What glue is best for HPDE ( high density polyethylene ) ?

What kind of glue is best for HPDE ( high density polyethylene ) ? I just need to glue a few flat pieces together, then cut them up and do = some milling on the sandwiched pieces.

What about ABS Haircell plastic ?

Thanks for any and all help ! JCD

Reply to
Pogo
Loading thread data ...

milling on the sandwiched pieces.

The short answer is you fon't glue/cement HPDE. Use mechanical fasteners or heat welding.

Unless the ABS has some additives, it can all be cemented using ABS solvent cement. Most home improvement stores carry it, or an all-purpose that can be used with PVC and ABS-PVC cementing.

-- Gordon

Reply to
Gordon McComb

do some milling on the sandwiched pieces.

Yeah - that's what I was afraid of. Dang! =20

all-purpose

Great! I usually keep a can of that around ... the joys of DIY!

Thanks for the info JCD

Reply to
Pogo

messagenews: snipped-for-privacy@NOrobotoidSPAM.com...

some milling on the sandwiched pieces.

Reply to
dan michaels

messagenews: snipped-for-privacy@NOrobotoidSPAM.com...

some milling on the sandwiched pieces.

I don't know about gluing HDPE per se, as I just cut it and drill holes for screws. OTOH, Goop works very well with ABS. I like it very much, but Gordon doesn't like the fumes. Goop holds well, and doesn't harden and the parts can usually be separated later. I also tried the ABS solvents, and they make permanent joints since they melt and fuse the plastic. I'm sure they're much worse ecologically [ie, on my lungs] than goop.

Reply to
dan michaels

It's the toluene that gets me, and many solvent-based cements have it. Benzene isn't something I like being around.

HDPE *can* be glued using an acrylic cement (3M makes a couple but they are not readily available). It's not easy, requires surface prep, and is aided by controlled heat and pressure during curing time. Not something most people can reliably do.

Goop probably wouldn't even bond to HDPE, and the solvent-based cements would have no reaction. That's the beauty of HDPE, and why they use it for cooking tops, arterial stents, and everything else.

-- Gordon

Reply to
Gordon McComb

=20

Hmmmm ... I milled some of the HPDE the other night for over 20 minutes = and now I have a scratchy throat. I had a huge pile of shavings and = fine dust all over the place when I was done. Is there any danger from = this stuff when it gets hot or aerosolized ?

Reply to
Pogo

messagenews: snipped-for-privacy@NOrobotoidSPAM.com...

now I have a scratchy throat. I had a huge pile of shavings and fine dust all over the place when I was done. Is there any danger from this stuff when it gets hot or aerosolized ?

I may be overgeneralizing, but I'd say it's ALLLLL BADDDD. You shouldn't mess with any of this stuff without using proper ventilation, and also some respiratory shielding when working with any of it. Anything generating "dust" is definitely bad for your lungs. That's why all those old miners all got black lung disease or lung cancer.

Regards Gordon's comments, I've never tried gluing HDPE, and the Goop was used with ABS.

Reply to
dan michaels

now I have a scratchy throat. I had a huge pile of shavings and fine dust all over the place when I was done. Is there any danger from this stuff when it gets hot or aerosolized ?

AFAIK, HDPE is fairly inert and non-toxic, but the small shavings are an eye, mucous membrane, and lung irritant. I work with it only with full protection. I also have a shop vac to suck stuff up as it's being machined.

"Gets hot"? Are you smoking the stuff?

If you don't need the unique properties of HDPE, as a plastic PVC is fairly easy to work with, as long as you use a fairly coarse mill bit (2 flute instead of 4). You need a spiral cut mill, to move the sharf up and out of the cutway. The sharf is thick and heavy, and not likely to be inhaled. I still wear eye protection AT ALL TIMES. I've used PVC to create sand molds. Like butta!

-- Gordon

Reply to
Gordon McComb

messagenews: snipped-for-privacy@NOrobotoidSPAM.com...

now I have a scratchy throat. I had a huge pile of shavings and fine dust all over the place when I was done. Is there any danger from this stuff when it gets hot or aerosolized ?

"smoking" doesn't sound good, for HDPE or much else.

As a point of information, isn't it expanded PVC [poly vinyl "chloride"] that emits chlorine gas when LASER-cut?

Reply to
dan michaels

That and some other nasty stuff. So never burn it.

-- Gordon

Reply to
Gordon McComb

Yeah - that's kinda what I was getting at when I asked about the HDPE = getting hot. Still, that "smoking" comment had me rolling on the floor! = ( Or was it the fumes ... ? )

With respect to the scratchy throat, I just got back from the do & it = turns out there is a cold bug going around these parts right now. It's = an organic problem ... not an aerosolized plastic one. Still, I *do* = appreciate the reminders to wear appropriate lung protection when = cutting/milling.

Now if I can just find me some brown HDPE and mill it into a cigar = shape. Gordon, what's your mailing address again ? Hehehehehee ...

Reply to
Pogo

messagenews: snipped-for-privacy@NOrobotoidSPAM.com...

I tried using "Elmer's Ultimate High Performance Glue", in hopes that it = would be something newer that no one had tried with HDPE. No joy! I let = it cure for 24 hours, undisturbed, and this afternoon the 2 pieces = practically fell apart from each other.

Something else I noticed a few months ago, for those interested, is that = this HDPE stuff didn't sag as I had expected it to (and in this = particular case, hoped for) when I heated it with one of those butane = micro-torches. I was trying to bend a small flat piece at 90 degrees and = finally decided that it was easier to just cut some metal or mill some = plastic to make the little widget I had in mind.

Reply to
Pogo

HDPE stuff didn't sag as I had expected it to (and in this particular case, hoped for) when I heated it with one of those butane micro-torches. I was trying to bend a small flat piece at 90 degrees and finally decided that it was easier to just cut some metal or mill some plastic to make the little widget I had in mind.

For heat forming use ABS or styrene. ABS is an excellent all-purpose plastic: higher melting point than PVC, machines and drills well, can be readily heat formed, and works with solvent-based adhesives.

-- Gordon

Reply to
Gordon McComb

Try using rivets.

I tried using "Elmer's Ultimate High Performance Glue", in hopes that it would be something newer that no one had tried with HDPE. No joy! I let it cure for 24 hours, undisturbed, and this afternoon the 2 pieces practically fell apart from each other.

Something else I noticed a few months ago, for those interested, is that this HDPE stuff didn't sag as I had expected it to (and in this particular case, hoped for) when I heated it with one of those butane micro-torches. I was trying to bend a small flat piece at 90 degrees and finally decided that it was easier to just cut some metal or mill some plastic to make the little widget I had in mind.

Reply to
Andrew Schwartz

This isn't quite what pogo had in mind, but I saved up some old Folger's plastic coffee containers made of HDPE, for possible use on bots. They make very strong structures and are easy to work with. I cut it with a knife. Turns out the color match was perfect for the RAD base color scheme.

formatting link
BTW, that's a piece of Gordon's 12"x12" expanded PVC used for the deck. Also, very easy to work with.

Reply to
dan michaels

Those coffee containers have possibilies! I like it!

I've been collecting the plastic 30 lb cat-litter containers. They're = great for storage and are itching to be used as a bot body/cover . =20

What does the "expanded" mean? I've noticed several kinds of plastics = have this term included in it.

Reply to
Pogo

messagenews: snipped-for-privacy@s48g2000cws.googlegroups.com...

for storage and are itching to be used as a bot body/cover .

this term included in it.

Regular PVC is the hard and heavy plastic they use for water pipes, while expanded PVC is a ightweight stiff foamy [not sure the proper term] material. Easy to cut+drill. Easier to work with than acrylic [plexiglass], and acrylic is supposed to have a static electricity problem.

formatting link

Reply to
dan michaels

We offer an R2D2 frame made from this stuff:

formatting link
See # 20

Andy

Reply to
Andrew Schwartz

PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.