I'm interested in making a table base from aluminum cans. What would be the strongest glue/welding medium to glue these cans together?
Thanks
I'm interested in making a table base from aluminum cans. What would be the strongest glue/welding medium to glue these cans together?
Thanks
A flexible rubber-based glue. Preferrably, an artificial rubber like urethane or neoprene -- NOT latex... it will dry slowly and become brittle with age.
A glue like the clear acrylates (super-clear caulk) will stay flexible and bond strongly almost forever. It's also got a fair 'open time' and tends to self-level, making exposed glue joints more attractive.
LLoyd
drill through them and use a threaded rod for the actual support?
wrote: I'm interested in making a table base from aluminum cans. What would be the strongest glue/welding medium to glue these cans together? ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I have seen some aluminum solder/braze(?) rod that is used without flux. The demo included aluminum drink cans, and the joints were pretty neat.
Thanks for the replies.
I'd like to keep the project as simple as possible. Tools and time are factors. If I sand the cans prior to glueing, would Gorilla Glue work?
If Gorilla Glue doesn't work, would any of these at this site work? I just found it:
Thanks
snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote:
You don't want Gorilla Glue, or any other foaming/expanding glue, because you can't clamp these cans. Are you gluing them end-to-end or side-to-side?
I'm not sure the strongest glue matters. I'd try hotmelt and put it together quick.
Wes S
Alumalloy, I believe.
Dave
Gorilla Glue is a water-cure polyurethane. It cures hard (brittle), and foams as it cures, pushing objects apart unless they're clamped strongly. It also depends upon water molecules entrained in the surface of the material being glued to cure... otherwise, it can take days - even a week - to cure in a "shielded" joint.
"Shoe Goo" is one of the clear acrylates I talked about earlier. The stuff is considerably less expensive in the caulking tube package, sold by virtually any hardware store or home center as "clear acrylic caulk" or "super-clear caulk".
In industry, when canning companies wish to glue or seal deep drawn can stock, they use a rubber-like glue.
LLoyd
J-B Weld. Sticks anything to anything.
"Stick" and "stay stuck" are two different things.
It won't last well on a flexy substance like thin sheet Al. As soon as J-B fully cures (kinda crisp) and the sheet flexes, it'll pop right off. Been there.
Flexible substrates require flexible adhesives. That's sort of a mantra in the adhesives world.
LLoyd
I 'spect you'd have to be pretty darned good to weld aluminum beer cans to each other!
Clear Silicone. Sticks to aluminum. Cheap flexible easy to use.
Again, thanks for all the replies. Do I need to be concerned about flexibility if it is only a table base? I hope it's not going to do much moving. I'm not planning to use beer cans. I'm planning to use cat food aluminum cans (fancy feast has nicer shaped cans). I could lightly sand them to increase the adhering surface. I like the (super-clear caulk) idea - may use it for the top where the table top sits on. It sounds like it may prevent sliding of the table top.
Lloyd E. Sp> >
I would use an epoxy after the aluminum was alodined. Dan
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