How To Bond Acrylic Sheet Without Acrylic Cement

[@nizamzainal799]

I hear that chloroform can be used too as bonding material, is it true?

[@cosador]

Chloroform(trichoromethane) is a very good solvent for poly methyl methacrylate, but is regulated and hard to obtain. Dichloromethane is more commonly used rather than trichoromethane in many acrylic cements because it is very similar in structure and action. While both chemicals are similar in structure, action and toxicity, dichloromethane has a much lower anesthetic effect.

[@isaanshori8897]

@@cosador which one that give the clearest view of the bonded acrylic?

[@cosador]

@@isaanshori8897 all is explained in the video. The things that I used where they did bond were all clear. All bonds were clear because my selections were clear, causing no notable discoloration. Thanks for watching!

[@TravisTerrell]

​@@isaanshori8897 Here's another useful source. It's a list of various chemicals and their compatibility with acrylic. Anything listed as the "Not Resistant" is a pretty viable solvent. Ideally, mix it with some acrylic chips/shreds to make a slightly thicker liquid that will stay put better and fill in small gaps.

[@isaanshori8897]

@@TravisTerrell thank a lot

[@Brabbo-55]

This is an excellently done video, it is to the point, quick, and clrear, with No B.S. Thank you very much.

[@stormman8393]

You're videos are absolute first class. I'll be looking at you're methods to bond binding to guitar bodies and necks that I din't think were possible. You should have you're own TV show your presentation is so good. Great and practical information here.

[@ahmadammarfaizulnudin953]

I spent hours in the diy store just to find acrylic cement only to find none. Thank you for making this video

[@iwaspinnygigfirst]

I'm sitting here with a broken piece of acrylic and a can of my dad's pvc primer. Im super happy that I watched your video and I'm going to attempt it!

[@NewArchipelago]

I admire the rigor you've set this test up with. That was very thorough.

[@venkatesanvenkataramanrasa9264]

Jonathan You are really well experienced with Acrylic boards and bonding and cutting . Well we have learned a lot. Thanks a lot. This is v.v fro India

[@devonfallows2840]

You can also use acrylic nail monomer to bond acrylic sheets. It is comprised mainly of ethyl methacrylate and dimethacylate. I use nail acrylic for a myriad of different things - I sculpt custom bits for minature models, repair plastic and resin things around the house, bond acrylic with the monomer (100% clear, because it is acrylic), sculpted masters for silicone molds, etc. It is wicked versitle, and much less expensive per ounce than acrylic cement.

[@izzojackal]

What have you found best for applying it? Looking to just make a 6x7 display box.

[@qpham63]

My wife does acrylic nails. I am seriously going to raid her stash.

[@Michael-vg8gx]

​@@izzojackalI'm going to mKe a box.. did you figure it out?

[@gregwilliamson3001]

Very informative and apart from you not waiting the 72 hours for the test subjects to cure, very thorough. Thank you 👍🏻

[@abdulansari4981]

Hi Cosador, your videos are phenomenal. They are at a level at which hobbyists, who do not have access to professional or artisan tools, can follow along. You also teach what to look out for and why. I only recently discovered your channel and am wondering where you've gone. Your channel is very valuable and I wish that you were out here teaching us more practical craftsmanship.

[@pacochavez461]

I have seen some of your videos and let me tell you that they are very good, the information is clear, you go to the point straight, thank you very much

[@BautistaYarisantos]

I just started working with this type of material. Thank you so much for making such a well-made informative and engaging video.

[@roblozier]

Thank you for such a thorough analysis!! Very Helpful ... Great Job!

[@SonneCreations]

I am totally geeking out on this video. Really exceptional instructional video. Thank you!

[@radar536]

That is a carefully planed and made vid. Congrats. Be well.

[@AlteredEagle]

When I used to make wheelchair tables from acrylic we often used a bandsaw to cut and the edges were often rough. The secret weapon we used was a product called GOO-Gone adhesive remover. (in north America) Put a small amount on a rag and run it on the edges ONLY. Like magic the edge became clear and smooth. Don't get this on the surface as it will fade and discolor your hard work. I am sure you already knew this trick, but let me know if you did not. I encourage you to try it. Thank me later

[@johnwarden4645]

Well explained to a slow lerner, and I got it 1st time. Thanks mate

[@Buddy-po4hv]

That's was a good video, thank you for the information and the effort

[@bonearete5419]

Now that is what I called truly professional and the test is at the level of science. Respect to you !

[@georgemacdonald5282]

Great video, straight to the point and and makes me feel more confident when i go to glue acylic, nice one, thankyou

[@wonderwang1585]

Impeccable methodological spirit

[@batchrocketproject4720]

Beautifully planned and executed tests, thank you for sharing this useful comparison. I'd love to have seen common glues that we might use where appearance is less important than convenience and adequate bond (e.g. superglue) but still really grateful for the information. 👍

[@josealphonso2848]

Thank you so much effort spent to carry out the test so meticulously.

[@TheLoremistress]

Thank you Looking forward to part 2

[@andym4695]

Really helpful. I was thinking about using two pieces of acrylic bonded together rather than buying a thicker sheet, but after this video, it seems best to just bite the bullet.

[@Kay-eh8lm]

I love how even though they were just test pieces, the little squares you designed looked so aesthetically lovely

[@muzeinview08]

Beautifully done, clearly communicated video.

[@HomeImProveMentHow]

This was a good test good idea and thanks for sharing I for now your new friend Ken,

[@lucyscissorsnpaper5605]

Love this video. you did a great job in comparing all the substances I was considering. thank you!!! I am going to raid my hubbies plumbing stuff to see if he has MEK. I am also in Australia and am finding it hard to get substances and I work in a lab too. this is awesome!

[@mickeyrietveld9249]

Amazing video, very happy with the info, thank you 🙏

[@rakashaagain]

wow those are great video. very informative.

[@stevenbroadhurst4119]

Great video Jonathan, I’m going to try MEK as a bonding agent for a broken acrylic chair back. Keep up the good work. Looking forward to part 2.

[@scottgolub6859]

Incredible piece of video and science. At a past job, we used a Zwick Roell machine to test lap shear strength. You might be able to send off samples to their lab. Not sure. Just want to contribute to this awesome post. Thanks!

[@jadenephrite]

The best acrylic bonding solvent is made from a custom blend of 90% Ethylene Dichloride plus 10% Glacial Acetic Acid. The resulting acrylic bond is transparent and strong after curing fully for 72 hours. The high quality bond is achieved, because Ethylene Dichloride is not as quick acting as Methylene Chloride. Furthermore, the addition of 10% Glacial Acetic Acid allows more set time for the Ethylene Dichloride to completely bond the acrylic surfaces.

[@petermitutoiu7021]

That's what I call a professional ! Well thought experiment with clear , repeatable results . Congratulations. Can you do a video on twisting narrow sheets of plexiglass?

[@cosador]

Thank you! New videos coming soon, there is one that may apply to your request.

[@ZubairKhan-vs8fe]

Excellent video of scientific quality

[@cofa4011]

You deserve so much more subscribers !

[@dejavumagazine]

Thank you for the video. I am looking for a way to fix a broken bridge in my seeing glasses. I am not sure at this stage what type of plastic they are

[@andresilva8444]

I’ve been waiting for something like this. Thanks

[@jamesallen6007]

Many thanks for the information.

[@cindygordon7745]

Very nice work!

[@theintake8961]

Thanks for that very well presented video. My hobby is scale models made mostly with styrene. My question is what is the best way to fix a crack in clear styrene or make it less noticable? Thanks for the videos.

[@MissChelle]

Cool, thank you. Looking at making a fish tank. I wonder which if any of these would be watertight. Cheers from another Aussie ❤️🇦🇺

[@timmer9lives]

Thanks. This is an excellent video.

[@sandnseaweedart9627]

Great narration!

[@RadostinVelchev]

In Bulgaria Weld-on 4 is out of stock for several months. Will try some of the options from your video, thanks

[@davidroutley7619]

Okay! I’ve been working with acrylics and other clear plastics for over thirty years now. In my experience, these days, there is no substitute for dichloromethane/methylene chloride. By far and away the best “glue” used for bonding acrylic is and was chloroform (trichloromethane), which you are, at least in the UK, not able to easily get hold of these days. (I’m not kidding when i say I used to order it and collect it from my local chemist, it came in big brown glass jars in a cardboard box and I would load it into my car and drive it back to work). To my understanding it was mainly banned in the work place for its potential carcinogenic effects. The best dichloromethane/methylene chloride based “glues” are those that are mixed with other chemicals, such as ascetic acid, that actively lower the evaporation point of dichloro or methylene chloro and allow for better capillary action to take effect. It should also be mentioned that you should never try to “glue” lasered acrylic as the heat generated when cutting will always add stress to the material and cause failure of any bond and will cause “crazing” (very small cracks and fissures in the material). I suspect if you had tried CNC routing of the acrylic the results of your test would’ve had a slightly different outcome. That said, for any material you are unsure of it is always best to run some tests on scrap material and choose what gives the best results.

[@pavelgorlachuk1460]

Dear David and Jonathan, I am doing my acrylic distroplate project where I need to bond together several sheets (200x400 mm) with aesthetic perfection. They have complex cutouts and need to hold some water pressure, so it is mandatory to have a good strength. I tried to use a UV-curing epoxy but any tear/break force creates a cavity, or a de-bonded spot. Should I better switch to cement? I can get S-polybond and Acrifix 192 via Amazon, but are there better options? BR Pavel

[@robde-e-e]

Is trichloromethane stronger bonding than dichloromethane or about the same? And what about Acrifix 116?

[@0Turbox]

Makes somehow no sense, that a laser creates more stress to the material as an CNC machine. Maybe the laser was to weak to do the job in one instance.

[@vlalem]

I prefer dichloroethane.

[@Dev1nci]

Informative thanks. Yeah often when soldering is expensive, there’s a good reason.

[@aminzayani3055]

Very informative. Thank you

[@cathyherring6424]

Thanks this was very helpful👍

[@breakingthemasks]

Fantastic video! Thank you sir!

[@tunapig]

That was very useful. Thanks

[@wg99er]

Be sure to use a glass syringe for solvents, as they will dissolve the plastic in normal syringes. Use all metal needles with metal hubs if you can, I've unfortunately had that experience...

[@banyanleaf]

Will acetone dissolve the ordinary plastic syringe? I was going to give it a try but hesitate to make a mess now.

[@wg99er]

In my experience yes it will , but for short term use it should be fine. Just don't keep it in the syringe for long.

[@jeffjvancich2864]

Thanks for the info. I just made a large window with a sliding opening and latch. All out of 10mm acrylic. I started by making a small prodotype and used the superglue which I happened to have. It was rock solid. I finished up building the whole thing out of it. What's your opinion of using Super glue? Any goog? Or an I in for a nasty shock down the road? Jeff

[@TrojanHorse1959]

Great video and testing, well done, thank you!

[@1bigslug]

Thanks for answering my questions!!

[@harrievangeffen]

Great video, thanks!

[@zero00044]

Basically looking to glue laser cut layers together, so seems like paint stripper or acetone is what I'm looking for since it's easily available locally and I wouldn't have to order it. Making Decorations with multiple layers, so just need them to be glued flat together. No stress will be put on them at all. So that definitely seems like the best bet for what I'm doing. Seems like fingernail polish remover might work too

[@joysmith5490]

can you do a cracked piece with MEK? not broken, only partly cracked across the piece. Thanks for this video.DS

[@Hercub]

great video ✨✨✨

[@steveli4938]

VERY GOOD VIDEO IT HELP ME A LOT . THANKS

[@tobuslieven]

I have a possibly very bad idea for joining acrylic. Put a piece of aluminum/copper foil between the two pieces where you want them to join and apply force. Direct heat at the join with an infrared heat source. The foil will heat up and just that area will melt and bond. Acrylic is transparent to infrared.

[@danphilpott6302]

Awesome content!

[@ronaldmoss6565]

Thank you for the very informative video

[@rejahmuhyi1592]

Thank you for the info.

[@vtbn53]

What a shame you stopped making videos, you do it well, I will subscribe just in case you start up again. Cheers.

[@bhr987]

Great experimental !! Liked n subscribed 👍👍👍❤.. planning a new project with acrylic and need more research b4 get it starts 😊

[@alyssamaramanalo5957]

Nice and clear video! Quick question, a drawer made of acrylic sheet is beyond the required dimensions. How do you trim the top part while the corners are glued together?

[@shannonhayden2827]

You have such good video's wish you made more than 16 😢

[@ronaldwerner7546]

I once saw a KZbin video showing how to bond acrylic. The trick was to dissolve acrylic dust/shavings in the aceton. This might take some time. But once saturated, this solution is supposed to give extremely strong bondings.

[@lisaharry7019]

hi i am from trinidad and tobago great work loving it bro can you do a video on how glue acrylic to concret

[@jimavery3211]

I need to bond some fresnel lenses together side by side without getting flow onto the surfaces, so the thin liquids don't seem like the right approach. Is there something that wouldn't flow out so much, or maybe a solid material like a tape that would fuse with the acrylic?

[@sachinbedekar8553]

good imfo. Bro. Thanks

[@karlnowakowski7866]

Great video

[@NBC_NCO]

What do you think would work best for gluing edges of lexan ? In particular rc car and truck bodies when they develop a tear or crack. This type of lexan is very very thin and flexible.

[@EdemJansen]

Yay science! Nice video!

[@ramonhamm3885]

Good info, thanks!

[@briandenzer]

Outstanding!

[@TravisTerrell]

The key is to melt some acrylic shreds in the desired solvent (toluene, acetone, etc.) Then you end up with a thicker solution that will stay put and fill in tiny gaps and imperfections between the pieces.

[@jhondaux9408]

this is great...showing the results and its effect on acrylic..... MEK is prohibited in our country...any other worthy replacement?

[@Jestunes]

I'm surprised you didn't test Hot Stuff products that I have used in miniature building while working at Disney. They have fantastic holding power. Especially the thick Hot Stuff with the aerosol accelerator. And the best part is they are cheaper than any of the items you tested.

[@sublimationman]

Thanks for the info. I was about to glue up using acetone but I ordered some generic #4 (more work time than #3).

[@cosador]

Good catch! It's expensive but it works well. There is more work time but not much, so remember to do a few practice pieces. Thanks for watching!

[@frankenstein3163]

I wat to make double wall acrylic similar to double wall POLYCARBONATE sheets. Do you think the double wall acrylic with have a better insulation property's that the double wall polycarbonate ? I'm attempting to make a glass studio/office.

[@marcusingley912]

Great video, my question is can you use heat or flame to fuse acrylic. Not after a strong bond, but enough to hold together to light touch.

[@uptownphotography]

Question. Would you know if using MEK for model building (gluing Styrene together) make a good choice? It needs to be fast (15-20 seconds) with making a strong bond or it would not be practical for building plastic Styrene models. The glues available for this purpose are expensive and looking for an alternative. Thanks for a super detailed video.

[@stevesoldwedel]

Quality video. Thanks for making this. I'm actually interested in bonding a piece of fabric to a sheet of clear acrylic to make a pickguard for a guitar. However, I haven't the slightest idea how to effect such a bond (if it's even possible). Do you have any suggestions?

[@leonardell-bon7104]

Try leaving small pieces of clear acrylic in acetone for a few days. Keep shacking until it dissolves. Use as glue. Alternatively use Silicone.

[@andrewwachira1]

Hi Cosador. Thanks for this. I would like you to make a video on whether it is possible to put together clear acrylic sheet with glass. I have a brewing project where I want to make the walls of the brewing tank to have glass inside acrylic outside, this bond would help with sustaining pressure from the brew(1000L) and also insulate/shield the glass from any incidences and only affect the acrylic. Please make a video to show which materials can be used to bond the glass and the acrylic or simply recommend which materials could work? silicon? etc. Thanks.

[@shilinzhang7745]

great video.thanks

[@FirstNameLastName-cu2tq]

Is it possible to glue two ends of Acrylic Sheets in order to get a larger sheet? For and example, I have 5 mm thick two pieces 18" x 32" and I would like to glue them and get 36" x 32".

[@sabinpantis4149]

How about methil metacrylate resin for dental use.the is a selfcuring one.i'll see tomorow morning if it works.what do you think?

[@shuttlesfastfoods8908]

Bending the acylic...semi circle to the front where i can just connect flat piece to the back,eliminating the two upright front seams..i know that size will determine the thickness and weight of the liquid ,base would be properly secure.should i cap the top for structural strenght...?

[@kanakkumar2]

I need some suggestions. I want to make a phone case. How can i ma0ke the edges like sides of the cover. Can it be done by laserr machine or something else. Plz advice. Thankyou.

[@SureshBopitiya]

Hi, would MEK be safe to use in an aquarium? Or how would it hold up over time being subject to water?

[@ArtyMars]

I'm having the same problem about to make some fish tanks and can't find Acrylic Cement anywhere in Australia lol

[@SureshBopitiya]

@@ArtyMars I ended up using silicone for the little box I had to build for my aquarium sump. I tried everything (even MEK). Superglue worked, but I wasn't sure if it was aquarium safe. I don't think you can use silicone for a tank though - too much pressure. If you find it, please let me know!

[@ArtyMars]

@@SureshBopitiya I found out that apparently it's considered a dangerous liquid, so most places can't send it online through air-freight and it's hard to get unless it's shipped by boat and delivered by freight truck to a store etc xD now finding a store is the difficult part haha

[@MissChelle]

@@SureshBopitiya super glue (cyanoacrlate) is safe for aquariums. Great for glueing rocks & wood in aqua scaping. Check out awesome work by serpa design. ❤️🇦🇺

[@bobriddle6068]

I use mek for gluing abs, it will bond the pieces perfectly, just like pvc glue does to pvc.

[@patkauther9584]

what about krazy glue? it's a cyanacrylic i've found the bonding quite good, but i don't know enough to expand on my findings

[@livemore522]

How to apply the solvent to bond acrylic face to face as you have shown in clarity test.

[@dutchflyfisher]

Good test. I've question. I want to make a very smaal kind of aquarium. It is for water insects. I want to make pictures of them that's I want to make a small box. What kind of glue is the best to use for this? greetings from The Netherlands

[@michaelross5674]

Can I use weld on 3 to glue together plexiglass

[@makingcookingfixing]

This is one of the best tests I have ever seen! Great job! A pity though that not one solvent compared to the commercial acrylic cement.

[@BillyMcBride]

Do fluids that bond plexiglas react differently when the humidity changes?

[@BillyMcBride]

Thank you too.