Thread: Acrylic to Melamine glue

Originally Posted by Franklin

What do I use to stick a 2mm sheet of acrylic to Melamine?

(I can't be the first to ask this but I can't find an answer using 'search')
thanks,
frank

Check out with any company that makes acrylic signs as they should have the answer, that is if you can glue acrylic to melamine.
Mac

Araldite will do it. Any epoxy or polyester adhesive will work on acrylic; then it depends on getting the surface bond on the melamine

It would help if you told us the arrangement of the piece that you want to stick flat on flat, edge on to flat? Clear or coloured acrylic?
If you can give the surfaces a light sand it will let the epoxy get a hold.

Russell

Flat on flat is the arrangement, acrylic sheet is the colour for the side of a kitchen cupboard (so it matches the acrylic doors).

I have a tin of fibreglass epoxy in the shed - will that work?
thanks
Frank

Originally Posted by Malcolm Eaton

Check out with any company that makes acrylic signs as they should have the answer, that is if you can glue acrylic to melamine.
Mac

Most acrylic sign manufactures use Methyl Ethyl Ketone for gluing acrylic sheet, this gives a "clear" joint. You can also use Chloriform for gluing acrylic.
MEK acts by fuzing the two pieces together. In applying the MEK you would need a syringe. MEK is toxic so use a mask.
I understand the primer that plumbers use for priming PVC pipes is MEK.
For bonding to Melamine you could try Acetone ( nail polish) .
The touch up paint for repairing chips in Laminate Plastic may also work as it is similar product to nail polish and works for touching up Melamine surfaces.
I do not believe araldite or epoxy would be suitable as it does not bond to acrylic and the joint will eventually fail.
Google " Methyl Ethyl Ketone" for gluing acrylic for more information
Regards
Mac

Chloroform, Dichloromethane, Trichlorethylene and Glacial Acetal acid are all solvents of acrylic. They join 2 surfaces together by cohesive bond: They turn the solid to a liquid & allow the molecules to intermingle before the solvent evaporates. They will not dissolve melamine. Solvent Cements are available for acrylic, eg Weldon. I don't know, but I rather suspect it won't bond to malamine. MEK also works as a solvent and I must admt, after teaching Plastics for 30 years, I never tried it on acrylic.
I think you are going to need an adhesive bond and roughing up the surfaces will assist in achieving this. I suggest experimenting on test pieces and, as Malcolm suggested, check with a sign manufacturer as they may have solved the same problem before.

If it's only supporting its own weight, I'd use silicone or good old contact cement - a glue that works well on both melamine and acrylic plastic is going to be a rare bird indeed!

Wow. I was expecting an easy answer "go to big green shed buy ....".

Surely cabinet makers must do this everyday . All I'm trying to do is make the end of a cupboard match the door.

It sounds like I will have to do some testing, I'm pretty sure I have some MEK (thats the hardener for fibreglass resin isn't it?)

Contact cement sounds good. Anyone got a product name for a good one?

thanks
frank

I've never seen an acrylic door on a kitchen - 2 pack, yes, timber, yes, vinyl, yes, melamine, yes, aluminium and glass, yes...

But acrylic???? The only acrylic doors I have seen are in Bunnings on the little kitchen cupboard hinge demonstrators that show you how overlay/half overlay/90 degree/135 degree hinges work.

the product we chose for our doors is called "ultra glaze" it is a high gloss acrylic 2mm thick.

I bought an extra sheet of it to do the cabinet ends, maybe I should have bought some extra doors!

Have you tried asking the manufacturer what glue to use?

Originally Posted by Franklin

Wow. I was expecting an easy answer "go to big green shed buy ....".


It sounds like I will have to do some testing, I'm pretty sure I have some MEK (thats the hardener for fibreglass resin isn't it?)


thanks
frank

The hardener for fibreglass resin (Polyester resin) is MEKP (Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide). DO NOT use this to glue Acrylic. Be extremely careful with MEKP as it becomes unstable after a couple of years and the friction caused by unscrewing the cap can cause it to explode. If you wipe up a spill with a rag and throw it in a metal bin it will cause spontaneous combustion. It ia also EXTREMELY corrosive to eyes and will cause blindness if splashed in them.
MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone) is not as dangerous, however, as I previously stated, it is not a solvent of Acrylic. Neither is Acetone; it is used for working with uncatalysed Polyester resin.

Have the Acrylic cut over size if you can. Then use some contact on both surfaces that have been ruffed up with 40 grit and wait 10-15 minutes and very carefully bring them together as you cannot remove them for a second try.
leave for hour and then trim the Acrylic to size

This is how it done in the a cabinet makers shop.

Russell

Thanks everyone.

I found a cabiniet maker who sold me a coffee tin of contact glue, and then followed Russell's advice above. Seems to be stuck on, time will tell I guess.

cheers
Frank