I’m making a mosaic out of LEGO bricks, and initially, I did not need glue. However, the size of it makes it nearly impossible now for the joints between the back plates to stay together despite what should be ample brick overlap. So, what would be the best glue to use on the LEGO bricks? They are a plastic type material, of unknown composition to me, so I need something that won’t corrode a wide variety of plastic materials. Seems like an epoxy of sorts or a PVC glue would do the trick. Any thoughts?
Ok…so I need a glue that won’t corrode ABS plastic…that’s it? just go to the hardware store and ask, “Do you have any glues that do not corrode ABS plastic?”…um…ok…
How odd that you should ask this question and that I know the exact answer in that I cemented a LEGO race car together with it some time ago. You need pipe fitters cement and possibly a can of the purple primer stuff. Use very small quantities and apply where the bond cannot be seen as the bond works mainly by chemically meling a thin layer of the pieces together. You can get this from any hardware store.
Well, I took a look here, but the advice was to test in a small area to be sure, since there are too many types of plastic out there for them to list.
But yes, either a hardware or a hobby store should be able to point you in the right direction for glues. You’ll probably get a better deal at a hardware store, but the hobby store will more than likely have a wider variety of ‘non-standard’ glues, and have them available in smaller quantities. (Unless you want a gallon of glue…)
Astro, why couldn’t he just use Duco model cement? Aren’t models the same kind of plastic (hard plastic)?
That pipe fitters cement is just for folks who are installing plumbing and need to have a watertight seal. But if all he’s going to do with his Lego mosaic is…what ARE you going to do with it?..anyway, he’s not going to expect it to hold water or anything.
Are you? You’re not building a bathtub or something, are you?
How big is this thing going to be? Does it need to “not flex”?
You can use model cement for plastic airplanes. Testors makes good stuff. Also, you can use superglue. Don’t get cheated by the regular store’s stuff though. Go to a hobby shop that sells pewter miniatures (if you see a game called Warhammer, you’re dead on!) and look for larger bottles of it. You can get about 1.5oz of superglue for only 5 bucks. Much cheaper than buying the little tubes.
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*Originally posted by Duck Duck Goose *
**Astro, why couldn’t he just use Duco model cement? Aren’t models the same kind of plastic (hard plastic)?
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That’s what I’d use for legos; I’d try on one or two bricks first to be sure it doesn’t have any bad effects, but I’d expect it to work fine since it works on plastic and lead minis. I like it better than the other choices because you can just rub it off of your fingers (unlike superglue), and it doesn’t have two parts (like a lot of epoxies). It isn’t as strong as superglue, which is a disadvantage if you need it, but it’s strong enough to hold together lots of small pieces during normal handling (moving minis around for games) while still weak enough that you can break the bond by levering a part with a screwdriver.
No, they do not need to hold water. They are going to be hung on a wall, so flex or no flex is not reall an issue. I can make just about any picture into a mosaic if any of you want one…of course, they aren’t exactly cheap, but something can be worked out.
Thanks for the ideas. I’ll definately look into those cements and glues you speak of. I do need large quantities of it, though, so cost should be a factor, which is why I decided against super glue.
Aren’t models the same kind of plastic (hard plastic)?