I am building a cork handle with an elliptical inlay. I was using thin plastic inserts for accenting the elliptical. Used 5 minute epoxy to put it together. Went to start turning the handle and epoxy did not hold on the plastic. What type of glue would work best for plastic to cork?
Thanks
Mike

Hi Mike,
Whatever you use get a water break free surface on the plastic before you glue it. A rub on both sides with a marron scotch brite pad or some 400 grit paper will do the trick. That may have been your problem in the first place. I much prefer the 24 hr epoxy than the quick stuff.

ESFNEM Col
Port Kembla, NSW
Australia

I do quite a bit of plastic to cork and I have found that if you drill or punch some holes in the face of the plastic, your glue will extend through the holes and bond cork to cork as well as the plastic to cork. How are you turning?? Mandrel? you can use inexpensive drill stops [www.harborfreight.com] on each end of the grip to put tension on it.

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

I had a coffee pot that hit the sink and had a crack in it so it leaked
put some RodBond on it and it lasted me several years until I hit the sink and busted the pot

Regular Rod Bond don't be in a hurry

Bill - willierods.com

Good/great advise above. I scratch the surface with a pocket knife. Probably try Mike Barkley's idea next time.

Thanks for the ideas, I did figure out (after the fact) that I should have roughed up the surfaces on the plastic. Drilling holes is a great idea.
Mike

i wash the surface - dry it then sand with 220 and then wipe it off with a -- DRY -- paper towel No solvent

Have not tried contact cement -- Yet

Bill - willierods.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/19/2013 05:44PM by bill boettcher.

I think it depends on what kind of plastic, but if it's the thin plastic spacer stuff from the knifemaking site, the Titebond polyurethane is the ONLY glue that I've found that works(thanks to Mark Blabaum). That's after trying rodbond, superglues w/ a plastics primer, etc. Still, I cleaned and prepped prior.

Mike,
In addition to the posts above, there is also an excellent "epoxy plastic adhesive".
I have used it for some difficult plastic repair, and it has worked very well for me.

This is the Epoxy plastic glue that I have used:
[www.toolup.com]

As was stated on a famous TV show - "this glue is lke no other epoxy glue that you have ever used before!"

Thanks much
Roger



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/19/2013 10:03PM by roger wilson.

There are some great adhesives for plastic to plastic. They "melt" the plastic together to bond them and work great with plastic but not necessarily with cork. All you can do is experiment

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

The heart and soul of rodbuilding, EXPERIMENTATION!! Without it nothing new would happen and we'd still be in the "dark ages".
Nice one Mr Barkley.

ESFNEM Col
Port Kembla, NSW
Australia

Certain plastics need to be heated for paint to stick...I'd think epoxy adhesion would be similar. For heating you simply need to run a flame over the surface. Be judicious with a torch. Move the flame across the object w/o stopping and don't let it get so hot that it melts. A quick heat treatment will work wonders.

Some adhesives fracture when subject to shear stress, especially those adhesives which become more brittle with age - as many do. If the handle of the rod in question is likely to endure stress from big fish or snags you should consider adhesives which retain some flexibility, such as Rodbond - which was engineered specifically for the application you describe. A roughened surface improves the performance every adhesive I know of.

I've found that Titebond Poly seems to hold better than epoxies for this kind of work. Titebond Poly [www.titebond.com] also works much better for me than the other urethane glues, one tip though with a porous material like cork when you think that you've got enough on the work piece add more. I've enclosed a couple of photos of cork and several different materials including aluminum, plastic, cork, and wood.

[www.rodbuilding.org]
[www.rodbuilding.org]
[www.rodbuilding.org]
[www.rodbuilding.org]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/20/2013 08:42PM by Mark Blabaum.

Very Nice Work Need I say More

Bill - willierods.com