There ain't no glue for PLA

I have to delay my tests a bit.
Turns out this T-rex stuff isn’t just strong but also that it keeps curing once opened.
Only half was used two weeks ago and the nozzle capped but impossible to get anything out.
Needed pliers to remove the nozzle LOL

Anyway, did some digging in regards to the now almost impossible to get glue for plastic models, like Revel always had.
The original formulation was basically just quite dedicated solvents, mainly Acetone and MEK with clear ABS as the thickener/filler material.
Provided near instant adhesion and always worked as all model kits were made from ABS plastic.
The change came after come legal cases in the USA where kids did things wrong and in all cases without parental supervision.
The result was a slight change in the formula that removed the MEK part and replaced it with a less hazardous solvent.
Main issue however was that since then we have a hard time getting just the special glue in larger quantities.
If you get it these days as the original it costs you a fortune.

Ok, what about all those alternatives ?
Plenty in this already and they all seem to have their good and sometimes a few bad sides…
It seems that there is a clear trend away from the pure solvent based solutions towards special polymers.
Like all those sealant cartridges for example use polymers now.
For the special plastic adhesives we a similar development.
A dedicated glue for all major plastic is no problem to find but one that covers most of what we use, PLA, ABS, PETG, Nylon,… not so much.
In case you are looking for a glue of whatever kind - what should you look for?
Well, like it or not but the big brands still shine, be it Loctite, Scotch and so on.
You are facing the choice between a solvent based ‘plastic cement’, a polymer solution or now even a mix of both.
Thing is, if you ask me > the cheap and nasty smelling stuff often still works better than expected.
Your main enemy is not the material itself but it’s surface properties.
Take PETG - very low surface energy, making it hard for a normal glue to bind.
Or on the other extreme we find PLA - a bio-plastic with the natural ability to reject most other plastics and solvents.
A simple flame treatment of the to be glued surfaces can often increase the bond strength by a huge margin.
Especially if the surface was sanded first as here we get the benefit of increased surface oxidation and exposure to the flame.

Even a solvent able to attack both plastics (if different) is no sure win.
I prefer to do the baking paper test with new glue and it goes like this>
Put a drop of glue on baking paper, fold it over and spread the glue out.
Roller, spatula, finger, whatever fits :wink:
Then I cut a square out of the freshly glued paper.
With a bit of unglued area…
After a few hours I do the peel test.
Nothing should stick to good baking paper, so you end with a film to peel off.
Really brittle film means the glue is only good for joints that won’t flex and stress too much.
Flexible but not soft makes it good universal glue, leaving only tests with the plastics.
A rather soft and rubber like result is really great for joints where you need a bit of flex or have a slight gap.

I also tested some solvents…
Acetone is great for ABS and some PLA+ filaments.
MEK (PVC pipe primer) works great on ABS, acceptable with most grades of PETG and if you have enough time to soften the PLA it can be used on PLA as well - don’t recommened it for PLA though.
Methylene Chloride - if you think MEK is nasty than this stuff is about 50 times worse.
It does works as a solvent welding agent for PLA though, even for smoothing PLA prints.
Nowhere as fast as acetone on ABS and so filthy I am not even sure I would trust the result to be safe around kids after 2 weeks or curing.
Just stay away unless there is no other option.
Methylhydroxide - yes it gets worse LOL
Basically a mix of 99+% Methanol and Potassium Hydroxide.
Both are nasty as and combined you really don’t want to mess with it.
Not really usable as a glue but it will soften and smooth most plastics given some time.
Again, forget what you might find on the internet about it and just don’t use it at home on prints…
GOOD lighter fluid makes a great solvent glue for ABS and to some degree even works with PLA but rather slow, did not test with PETG or NYLON.
Silicone remover…
Lets just say that you can use it but apart from the severe white haze you face the problem that the stuff is nasty for your health.
And the oil based stuff is no good for our prints at all.
Last but not least - Heptane…
Again not really healthy but it can be used both for solvent welding and as an activator to help other glues.
For the later you only need to brush a light coat on and let it evaporate.

The one thing we seem to forget all the time though is we have a ready to use solution since long before anyone of us started printing - spray on plastic primer.
Available in every good hardware store…
This stuff is made to make paint stick to the impossible, so why not use it ? :slight_smile:
Here is a hint for all those who have some airbrush equipment already - ask your local crash repair guy or car paint shop for help!
They usually have very dedicated plastic primer solution in canisters or even drums.
When I ask my shop for a 25ml refill for my airbrush gun they usually tell me to wait to to leave me pot and pick it up the next day.
Means what I get is the leftovers from their spray guns LOL
Works great though…

1 Like

I honestly thought the situation was hopeless, and then I got the cheapest superglue with activator at Home Depot, and it was a complete game changer. (I got this for five bucks.)

On parts that I had given up on, you apply a tiny layer of the activator, wait a minute, and miraculously when you apply the superglue this time it bonds instantly, like you would expect.

I didn’t do any sanding or prep, other than the activator application.

I was worried that applying applicator would be messy, but this one comes as a “pen”, so you just draw it on.

Yeah, AFAICT the heptane is there just as a solvent. Something else it is carrying is the activator.

MitreFix (CA Glue) working fine for me here. I printed a lot of parts like drill bit holders and had pegboard hooks on the back, found I didnt really like this as pegboard hook is small and prone to breaking in pla. So cut / file it off and printing multi-connect (for multiboad) tracks separately and gluing them on the back with mitre fix , its worked great and saved me binning / wasting all those existing prints.

I tried the Kraftprotz after seeing your post… way better than the CA Fixed or generic CA I tried before, thanks for the recommendation!

1 Like

Oh cool, thanks for the feedback. Were you able to get the 3d printing version specifically, sometimes it is hard to find. The 3d printing version will say “3D druck” or “3D printing” on the face.

No, I didn’t see that one. If I ever do I’ll give it a try but I won’t be sad if I only ever get the basic version. I got some activator to use with my CA Fixed, it works really well too, and I’ll use it for delicate placements where I might have to make a few adjustments before I get the right spot.

More specifically, has he tried pulling it apart AFTER A COUPLE OF WEEKS? I have superglued pla parts (print bed side to print bed side for maximium flatness and identical colors of the same PLA spool), and the SEEM to work good at first but after a few weeks, most just simply fall apart on their own with no stress applied.

1 Like

Loctite gel CA is very poor, but for light duty on unprepared surfaces it does ok.

I try to use clear stuff primarily, since I don’t generally sand/paint. I’ve found a roughed up surface (one quick swipe with sandpaper if PEI plate side, otherwise a little more elbow grease) with a 2-part epoxy to be the best bet. JB Weld “Clearweld” does alright. It says on the tube 5 mins activation, 1hr set but I am here to tell you that you generally get 10mins, and to leave it in the clamps overnight for best results. It’s hardening continues over time, and you kinda need it to be VERY set to not dislodge from PLA.

If its not to visible I use 5 minute epoxy on small projects…

I’ve been using the cheapest CA glue I can by from Amazon and AliExpress and I’ve never had anything come apart.
but if you want something marketed specifically for PLA you could buy Gloop or 3DPLady PLAGlue

1 Like

I’ve used superglue several times with complete success. You have to give the glue some time to form a more permanent bond.

I notice that some of the pro helmet builders melt heavy duty staples into the separate pieces to reinforce the connections. It requires a lot of post processing to make it disappear, but I presume that it’s necessary for those cases where extra connection strength is needed.

1 Like

Is it baking powder? I thought it was baking soda.

1 Like