Fast setting glue for metal + plastic.

[grain]

I have one of those wardrobes where the frame is made from metal rods with plastic corner pieces, and it all fits together with the fabric outer covering. Lately some of the small rods have been slipping from the holes in the plastic joiners and shelves inside collapse. So I want to glue the whole thing up to make it more solid and stop the stretching and slipping of the frame. It's never going to be unassembled and packed away or anything, so there's no issue there. 

 

I was thinking just common rubber contact adhesive, applied to either surface and fitted together when it's tacky dry would do the trick. I don't really want to mix up resins or go through dozens of tubes of super glue.

 

Anything else I should look at? Any reason rubber contact adhesive wouldn't be a good choice?

[Kwasaki]

Super glue the one with the elephant on in 7-11. 

[Simple Jack]

Had the same issue. I took one apart and used silicone. Strong & flexible.  ????

[bankruatsteve]

I've found something handy to have for a lot of things is the hot glue gun used by hobbyists.  

[blackshadow]

araldite used to be good !!!!

[VocalNeal]

3 minutes ago, blackshadow said:

araldite used to be good !!!!

Two part Epoxy for a technical description. Even sold at 7-Eleven

[sometimewoodworker]

The suggestions of non flexible glues are going to fail quite quickly. A contact adhesive, silicone or low foaming PU will be best, cyanoacrylate glues (super glues) are too rigid the same applies to most epoxies.

[natway09]

Try mixing some Epoputty, but only if never need to take apart

[mrfill]

The rods have been slipping out  the holes, so use paper to pack the holes and the fit will be tighter without any need for glue, silicone or any other gunk. It does work - I've had a couple of these wardrobes for 10+ years

[phetphet]

4 hours ago, blackshadow said:

araldite used to be good !!!!

+1.

 

Or any type of epoxy resin. Normally have to mix two different parts together into one paste. Sets pretty hard, but won't set it seconds like Super glue does.

[Tropposurfer]

Go to hardware store - buy a 'general construction adhesive' - Sika products excellent (bit more costly but great quality) in a calking-gun style - takes a day or so to cure well. Very very strong. Araldite is really strong, So are Gorilla brand products, but both take quite a while to cure.

 

[Barty]

The website "this to that" is useful for figuring out suitable glues for various projects. I came across it years ago, I don't know if they ever update it with new products that come on to the market, nevertheless it is useful for getting you pointed in the right direction.

 

https://thistothat.com/index.shtml

[grain]

Thanks everybody for your suggestions & tips. Yesterday at Lotus's I bought a tube of contact liquid adhesive, so I'll go ahead with that. 

 

@mrfill: interesting tip about packing with paper. However, that wouldn't really solve because some of the plastic corner pieces have cracked down the sides so the hole is no longer tight fitting. The contact adhesive will keep the rods stuck inside the holes.

 

Reading what I just wrote above reminds me of a funny story years ago: A mate down South needed a part for some male-female connection. So he went to a Thai hardware store and tried telling them what he needed but they didn't understand and gave him the wrong part, so he started explaining with his hands forming a circle with one hand and poking his finger in with the other hand, and saying things like...."this pooying, this poochai. I have pooying already, now I want poochai." When he told me the story I nearly collapsed with laughter. Lord knows what the Thais in that shop were thinking about this crazy farang. From memory they twigged in the end and he got the part. ????

[brianthainess]

23 hours ago, grain said:

I was thinking just common rubber contact adhesive, applied to either surface and fitted together when it's tacky dry would do the trick.

Yea that will work. I hate trying to use super glue. Also those hot glue guns are very useful I use it for all manner of things coat inside and out stays tacky for a while push together.  

[VocalNeal]

On 7/12/2022 at 10:50 AM, grain said:

I was thinking just common rubber contact adhesive, applied to either surface and fitted together when it's tacky dry would do the trick. I don't really want to mix up resins or go through dozens of tubes of super glue.

Glue takes up space so coating both components may make it difficult to fit them together properly.

[grain]

All done guys...mission accomplished, as a great man once said. The contact adhesive stuck very well and now the rods are secure in the plastic holes. I only did the horizontals as the verticals have never been an issue, being held in place with weight & gravity.  If I get another couple of years out of this wardrobe I'm happy, if it starts collapsing again I'll bin it. ????