Best Adhesive for Gluing model kit parts to 6061 Aluminum

[Dragnink]

Hi all.. Looking for an adhesive that will give the best bond/shear strength and longevity. The type of plastic I believe will be mostly polystyrene, whatever current model manufacturers like Tamiya use for their injection molded kits. These parts will be glued to 6061 aluminum and will have to put up with a bit of abuse, as the aluminum armature will be used for stop-motion animation purposes.

[Kool Parts]

I have done some extensive testing with different adhesives and 6061. The best by far is Locktite E-30-CL. Used to be known as Locktite glass bonder.

Its clear and has a 30 working life. Found this as a tip from a Locktite engineer years ago. He said that it outperformed all of there other products for alum.

I have put this stuff through shear tests you wouldn't believe..That said it might just eat plastic for lunch! But for $8.00 you get a 50ml twin syringe set...so a pretty cheap test. Part #29329
Gary

[Geof]

You have picked an awkward material to glue; nothing sticks particularly well to aluminum. Shear can be okay, straight pull can be okay but if you are bonding something that is flexible and the load tends to peel it off sometimes it will release very easily.

One thing I have found to improve the bond is anodizing following a slightly more aggressive than normal etch that leaves a dull surface. This also has the advantage that it seems to promote the curing reaction on the anaerobic adhesives. But keep your grubby fingers away from the surfaces you want to bond.

[Dragnink]

Thanks for the tips guys. My only other idea was to use JBWeld. I'll have to do some experimenting with some scrap pieces of plastic. Fortunately the plastic kit parts which decorate the aluminum armature are mostly for show and won't have much stress on them. I just want to make sure they can put up with day-to-day handling without falling off.

Here is a picture of the original model I'm replicating:



And a picture of my newly-machined armature: