r/metalworking 2d ago

adhere metal to metal for sculpture. besides welding, what to use? pic gives a general idea

Post image
2 Upvotes

31 comments sorted by

16

u/Cmacd313 2d ago

You’re on my money with JB weld. Follow the instructions on the box and you’ll be good to go. Or at least that’s my humble opinion

7

u/Lackingfinalityornot 2d ago

Jb weld is great get the bottles or the tubes. Those syringes suck because they never evenly dispense the two parts. The tubes or bottles don’t have that problem. The package will tell you how to use it and dry time.

7

u/Dovetrail 2d ago

Look into 3M VHB tape. It will blow your mind.

Find your local 3M rep and get some samples. There are different types. We’ve used it to attach steel foundations to bulkheads on destroyer ships as well as attaching weights to wooden furniture. There’s even a company in Maine, USA that builds snowmobile box trailers and all the panels are attached to the frame with VHB tape.

(VHB = Very High Bond)

2

u/segj 2d ago

If the mating surfaces are smooth and flat, VHB is by far the easiest solution and since there is no squeeze out, it won’t risk any of your finishes.

1

u/Dovetrail 2d ago

We affixed 25lb steel bar weights to pieces of wood with VHB (went with VHB after screws failed) and dropped them progressively from 1 foot to 8 feet off of the floor. Finally, at the 8-foot drop, the weight came off… but the tape was so strong that it pulled chunks of the board with it.

…and you can usually still remove it with a fine diameter guitar string.

1

u/username1753827 2d ago

Steel foundation to bulkhead on a destroyer ship definitely sounds like one of those things that you gotta elaborate on a liiitttlle bit.. are these steel foundations more or less then 100 pounds? I'm having trouble understanding the holding power of this tape

1

u/Dovetrail 2d ago

Yes, you’re right although I forgot the max weight. Smaller stuff like wrench stowages and fire extinguisher foundations. Non-machinery compartments if I remember correctly (because of increased chances of fire/melting). That was a long time ago - not sure what they do now.

3

u/AdvancedForm9000 2d ago

Sika, they have amazing products. Years ago I used the Panel stick tubes to glue magnets to stainless steel facia plates to gas fires, never had a failure. Hell, almost 30 years ago I used it to glue a toilet to the floor in my house, its never moved since 🤪

1

u/servetheKitty 2d ago

‘to glue magnets to stainless steel facia plates to gas fires’ … what? I want to understand.

1

u/AdvancedForm9000 2d ago

Think of the black “U” shape in a stainless steel instead. Some customers wanted a different look. It was cheaper to make it in 3 parts and “Sika” it together rather than welding, grinding and polishing.

1

u/servetheKitty 2d ago

👍🏼

1

u/tanstaaflnz 2d ago

Sika MS

3

u/guitarshrdr 2d ago

Loctite has a black super glue works pretty fast and strong on metal to metal..must keep refrigerated

3

u/tanstaaflnz 2d ago

First option would be epoxy, but if it's normal iron , rust will happen, then the join will fail. If it's Stainless, or alloy, you're all good.

If it can take heat. Brazing (bronze welding), or soldering. Only if iron.

If it's mounted on the wall. Drill and bolt from the back.

Simple (but actually technically difficult) interference fit pins between the two halves.

Or go magic ✨, and use magnets between the two bits. Only for iron, or low grade stainless.

2

u/FictionalContext 2d ago

That's my thought. A big bucket of epoxy so you can evenly and entirely coat the metal surfaces rather than having voids without glue. Would feel really chintzy if sections of the sheet had give to the touch.

3

u/Bassmaster588 2d ago

Why is everyone suggesting JB weld?

Superglue is what I’d use for a project like this. It is dirt cheap, has a varying set time based on which one you buy, it comes in dozens of viscosities, and it can be strengthened with additives. You also have the ability to reverse the bond with fairly little trouble, giving you the ability to fix mistakes.

Superglue will bond even if there is rust, but I’d remove as much rust from the joint to increase your odds of success.

JB weld is my least favorite product and I haven’t used it in 10 years. It’s messy, it’s not reversible, it’s meant for filling holes in a bumper or railing.

2

u/Argument_Massive 2d ago

the image is Ted Larson - Game Changer, and it lists the materials as "salvage steel, marine-grade plywood, silicone, vulcanized rubber, hardware." I'm not really sure what this seams are though?

I will be working with aluminum and/or steel, some of it rusty, some coated with enamel. I tried silicone and it sort of worked but seemed very fragile, esp when the piece gets to be a bit larger. I'm going to be making these low relief sculpture/prismatic collage things out of these metal scraps. is epoxy the best, like this? https://www.jbweld.com/product/j-b-weld-syringe

or super glue? gorilla glue? cement, even?

how long do these adhesives take to dry? like epoxy

thanks so much for the advice.

1

u/tanstaaflnz 2d ago

Most silicone products are sealants, not glue. Look for a silicone adhesive-sealand. Make sure the surfaces are clean and free of chemicals. Don't spread the silicone too thin, or too thick. Read the instructions, and obey the setting times.

2

u/PurposeAcrobatic6953 2d ago edited 2d ago

3m vhb tape. I have seen stainless countertops destroyed trying to remove them when they didn't get put on the base correctly. What materials, bronze stainless, aluminum?

1

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1

u/18Janky18 2d ago

I came here to say jb weld but I see it's already been said

1

u/Wolsey67 2d ago

Liquid nails would hold too. Easier than JB weld since no mixing. Really any adhesive that lists metal will be fine for a sculpture, assuming this isn’t a gigantic installation piece.

Other answers could include soldering/braising both of which involve a lot of heat. Rivets, bolts, screws if you can. Handle seeing the fastener.

Rubber bands and tape if you’re in a pinch.

1

u/JCDU 2d ago

Depends how stuck you need, how invisible you need it, and what treatment you need it to tolerate after being stuck.

Blondihacks on youtube uses a specific loctite compound to join metal together so strongly it can be machined as one piece after it's set, that looks like good stuff.

Sikaflex will stick two surfaces together insanely strongly too.

A step up from JB weld is Devcon putty.

But for a lot of projects mechanical fixing would be the easiest cheapest and most robust way - you can almost always hide a bolt, screw, or rivet and there's a whole range of clever blind fasteners used in industry. Companies like PEM and AVDEL make some clever stuff.

1

u/GiraffeFar6304 2d ago

3M makes some 2 part epoxy that you could adhere a semi to the ceiling with! It's expensive but WILL NOT FAIL... I used some at work and broke two screwdrivers trying to remove a stainless steel tag from mild steel. I can't remember the name of it but it is pricey.

1

u/joesquatchnow 2d ago

The auto industry has amazing epoxies now, body panel’s glued for life while passing a crash test

1

u/lickmybrian 2d ago

3M high strength 90 spray adhesive

1

u/lfenske 2d ago

Everyone saying JB weld but JB weld is good for heat.. it actually has a fraction the tensile strength of regular epoxy which is what JB weld is at heart. I would use the cheaper alternative.. epoxy. Alternatively super glue holds steel and metal well too especially with large flat glue surfaces