# What is the strongest Adhesive? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 16, 2016, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-strongest-adhesive/768758 "2016-10-16T19:32:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeXen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@HeXen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeXen)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2016, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-strongest-adhesive/768758/1 "2016-10-16T19:32:53Z")
I have this PC monitor that has no VESA option. I really need this thing to be wall mounted with no need to remove it and was considering using some kind of very strong adhesive to mount the panel (which is plastic) to an articulating wall mount (which is metal) I know from experience that GOOP brand plumber’s glue is pretty strong, stronger than anything else I’ve used in the past it seems as I have strong armed to break 2 glued pieces apart and it was really tough but what do you guys recommend? Is there something stronger? I definitely don’t want my monitor to fall off, but it’s not very heavy, maybe 10lbs? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2016, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-strongest-adhesive/768758/2 "2016-10-16T20:42:50Z")
[This link](http://shop.easymountlcd.com/EZM-Adaptor-Kit-for-Most-Non-VESA-screens-20-to-27-003-0023-003-0023.htm) is to a product that might allow you to attach the monitor to a standard wall mount. There are four metal brackets with attachments to grab the edges of the monitor. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2016, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-strongest-adhesive/768758/3 "2016-10-16T20:42:56Z")
Epoxy. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2016, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-strongest-adhesive/768758/4 "2016-10-16T21:13:10Z")
> [@barbitu8](#): > > Epoxy. Yeah, two-part epoxy is pretty strong stuff. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2016, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-strongest-adhesive/768758/5 "2016-10-16T21:22:42Z")
> [@barbitu8](#): > > Epoxy. Yeah, but Epoxy may not stick well to this type of plastic. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2016, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-strongest-adhesive/768758/6 "2016-10-16T21:26:19Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Yeah, but Epoxy may not stick well to this type of plastic. Two-part epoxy for plastics would be worth trying. Try and get as good a mechanical fit of the mount as possible, maybe even one or two screws through heavy parts of the plastic but sized to keep from hitting anything inside. If you can gently lift it with that partial connection, adding epoxy will almost certainly be enough. ---
**Author:** ![HeXen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@HeXen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeXen)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2016, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-strongest-adhesive/768758/7 "2016-10-16T21:36:50Z")
I’ll research on 2 part epoxy some more but I used some once on a crank handle for one of those outdoor table umbrella’s and it didn’t hold. But maybe it wasn’t for plastic. > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > [This link](http://shop.easymountlcd.com/EZM-Adaptor-Kit-for-Most-Non-VESA-screens-20-to-27-003-0023-003-0023.htm) is to a product that might allow you to attach the monitor to a standard wall mount. There are four metal brackets with attachments to grab the edges of the monitor. What about curved monitor? It doesn’t seem to specify and the lip where it hugs around the monitor might get in the screen’s way as it is a thin bezel. But I’ll research some more and keep it in mind, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2016, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-strongest-adhesive/768758/8 "2016-10-16T21:55:52Z")
Got any barnacles? [“Barnacles produce the strongest glue or cement found in nature.”](https://in.news.yahoo.com/does-natures-strongest-glue-stick-103605243.html) 😃 (but it is true) ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2016, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-strongest-adhesive/768758/9 "2016-10-16T22:30:33Z")
I’ve used [JB Weld](http://www.jbweld.com/) to glue many things together. It’s a two-part epoxy that’s very strong once it dries. But I don’t think I would trust it to hold a monitor to the mounting plate. There’s too big a chance for the bond to fail and the monitor fall down and damage something or someone. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2016, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-strongest-adhesive/768758/10 "2016-10-16T23:04:53Z")
I think the monitor’s back surface is ABS plastic. Not all epoxy will work on it; you need to choose an epoxy specifically designed on ABS and similar plastics. Just from quick Google search, JB Weld PlasticWeld is one example. It would help if you roughen the surface first, e.g. with coarse sandpaper. And obviously, the larger the surface area, the better. Maybe you could bolt a large sheet metal to the bracket and epoxy the whole plate to the monitor? ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2016, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-strongest-adhesive/768758/11 "2016-10-16T23:53:59Z")
Assuming that the back of the monitor is ABS, then I’d sand it to roughen it up a bit, flash it with a propane torch and use G-Flex. G-Flex isn’t the strongest epoxy out there, but it’s fairly viscous, more user friendly and is made to bond to a wider variety of surfaces. Besides, I’ve got some laying around. The flame treating may or may not help with bonding at the molecular level; it works for polyethylene but is probably overkill for ABS. Really though, I’d rather find some sort of a cradle or something to mechanically mount the monitor than to have the thing relying on a joint held in shear. ---
**Author:** ![zwede](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ac91a4/32.png) [@zwede](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zwede)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-strongest-adhesive/768758/12 "2016-10-17T00:25:41Z")
How about polyurethane? Car windshields are glued in with it and it seems to stick to a wide range of materials. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-strongest-adhesive/768758/13 "2016-10-17T00:36:45Z")
I agree with others that say you need a mechanical joint, really.] Also, it’s not a matter of the “strongest glue”. Any glue on the market will hold 10 pounds over a reasonably sized panel _if it’s a glue that will adhere to the surfaces in question._ The correct question is “what will adhere to the plastic of the TV, and the metal mount”. That is a difficult one. Firstly, [identify the plastic](http://www.boedeker.com/burntest.htm). Plastics ain’t plastic. They are highly variable in chemical composition and in terms of what will adhere them. However, as **scr4** says, it’s probably ABS. Nothing really glues ABS, in the sense of obtaining a good chemical bond. You can rough it up and maybe get a glue to grip the roughened surface mechanically but it’s unlikely to be a strong bond. The usual way to “glue” ABS to itself is to dissolve the surfaces slightly with a solvent. However, this won’t work to stick ABS to steel, since the solvent won’t work on the steel. I’d be finding a few places in the back of the monitor without internal components and driving screws through the metal stand and into the monitor. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-strongest-adhesive/768758/14 "2016-10-17T01:00:39Z")
> [@HeXen](#): > > > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > > > [This link](http://shop.easymountlcd.com/EZM-Adaptor-Kit-for-Most-Non-VESA-screens-20-to-27-003-0023-003-0023.htm) is to a product that might allow you to attach the monitor to a standard wall mount. There are four metal brackets with attachments to grab the edges of the monitor. > > What about curved monitor? It doesn’t seem to specify and the lip where it hugs around the monitor might get in the screen’s way as it is a thin bezel. But I’ll research some more and keep it in mind, thanks. I don’t know if it will work on a curved monitor. I didn’t even know you were talking about a curved monitor. If you’re willing to share the model of the monitor, someone here may be able to offer more specific advice. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-strongest-adhesive/768758/15 "2016-10-17T02:18:13Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > However, as **scr4** says, it’s probably ABS. Please don’t take my word for it though, I should have explained I based it on a google search which found several cites that said computer cases and such are usually ABS. ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-strongest-adhesive/768758/16 "2016-10-17T02:34:55Z")
Another important question is the surface area of the bond. Your options change depending upon the area you will be glueing. My thoughts also include double sided foam adhesive tape. This stuff has a range of advantages, including being compliant to slightly misaligned surfaces. 3M of course do huge range, including tapes used for automotive fixing of ABS parts. ---
**Author:** ![moes\_lotion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@moes\_lotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moes_lotion)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-strongest-adhesive/768758/17 "2016-10-17T04:01:42Z")
If you are sure that the case is ABS plastic, one option would be to find an appropriately sized and shaped ABS plumbing fixture (or two), and glue these to the back of the monitor with the usual ABS solvent glue, then thread or glue more ABS pipe into them and use those to mount the monitor to the wall. With a bit of fiddling, you could probably work up something that would even let you set the tilt and/or pan as required. ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-strongest-adhesive/768758/18 "2016-10-17T05:27:01Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > I agree with others that say you need a mechanical joint, really.] Yep, sell the monitor and buy one which has a VESA mount. I wouldn’t count on any adhesive keeping something like that safe long term. Or construct some kind of frame for it which does have a VESA mount ( probably easier just to sell it and get one with a mount). ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-strongest-adhesive/768758/19 "2016-10-17T05:29:32Z")
> [@coremelt](#): > > Yep, sell the monitor and buy one which has a VESA mount. I wouldn’t count on any adhesive keeping something like that safe long term. Or construct some kind of frame for it which does have a VESA mount ( probably easier just to sell it and get one with a mount). Unscrew the back, drill some holes, and use big washers on the inside with bolts. I agree, for something like this I don’t like adhesives when I don’t know exactly what it is I am glueing. ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-strongest-adhesive/768758/20 "2016-10-17T05:40:02Z")
> [@Francis\_Vaughan](#): > > Unscrew the back, drill some holes, and use big washers on the inside with bolts. I agree, for something like this I don’t like adhesives when I don’t know exactly what it is I am glueing. Only problem with this is that a modern LED monitor is usually very thin and tightly packed with electronics. There simply might not be enough room to place the washers inside. Not to mention I’ve never seen a monitor that it was easy to take the back plastic panel off, there’s no user serviceable parts in there, the ones I have are completely sealed / glued, no screw holes to take the back panel off. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-strongest-adhesive/768758.md?page=2)