I’m guessing welding would work better but i can’t really do that. Is it epoxy? methylmethacrylate?
JB Weld is a great product
I’ve used JB Weld, and it’s good stuff. It’s a two-part epoxy with excellent thermal and mechanical properties.
I’ll third the JB Weld suggestion.
It would really help to know the type of metal and what the size and shapes are you’re trying to join. The best method for joining thin sheet metal may not be the best for joining castings.
Also that JB weld is some good stuff. Perticularly good where you have a poor fit with gaps where cyanoacrilate works poorly.
Also, depending on the type(s) of metals to be joined, brazing might be a good option. The equipment is inexpensive, just a propane torch and the appropriate flux-coated brazing rods. The process is a lot like soldering, only at higher temps.
If you have two very flat surfaces superglue if good - remember the ads lifting an elephant?. Wouldn’t recomend it in any aggresive enviroments (solvents, high temperature, vibration)
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- Ehhh… if I remember right, “regular” superglue is water-soluable. It’s ust a household glue: the label warns that it’s not for bonding anything that will be immersed in water regularly, and atmospheric moisture eventually destroys it.
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- 50%-50% epoxy is the strongest glue around I know of, but you have to get it mixed *perfectly* or it's crap. Get the double-syringe dispensers, and squirt down a long bead on a disposable surface, and then "cut away" the last inch of the ends and only mix&use what's in the middle. The reason to do this is that when you first begin squirting it down. both parts may not have started coming out the dispenser at the same time.
~I’ve used this stuff called “Automotive Goop” before…it seems to work well. Don’t think its for high-stress environments though.
Oh, it also comes in Plumbers Goop and and I believe Plastic Goop variaties.
Another vote for JB Weld. It is widely used among the gun crowd.
I got some JB Weld today. The box says it is about 3960 psi, which is almost 2x as strong as the other steel epoxy they were selling (2500 psi).
Super glue is no good on metal. Go with JBweld.
If you’re trying to glue two pieces of metal together, you should also think about surface preparation before applying the glue. If the surfaces are smooth, you may want to roughen them up with sandpaper. An even better idea is to drill a bunch of small, shallow holes in each surface. In addition to increasing the surface area, the holes will fill with glue and make the entire interface much stronger…
If the metal happens to be steel, a Lincoln arc welder and some 5/32 rod would make a serious bond.
I have never gotten the epoxy putties to work like the sample in the store (often a bit of pipe stuck to a pop bottle).
Why this is I do not know, but hope springs eternal and I have tried it maybe every year with different brands. All work for about 1 day after the clamps come off. At first I assumed I hadn’t kneaded enough, or got an old batch, or it was a damp day.
Now I just think they aren’t as good as they claim and the sample must be done some other way, like in an oven.
If it’s steel, I think you’re better off with welding or brazing. If you can’t do it yourself, muffler shops can do it for minimal cost.