Is there a modern alternative to Araldite?

[TheOldFellow]

That's why my last filling tasted of fish for three days!

[Jules]

Has the formula changed over the years (possibly as various chemicals / substances have fallen foul of various laws)? I remember it being pretty good when I was a kid, but when I used some a few years ago (mixing carefully according to directions) it didn't seem nearly as strong. Maybe it was just the things I happened to be gluing, but it seemed consistently weak on all of them.

(I'm not sure it even exists on this side of the Atlantic)

cheers

Jules

[pete]

The make-or-break :-) factor with pretty much all adhesives is the state of the surfaces you're bonding. Apart from some being reet-boogers to glue (such as polythene etc.) they are very sensitive to grease and other crud, even in microscopic amounts, on the mating surfaces.

[Rick Hughes]

Araldite Rapid.

[Rick Hughes]

West System have recently added Six10 in a 190ml cartridge ... this is West System world famous epoxy, with stiffeners already included in a self mixing cartridge.

[Bruce]

LOL!

I agree. I have used Araldite for 40 years, and still use it. For those purposes where you need a faster cure, there's Rapid.

[Another Dave]

Off topic, but a filling fell out (big hole, right at the back), went to the dentist expecting injections, drilling, etching and all the rest.

However, my previous dentist has retired and a new dolly dentist saw to me.

She told her assistant to mix a big ball of something, bunged it in the hole, shaped it with her fingers and said "OK, that's it". Two minutes!

Does anybody know what it is?

Another Dave

[Frank Erskine]

Car body filler.

[The Medway Handyman]

On a similar subject, anyone know how grab adhesives work? Some of the newer ones like 'Serious Stuff' etc are simply incredible.

[Bolted]

The newer really impressive ones are MS Polymer (MS =3D modified silane, and they are mostly polyurethanes).

I'm no chemist (hence reliance on wikipedia) but this gives some info

the general subject, the structural methacrylate glues are pretty amazing, I called some industrial glue suppliers to get recommendations about what glue to use for some stainless steel plates

- was expecting the answer to be ms polymer or possibly epoxy, but they came back with these

stuff, like a pumped up holt melt on steroids (with a little more open time).

[PeterC]

Also, about 25 years ago at work, a Bostik rep. called in with an adhesive that could work on slightly greasy metal - in fact it worked better on that than on degreased metals. I've never seen it advertised anywhere, so perhaps it didn't fulfill its promise.

[Andy Dingley]

Apart from being weaker and utterly useless for hot service, Araldite Rapid is also _slower_ than standard. Standard Araldite can be mixed hot and will cure in a few minutes - really as fast as you're able to work it.

[Bruce]

A useful hint, thanks.

[The Medway Handyman]

[Rick Hughes]

Apart from being weaker and utterly useless for hot service, Araldite Rapid is also _slower_ than standard. Standard Araldite can be mixed hot and will cure in a few minutes - really as fast as you're able to work it.

It was meant with humor .... I used rapid when I first started work .. 1975 ! and it had been going years then.

[Rick Hughes]

yep P38 great on incisors

prefer Isopon on molars

[jkn]

Hmm - I'm no great fan of Araldite rapid, but it will also set quicker when heated. I did this very thing over the weekend, and it set 'strong' within a minute or two. I've never had the 'slow' Araldite set so quickly. Do you know something I don't? (I use a hot air gun to warm it up; I have put ceramics etc. in a cooling oven overnight with the full strength stuff)

I do agree that Araldite Rapid is very poor strength- and adhesion- wise when compared to the normal stuff. It also seems to me that 'years ago...' Araldite was stronger than it is now. However I put that down to the amazement of youth, and lack of experience of using it in many and varied applications.

J^n

[Andy Dingley]

Too much risk of over-doing it and having it fail altogether, IMHO.

It'll set while you're stirring it, if you over do it.

I use an adjustable lab stirrer hotplate, with a disposable aluminium mince pie dish on top. You can use a kitchen electric stove instead, but keep it low. If it discolours, smells, fumes, turns "gritty" or indeed sets solid, you've overdone it.

[jkn]

Sounds like you cook it substantially hotter than I've ever tried. Useful to know you can go as high as that, thanks.

J^n

[Man at B&Q]

Spot fix and then apply as a fillet works very well for some applications.

MBQ