Solvent Bonding

[jimc]

you should clamp it in place or get everything firmly set exactly the way you want it before hand then just run the needle over the seam.

[Jules]

Okee dokee. Thanks. (Haven't had to use that one yet, although i did pick up a 1/4 pint for when i need some.)

[ednisley]

then just run the needle over the seam

That, right there, is the difference between the Perfect Master and the Duffer.

I usually slobber solvent down the side of the part below the joint, producing a hideous scar on the plastic and painful bruises on my forehead. Glooping solvent on the mating surfaces helps me confine the ugly to places where it can't be seen. [heavy sigh]

Also, I've found that the hand-knitted nature of 3D printed parts tends to wick solvent where it shouldn't go, away from the intended joint. The thin space between two pieces of solid cast acrylic is the only place where capillary action will happen, but a 3D printed part is basically "Joints! Joints Everywhere!" between the threads: the only way I can control the solvent is by putting it in the middle of where the joint will eventually happen.

Long ago, I actually made a nice set of capillary bonds on a custom WWVB clock inside an opaque black acrylic case, by the simple expedient of filling the joints from the inside, where nobody would ever see the mess. Here's a trial fit of the faceplace, with protective film over the other surfaces:
http://softsolder.com/2010/03/18/beveling-some-edges/



So capillary bonds can be done, just not by the likes of me... [grin]

[jimc]

Haha ed your so right. The stuff does wick in everywhere on a 3d print. I think in most cases we end up drowning the joint in solvent making a mess when its not really needed. I know with the stuff being so watery it can be difficult to control. All i can say is be sure the needle you are using is small. Usually 28 gauge works well. Another option is to melt bits of filament into the solvent making it thicker like a normal adhesive. Then you can put it on the joint and assemble the parts. There is another weld on adhesive out there that you can buy and its ore thickened but i dont remember which # it is.

[Jules]

Oh dear.....good thing that wicking bit got mentioned or I'd have solvent-glued a large hole into the finish on my desk.

[jimc]

yes, please remember that methylene chloride is the solvent in paint stripper. be careful with it. you can ruin things real quick.

[Mark the Greater]

Hello Mark,

Thank you for your inquiry. SCIGRIP #55/#58, #3, #4, and #40/#42 are the recommended products to bond PETG to PETG plastics. To review product information, I have attached the Technical Data Sheet (TDS) for review.

Should you need further assistance, please let me know.

Regards,

Beverly Thompson
Weld-On Technical Service


It looks like #55 & #58 are actual adhesives and not solvents.

[Jules]

Excellent idea to ask!

Gonna add some #55 and #58 to my arsenal, just in case.

[Mark the Greater]

Oh yeah! I have the datasheets if anyone wants them. I think they are on their site though.

[Jules]

Gaaaaaahhh! Weld-On thinks awfully highly of their glues! Thirty-three bucks plus shipping for the glue for a 25 cent part? And it's got only a 1 year shelf life unopened?

Maybe not...........