Glueing plastic with super glue + Bicarb of Soda

**Mike Busby** · 28th February 2011, 04:38 PM

I am a computer tech by trade - yeah i know what has this to do with wood but bear with me -. Having 400 odd laptops at the last school I worked at I had to do the odd cosmetic repairs to things like batteries and shrouds around monitors. Now your average laptop plastic case hates superglue as do a lot of plastics and just won't join together without some outside help.

Here is my tip. Set up your join however you can by clamping etc until you get an almost perfect fit. Dribble in some superglue and then reach for a pinch of Mum's BiCarb of Soda and sprinkle in onto the superglue. It will set like concrete (and about the same colour) in less than 1/5th of a second. It gets hot - dammed hot so don't have any superglue on your fingers when you reach for the bicarb.

I have used this to repair reading glasses frames, plastic boxes and a few other small items. It isn't water proof so it isn't much good for pump housings and the likes but for things like a cover on a Router, drill case, small plastic boxes etc it works well.

You can sand and file this and also drill it if needed.
I found this tip while wading through an old TV Tech website from the USA a couple of years ago.
The added bonus is that with a couple of different texta coulours you can usually come up with a fairly close match colour wise to what you are repairing.

**crowie** · 28th February 2011, 04:48 PM

G'Day Mike,
That's brilliant, cheap & easy.
I've used Devcon Plastic Welder http://www.itw-devcon.com.au/index2....d=51&Itemid=75
a lot [a 2pack expoxy] for lots of plastic repair jobs,
but you solution is so simple & cheap.
I'll be forwarding the info to a few friends, thank you.
Cheers, Crowie

**chrisb691** · 28th February 2011, 04:50 PM

Good tip, thank you.

**FenceFurniture** · 28th February 2011, 06:18 PM

Bewdy Mike, excellent tip. Worth a five star rating.

**ravna** · 28th February 2011, 06:18 PM

Great one Mike ...plastics have always been the bane of my life.

**rrobor** · 28th February 2011, 06:31 PM

My problem with this would be lifespan. Spending my life fixing domestic electronics superglue was our pet hate. It was often used by people to bomd plastic and all seemed well at the time. A few months later though and the plastic started to deteriorate, turn white and crumble away.
Am I going to try it ? Sure I am, but the test piece will sit in the workshop for some time.

**crowie** · 28th February 2011, 06:46 PM

Originally Posted by rrobor

my problem with this would be lifespan. Spending my life fixing domestic electronics superglue was our pet hate. It was often used by people to bomd plastic and all seemed well at the time. A few months later though and the plastic started to deteriorate, turn white and crumble away.
Am i going to try it ? Sure i am, but the test piece will sit in the workshop for some time.

let us all know your results please.....

**FenceFurniture** · 28th February 2011, 06:57 PM

Mike...you must surely be able to answer the longevity question?

**Mike Busby** · 1st March 2011, 12:11 AM

Lasted at least 14 months on a couple of projects and still going strong. I haven't noticed any breakdown yet.

The TV Repairs where to old bakerlite Radio cases, TV Shrouds and Knbs so I would say it lasted a fair while. Mostly my repairs where due to kids dropping their $3000.00 brand new laptops and spliting battery caes and the like. Mr B Will Fixit did fix it and saved some very upset parents a heck of a lot of money having to fork out for items not covered by warranty.

Superglue Gel and BiCarb works a treat too. I'm not kidding about teh heat though. Gets hot enough to raise a small blister if your not carefull.

**crowie** · 1st March 2011, 09:14 AM

G'Day Mike, I sent out your repair tip to a few friends and an old Navy mate sent the following reply,
though I don't think you'd be allowed to have ether in your school for the purpose of plastic repairs.
Cheers, Crowie
Crowie,
The best plastic glue is ether.
Sets in seconds, is clear and is as hard as the plastic you are using
I found this out from a old guy who was in the second world war. They used it to fix the Perspex canopies on the planes.
To purchase it you need to go to a chemist and tell them what you want it for. They will only give you a 50ml bottle.
Use a paint brush, small artists type, wipe each side and press together.
I used to make “on range ammo dispensers” for rifle shooters out of Perspex using this method.
Did you know that Bakerlite (that they used to use as insulators) is the first commercial use of plastics.
Cheers, Neil

**Cliff Rogers** · 1st March 2011, 09:41 AM

**FenceFurniture** · 1st March 2011, 11:48 AM

Originally Posted by crowie

though I don't think you'd be allowed to have ether in your school for the purpose of plastic repairs.

But it sure could be useful for other purposes in a school....

**Ozkaban** · 1st March 2011, 02:07 PM

Interesting tip. Thanks for sharing

I've noticed that CA accelerator (Mitre Fix Brand) makes things rather hot too. I wonder if it is doing similar things??

Cheers,
Dave

**FenceFurniture** · 1st March 2011, 03:13 PM

Most chemical reactions release heat.

**Cliff Rogers** · 1st March 2011, 04:03 PM

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

Most chemical reactions release heat.

Don't tell the cook that.
Exothermic reaction - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Endothermic - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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