Best glue for plastic?

[geomarathoner]

My moonroof switch just came loose for the second time......I used super glue when it happened before and it lasted only a couple of years. Anybody recommend a better glue?

 

[shoon]

Forget what its called... but the glue you use to glue plastic models together works really well, should be able to find it in a hobby shop.

Use only a dab, and careful what you get it on, it melts the plastic a little bit.

 

[hawkeye18]

Heating the metal tab bar to high temperatures and simply smushing it down on the plastic also works well. And yes, smushing is a word.

 

[Eric VerValin]

I was trying to find some the other day for the same reason.. I have a second cover I wanted to glue down, and I found you can't find that glue or any models anymore at any kind of Meijer's, Wal-Mart or places like that.

Google Testor's Plastic Cement. Probally the easiest way to find it.

 

[38SHO]

I dunno what exactly your fixing, but I like epoxy on plastics that move a lot or get touched

 

[Janice]

Try a hobby store. They will have it.

 

[JRA2000TL]

Do you guys have a Hobby Lobby franchised store in the area? They have tons of stuff for models, including glue. If not, buy it online. There's also plenty of stuff at the parts house--3M emblem glue among many other things.

 

[jmpSHO]

Any plastic epoxy will work fine. You can find it at walmart or any auto parts store.

 

[rubydist]

My moonroof switch just came loose for the second time......I used super glue when it happened before and it lasted only a couple of years. Anybody recommend a better glue?

Super glue is interesting stuff - while it is very strong in the beginning, the strength of the bond diminishes quickly and in a few months it is dramatically less strong. Also, it is very poor at shock resistance - in the commercial where the guy was hanging from his hardhat via super glue, if you would have snapped the hardhat with your finger, it likely would have broken the glue bond.

Because of those issues, super glue is not an appropriate choice for any automotive application, nor for any 'permanent' application, imho.

Any decent epoxy for plastics would be a good choice, as was mentioned earlier.

 

[shonuffmine]

most hobby shops have plastic weld glues that work great on any styrenes but are useless on polypropylenes or polyvynals,the names to look for is testor liquid weld glue,ambroid weld=(my fave) tenax 7r,tamiya plastic weld

 

[projectSHO89]

I've used Liquid Nails successfully for a few years....

 

[geomarathoner]

Thanx, guys.....looks like it's important to know what kind of plastic needs to be glued together. I doubt that it's polystyrene (what model airplanes used to be made of). Most times I've tried to glue things together, epoxy seems to be the most universal glue....but the spot that needs to be glued will only take a drop or two and epoxy is usually thick and gooey. I might just try a couple of blobs of different glues on the inside of the housing to see what seems to stick best, after looking closely at the labels at Advance or AutoZone.

 

[geomarathoner]

Okay, FWIW....I went to Advance and just about went blind reading the fine print on various glues all claimed to be for plastic. Picked one made by Permatex that is a two-part and has a 5-minute working time. It softened the blister pack the glue came in and made a super bond without any sanding.....but didn't stick well at all to a plastic plate advertising a local car dealer. WTF. Decided to give it a try on my moonroof switch. Will give it a day to cure and try it out before I put it back overhead. Also noticed that there are exposed terminals on top of the switch. It's located directly under the metal housing of the motor and I bet would make big sparks if a loose switch were just pushed upward in an attempt to make the moonroof operate. Think I'll cover it with a strip of good ol' duct tape before it goes back.

 

[Eric VerValin]

Yep, it sparks.. good idea to cover it..

 

[pitaSHO]

I've used the two part epoxy called Plastic Weld, which has a five mintue set time, but I've only seen it at NAPA. I've fixed four or five moonroof switches and mounting brackets with it. I also use some fiberglass cloth to reinforce it.

Chris K.