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trueblue
08-08-2010, 05:47 PM
What adhesive will stick to polyethylene plastic?

I have a poly ice box that is about to become an extra live bait tank, and I need to bore holes out and fit skin fittings, and I want an adhesive sealant that will actually stick to the polyethylene plastic

any ideas?

cheers

Mick

mitch92
08-08-2010, 05:51 PM
try lexel maybe? hit the surface with a bit of fine sanpaper then coat in lexel??

oldboot
08-08-2010, 06:05 PM
Polyethylene is one of those plastics that is very hard to chemicaly glue..it is resistant to most solvents and is impervious....same stuff as coke bottles

mostly in the plastics industry it is welded or moulded.


even sicaflex and epoxy do not bond well to it.

If you find a glue that will bond properly with it it will be nasty.

cheers

tigermullet
08-08-2010, 06:31 PM
You can get the Loctite products from CBC Bearings. Sorry, haven't got their phone number but a Google or white pages search will reveal.

The product numbers are 480 for the bonder and 770 for the primer. The bonder is only 25mls - so it's only for small jobs - the price is about $40 (but don't hold me to it) for both.

There is a product available from the USA - Mr Sticky (I think) but the polyethylene must be flame treated - a flame spreader on a Butane bottle (perhaps LPG too) is needed.

You could try welding by getting a plastic welder and polyethylene welding sticks but the problem with polyethylene is that there are various mixtures. Lots of products from China coming into Australia that are a cheaper form of polyethylene.

It's not easy to weld thick polyethylene without the proper equipment.

Good luck.

trueblue
08-08-2010, 06:31 PM
I'm expecting not to find anything.............

who welds polyethylene?

Could maybe get a bead of weld done, and then fit the skin fittng while weld still hot?

cheers

Mick

tigermullet
08-08-2010, 06:38 PM
There are plastic welders in Brisbane who will tackle thick polyethylene. One of them is on the corner of Lytton Road and Taylor Street. My memory is shot to bits - you can find them via Google by doing a search for plastic welders Brisbane.

Our polyethylene holding tank was welded by them a couple of months ago - three tricky welds around pipe outlets - cost was just under $100. We were lucky because the tank met the standards for polyethylene. It must have been made in Australia - thank heaven.

nigelr
08-08-2010, 06:41 PM
I sealed a hole in my large poly esky with selleys' aqua-kneadit.
Roughed the surrounding area thoroughly and left the repair slightly proud of the surface.
Did the job, very versatile stuff.
Cheers.

Grand_Marlin
08-08-2010, 06:52 PM
G'day Mick,

Use Sika 291.

It won't stick to it, but it will work as a gasket.

Plenty of Sika, do it up all but say 1 turn of the fitting, then leave it for 2 hours.
(Clean up with metho at this point)

After 2 hours, tighten the fitting the last turn.

This will seal quite ok on Poly.

The other way is to use neoprene gaskets.

Cheers

Pete

trueblue
08-08-2010, 07:10 PM
Thanks pete

I'll give that a go

I'm putting a 40 litre box out on the back board next to the motor, where it will have several functions.

Will be an extra live well, but also will function as a kill bin, stowage box for the para anchor, or bait ice box etc.

cheers

Mick

Noelm
09-08-2010, 08:25 AM
that is the same stuff as they make the sticks out of that you mix glue up with! and nothing sticks to them, but it can be welded or heat fused together, lots of things will sort of stick it, but it will eventually just peel away.

TheRealAndy
09-08-2010, 08:53 AM
Being a polycraft owner the only thing that will stick is fish guts and a product called lexcel. Lexcel is the stickiest shit you will ever find and is worse than sikaflex. Only problem is that it is near on impossible to find lexcel in a shop.

I would use a rubber gasket.

deckie
09-08-2010, 09:45 AM
Plexus MA300

Not much sticks poly or poly to other stuff but this stuff does and will stick anything and the equivalent of welding.

Got it from FGI at Brookvale.

Its a proper epoxy adhesive so dont use it just for a gasket...its if u want to glue it rock solid.

Comes in different cure lengths...this one takes 5mins but i think u can get up to 20 minute cure times. Also sticks urethane and other stuff thats tough to glue...like welding steel together.

oldboot
09-08-2010, 10:17 AM
Yehthat would probably stick it......but yep........its nasty stuff.

contains

Methacrilic acid
Methyl Methacrilate Monomer
Chlorosulfinated Polyethylene
Something they aint telling
Carbon Tetrachloride

check out the MSD.

So if you are going to use this stuff........know what it is and be carefull.

cheers

deckie
09-08-2010, 12:31 PM
bootie...i cant even pronounce the stuff in it...made by north american composites i believe.

Serious stuff...has a big skull and cross bones on the front plus photo's of men with weeping open sores and hair falling out, gasping for breath ;D. Smells evil...definitely mask and gloves but phenomenally strong and one of the few things that will stick most of those plastics that hate being glued.
Terrific for steel and glass too.

Been using it in place of screw fasteners in many places and to secure underneath polyethlene backing for cleats, rod holders etc.. Enables a fractionally larger bore for the thru bolts so less stress on the f/glass gelcoat surface above and more on the backing underneath..stops those thin stress fractures in the gelcoat over the yrs and super strong. Great for s/s tube fittings in place of welding so u get your money back on it.

You sound like u know your chemicals...no idea whats in it but anything that good u just know must contain some evil shit ;D. Mind u duralac aint exactly nice stuff and us boaties have thrown that stuff around willy nilly for donkeys yrs.

edit..whilst i think of it and for anyone interested ..its also one of the very few things available that will properly stick a keelguard (urerthane) that has lifted a little back onto gelcoat. Bit off topic isnt it ;D

oldboot
09-08-2010, 04:32 PM
I don't know a hell of a lot about chemicals.... but I know there are some give away signs of something nasty.

Carbon tet, has been arround for donkies......only mildly nasty.....

when I say nasty i don't consider things like pertol and acetone nasty just a little dangerous.

when I say nasty, I mean can do bad things to you you might not expect or is very seriously unhealthy for you.........suffering and death are seriously unhealthy for you.

anything with chloride in it and some sort of multiple reference like tetra, polly, di bi.....rings allarm bells a deserves investigation.

Anything with a solvent reference associated with something difficult to desolve....deserves looking at

Any exotic acid deservens looking at

AND any thing that contains a weirdo acid and some sort of exotic solvent.......hell bring me my long stick.....no not that one ..the looong one.

seriouly..some of those names I have heard before..cant remember the details.

but they all come up on google........go on google them......I dare you.

remember the MSDS never realy tell you how nasty the stuff is.....they sort of assume you know what the nasty bits they declare are.

as far as Duralac....I just happen to have the safety information on that stuff handy........that stuff isn't all that bad....ya just need to be a lot more carefull with the stuff than most people are........just don't get the stuff on you or in you......



cheers

tunaticer
09-08-2010, 05:09 PM
My mother in law is looking for part time work so if anyone needs something glued with this lovely junket, I am sure she will oblige. Shit, i will even supply the glue of choice free of charge!!

oldboot
09-08-2010, 11:15 PM
hell don't underestimate milk as a resin...probly not a good choice in thsi situation.

Back in the arts and crafts period milk paint was all the rage......( back then it actually contained milk).......mongrel stuff if you want to get it off....nothing will touch it.....even methelyene chloride wont work.

In the 50's milk got another go round in Casemite paint.....once that stuff sets up properly..even sand paper is workin hard.

A few years ago the Mrs did a ligament in her knee......they took a couple of strands of ligament frm somewhere else....and screwed em down to the bone with a screw made of Casien resin...... milk.

cheers