads are stuck with araldite !!!

On the subject of soldering, you use silver solder which is stronger than plumbers solder, usually melted using a proper soldering iron, then again i notice youre only on small letters and a thin guage anyway so glue em

Buying 3m surface cleaner, you must be made of cash mate, its just isopropol alcohol vailable from your local chemist for 1/10000000 of the cost

[Neil Kelly]

Paul ued the maaan
3M is double dear and im of to Boots thanks for the economy busting tip

Just one point re public being decapitated by flying stainless if God forbid an accident occurred and we had followed exact 3M procedures and used branded 3M products hopefully we would not be proven negligent and our liability insurance would have no get out and compensate accordingly

I know it sounds a bit only if

but I thought id be a mega nerd and mention it

neil…………

[Paul Davenport]

to true mate BUT im sure ive read on numerous occasions that the onus is on the user to determine the suitability of the product for the required tasks or some poo like that..and do you do everything clinically clean then ??

[Neil Kelly]

No