Aluminum to Aluminum with super glue

[pleiku68]

Has anyone bonded aluminum to aluminum with super glue???...I want to put a decrative cap on the front wheel nut of a Sand scorcher..If i polish both surfaces flat will the super glue hold...Any suggestions..I will only get one shot at doing this so I would like it to be a calculated risk....Regards Jerry

[Shodog]

I wouldn't polish it flat, I would leave somewhat of a rough surface so the glue has something to stick to.

[pleiku68]

Yea thanks I will try like a 600 grit....Will post the good or bad new tomorrw....If this works you can make some really neat wheel nuts for SRB...I hate seeing the hex nut with the tip of the axil thread exposed... As most of you know I am in this for the thrill of modeling not so much racing anymore...

[terry.sc]

If the surfaced is roughened up enough the superglue will stick the hub

to the nut by filling in the rough surface, but it will not actually

stick to the aluminium. It would do for a shelf queen but will not be

durable enough for a runner.

To stick aluminium to aluminium you really need an epoxy adhesive

designed for the job. The only reliable cyano adhesive I know for

gluing aluminium is Loctite 326 used with Loctite Primer 7649.

The surfaces need to be roughened first with 400-600 grit paper to

remove the oxide and then degreased, ideally with acetone. Glue them

together as soon as possible, do not leave once prepared as you will

need to prepare it again to remove the oxide which coats aluminium very

quickly.

Why not just use nyloc domed cap or acorn nuts?

[WillyChang]

Has anyone bonded aluminum to aluminum with super glue???...I want to put a decrative cap on the front wheel nut of a Sand scorcher..If i polish both surfaces flat will the super glue hold...Any suggestions..I will only get one shot at doing this so I would like it to be a calculated risk....Regards Jerry

Sounds like a job for JB Weld, it'll never come off as it etches into the metals.

[Gruntfuggly]

Superglue works best with surfaces which contain some small amount of water, which is why it works so well on skin - it can be used to glue deep cuts back together instead of stitches...

As terry.sc says, I wouldn't expect it to glue aluminium very well.

[pleiku68]

Thanks for the iformation, Terry, Willy and Jim...I think I will try the Loctite route...This nut is for a special project and has to have this particular device attached to the item...Although I do like the acon nut...regards Jerry...

[WillyChang]

The surfaces need to be roughened first with 400-600 grit paper to remove the oxide and then degreased, ideally with acetone. Glue them together as soon as possible, do not leave once prepared as you will need to prepare it again to remove the oxide which coats aluminium very quickly.

umm... my chemistry teacher would spin in his grave if I didn't blab out that you can never remove aluminium oxide mechanically... raw naked aluminium is very reactive and it oxidises... your oxide reforms pretty instantly!

Unlike iron rusting, the oxidation stops when there's enough aluminium oxide to form a barrier between oxygen and the metal.

You could stop aluminium oxide from forming a complete barrier by dissolving aluminium with mercury. The amalgam of Al/Hg will keep oxidising - a pretty exothermic process which gives out a lot of heat.

 

[pleiku68]

Hi Willy...

You are correct with the chemisty...I am a chemist by traded which got me into the metal finishing and gold refining business..[].That is why Aluminum is so difficult to electoplate..All the water rinses have to be fast..The Aluminum itself has to have an immersion coating of zinc before other metals can be applied..When I glue the pieces it will actully be very quick or I may try a test piece with gold to gold. It might be better to glue them after plating..Anyway your chemisty teacher was correct...Exothermic and endothermic reaction who would have thought it would be discussed on the Tamiya Sit....LOL[] 

[fatboyslim]

Whilst we're on the 'trivia' trail...

Superglue works best with surfaces which contain some small amount of water, which is why it works so well on skin - it can be used to glue deep cuts back together instead of stitches...

AFAIK superglue (cyanoacrylate adhesive) was invented by the US military during the Vietnam war for exactly this reason as so many soldiers were suffering from deep laceration wounds and a quick clean 'repair' was needed as wounds become infected very quick in jungle enviroments!!

 

[WillyChang]

Whilst we're on the 'trivia' trail...

Superglue works best with surfaces which contain some small amount of water, which is why it works so well on skin - it can be used to glue deep cuts back together instead of stitches...

AFAIK superglue (cyanoacrylate adhesive) was invented by the US military during the Vietnam war for exactly this reason as so many soldiers were suffering from deep laceration wounds and a quick clean 'repair' was needed as wounds become infected very quick in jungle enviroments!!

I did a uni research paper on glue many many moons ago... []

Spot on for the inaugural usage to replace field suturing by the US in Vietnam, but it ain't the army that invented it. Think it was the boffins at 3M/Scotch.

These days its widely used in hospitals, especially in paediatrics. Much better than sewing up kiddies as glueing is quicker, plus you don't have to go back to get the stiches removed.

You can buy surgical-grade superglue at medical supply stores, but this stuff is just the same as your hardware store CA only certified sterile.

I just keep a fresh new tube in my first aid kit. [H] Proven invaluable.

[Gruntfuggly]

[] I was going to mention it's original use, but I could just hear Chris in the back of my head saying 'a lot of children read these forums' and I thought it might be a bit too gruesome...

[petercabrio]

why not try a glue like a pva type ie copydex or even a rubber based glue that will bond to each part, flex to allow the parts to move slightly without coming apart and can be peeled off or cleaned off with thinners if required

[TWINSET]

Superglue works best with surfaces which contain some small amount of water, which is why it works so well on skin - it can be used to glue deep cuts back together instead of stitches... As terry.sc says, I wouldn't expect it to glue aluminium very well.

 

Can't recommend it after the Superknife 'incident' just before Xmas - it does stick for a while, but it really really stings bad - Steri strips are a lot less painful and look harder [8-|]

[pleiku68]

Can't recommend it after the Superknife 'incident' just before Xmas - it does stick for a while, but it really really stings bad - Steri strips are a lot less painful and look harder [8-|]

YO Andy,,,It sticks aluminum to skin no problem...and fast...like two seconds..took a minute of painfull pealing to remove the little nut from my finger avec some skin..nail polish remover did the trick...I know boiling water works but I an not that macho....LOL...Thanks everyone for the advice...There is a thing called Gorilla Glue here in the states..supose to glue anthing to everything forever...Oh, yea I will ware rubber gloves...Also I will let you know about the Gorilla Glue...If I can still type...regards Jerry

[terry.sc]

Can't recommend it after the Superknife

'incident' just before Xmas - it does stick for a while, but it really

really stings bad - Steri strips are a lot less painful and look harder

It's good it hurts, it's sterilising the wound.

What REALLY hurts is when you get some dripped on your skin after you have sprayed it with activator.