Have you ever faced an issue where you were using a frying pan and the handle just breaks away from it? You might be thinking that you have to purchase a new one when in reality you only need to glue the handle back to the pan. Every now and then you may need to glue a piece of metal to another piece of metal or other material. It needs to be done especially in a situation where things are not bolted, soldered, or welded. In case you are wondering about how to glue metal keep reading to learn more.
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Effective Ways to Glue Metal Parts
There are special adhesive products available in the market designed especially for gluing metal parts. These glues are of 3 types- epoxy, polyurethane, and cyanoacrylate glues. These products have industrial-grade gluing properties that can easily bond metal to another metal. However, one must know how to use them properly, or else they can bond your fingers to the metal object which can turn into a real issue.
1. Preparing the Surface
A metal surface that needs to be glued will have to be prepared with the right procedure so that the gluing process takes place successfully.
It starts with thoroughly cleaning each of the metal surfaces that need to be bonded. Remove paint, rust, and corrosion by scraping or using a sanding tool. Use a wet piece of clean cloth or paper towel wetted with a detergent or degreaser to remove dust, dirt, wax, oil, and grease from the surface of the metal.
After the metal has dried, use fine-grit sandpaper to roughen up the area of the metal to be glued. Doing so will help create a better grip during the bonding of the two metals. Now, apply the adhesive product by following the manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure your fingers do not touch the metal surface that is to be bonded.
Most manufacturers of adhesive products encourage users to work in an outdoor or well-ventilated environment so that one does not breathe in the fumes released by the glue during the assembly process.
2. Types of Glues for Metal Bonds
Epoxy Glue
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It is one of the strongest forms of glue for metal-to-metal bonds. One needs to mix equal parts of adhesive and hardener and apply the mixed product with the appropriate tool to either one of the metal surfaces to be bonded.
Most epoxy glue manufacturers advise the user to assemble the metal objects within a minute or two after the application of the glue. Waiting for too long will lead to the hardening of the epoxy glue and ruin the bonding potential. Users are instructed to clamp the metal parts together for 30 to 60 minutes so that the adhesive sets properly. Moreover, the user is urged to wait for 24 hours before beginning to use the metal item since epoxy products require a considerable amount of time to develop their full adhesive bond.
Polyurethane Adhesives
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These are extremely versatile and highly sticky adhesives. They will bond metal to metal and various other types of surfaces. These are also very easy to use as they are single-part adhesives that don’t need to be blended before application.
Polyurethane adhesives can only fit pieces that fit closely together since these adhesives are poor gap fillers. The glue needs moisture to set two pieces together and is waterproof once it is cured. The parts to be bonded must be clamped for around 2 hours to allow the adhesive to set in and prevent foaming or oozing out of the joint.
Similar to epoxy glue, this glue also reaches its full adhesive potential after 24 hours. The adhesive potential of polyurethane is not as strong as epoxy when applied between two metals. However, they are very strong for bonding metals to any other surface.
Ethyl Cyanoacrylate Adhesives
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This is the single part super glue that has an extremely stronghold. The curing process of the glue is fast and creates a strong bond between metal surfaces. The glue has an almost instant gripping ability making it an excellent choice for metal-to-metal application.
They resemble polyurethane adhesives for the reason that they do not have good filler properties. Hence, objects to be glued together must fit properly with each other. Hence, the user cleans the surfaces and applies a small amount of super glue to either one of the surfaces. Immediately join it with the other surface and hold both pieces together for a minute. You will find that the pieces have bonded.
One must leave the object for curing overnight.
Note: Make sure you do not allow your fingers to come into contact with the glue since the adhesive can bond skin to skin or any other surface very easily.
So, make sure you follow these guidelines on how to glue metal and choose the right adhesive product to achieve satisfactory results.
