Glue for plastics - recommendations
Glue for plastics - recommendations
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Discussion

towser

Original Poster:

1,305 posts

232 months

Saturday 6th September 2025
quotequote all
What's the best glue for plastics these days?

Good old Loctite Superglue is pretty poor based on my recent experience.

The last stuff I bought was this : https://shop.ct1.com/gb/superfast-plus-50ml

and it worked well but the bottle nozzle just blocked up with hardened glue and it became too awkward to use.

Any alternatives?


hengti

193 posts

238 months

Saturday 6th September 2025
quotequote all
I used some super glue all plastics on an admittedly tiny workpiece recently and got an excellent bond, really impressed. Was PP/PE so was expecting difficulty. It comes with an "activator pen" which appears to attack the plastic's surface enabling a bond with the second part which may or may not just be regular super glue. Parts must be tight fitting (superglue doesn't fill) and I keyed both surfaces with wet&dry. Pen/glue probably won't keep, usual story.

wolfracesonic

8,719 posts

148 months

Saturday 6th September 2025
quotequote all
If by best you mean strongest, epoxies are the way to go, if you can cope with the faff of mixing the two parts together: have a look at JB weld’s site.

JoshSm

2,815 posts

58 months

Saturday 6th September 2025
quotequote all
It depends on the plastic! You need the right type for the job.

Some things use solvents to weld them, others can need specialist types or just won't glue at all.

towser

Original Poster:

1,305 posts

232 months

Saturday 6th September 2025
quotequote all
JoshSm said:
It depends on the plastic! You need the right type for the job.

Some things use solvents to weld them, others can need specialist types or just won't glue at all.
it for a fridge door - one of the moulded lugs that the bottle shelf slides into is coming away from the door lining....

JoshSm

2,815 posts

58 months

Saturday 6th September 2025
quotequote all
towser said:
it for a fridge door - one of the moulded lugs that the bottle shelf slides into is coming away from the door lining....
Could be ABS or polypropylene or maybe polystyrene, and each of those has a different best option.


towser

Original Poster:

1,305 posts

232 months

Saturday 6th September 2025
quotequote all
JoshSm said:
Could be ABS or polypropylene or maybe polystyrene, and each of those has a different best option.
any way of determining what type of plastic it is?

Leptons

5,479 posts

197 months

Saturday 6th September 2025
quotequote all
Completely dependant on the type of plastic.

V8FGO

1,663 posts

226 months

Saturday 6th September 2025
quotequote all
You could try this, I used it on a crack in a fridge door shelf

JoshSm

2,815 posts

58 months

Saturday 6th September 2025
quotequote all
towser said:
JoshSm said:
Could be ABS or polypropylene or maybe polystyrene, and each of those has a different best option.
any way of determining what type of plastic it is?
Vacuum formed liner parts are usually polystyrene, and all the parts might be marked with the plastic type for recycling.

Acetone will melt/weld ABS (so works to put it back together) and it'll melt polystyrene too, but won't touch polypropylene.

towser

Original Poster:

1,305 posts

232 months

Saturday 6th September 2025
quotequote all
JoshSm said:
Vacuum formed liner parts are usually polystyrene, and all the parts might be marked with the plastic type for recycling.

Acetone will melt/weld ABS (so works to put it back together) and it'll melt polystyrene too, but won't touch polypropylene.
brilliant - thanks will check the recycling info

Sheepshanks

38,810 posts

140 months

Saturday 6th September 2025
quotequote all
towser said:
it for a fridge door - one of the moulded lugs that the bottle shelf slides into is coming away from the door lining....
I had this on a Maytag side-by-side. The bins were marked as made of HIPS - high impact polystyrene. The lugs were part of the bin and hooked into the door.

I used this: https://amzn.eu/d/24iPARE

The manufacturers page says it's for HIPS: https://technicqll.pl/en/produkt/rigid-plastic-glu...

HOWEVER: Just sticking the lug back on to the bin was hopeless - the contact area was tiny compared to the size and weight (inc contents) of the bin. So I ended up glueing the entire bin into the fridge. I still wouldn't have trusted it with things like milk bottles. It did work though until we changed the FF 3yrs later.

towser

Original Poster:

1,305 posts

232 months

Saturday 6th September 2025
quotequote all
Sheepshanks said:
I had this on a Maytag side-by-side. The bins were marked as made of HIPS - high impact polystyrene. The lugs were part of the bin and hooked into the door.

I used this: https://amzn.eu/d/24iPARE

The manufacturers page says it's for HIPS: https://technicqll.pl/en/produkt/rigid-plastic-glu...

HOWEVER: Just sticking the lug back on to the bin was hopeless - the contact area was tiny compared to the size and weight (inc contents) of the bin. So I ended up glueing the entire bin into the fridge. I still wouldn't have trusted it with things like milk bottles. It did work though until we changed the FF 3yrs later.
I hear you.....I'm a bit annoyed as it's only 2.5 years old so resenting stumping up for another one at the moment. I'm sure old fridges lasted forever!

Gladers01

1,633 posts

69 months

Sunday 7th September 2025
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towser said:
I hear you.....I'm a bit annoyed as it's only 2.5 years old so resenting stumping up for another one at the moment. I'm sure old fridges lasted forever!
This stuff fixes all sorts and costs £1 from Poundland; get in quick before they go bust!