which adhesive to use for Perspex?

[reellifetv]

I need to attach several large (3m x 2m) sheets of coloured 3mm Perspex to my bathroom walls, which are plaster with a coat of emulsion on top. I plan to use a combination of screws (where they are out of sight, behind fixtures) and adhesive.

However, it's hard to get a definitive answer as to which adhesive to use. My local plastics shop says use ordinary Liquid Nails or Evostick. I see that Maplin offer very small tubes of adhesive (Bondloc) for this purpose, which would out very expensive.

The manufactures recommend a cyanocrylate adhesive. EVO-PLAS TC 731, though when I contacted Bostik they say they've ceased manufacture (but may have an alternative).

Does anybody have direct experience of this?

Many thanks,

Chris

[George]

Use the stuff they use to glue fish tank glass together?

[Andy Dingley]

Use almost anything -- you have a big area to play with and it's only a light weight. One of the easiest would be either a silicone or even better (stickier), a butyl rubber mastic. Try any DIY shed and look for cheap greenhouse window sealers. You can also remove these later by slipping some braided fishing line down the back and sawing through the bead.

If it's opaque perspex, then you can use anything. If it's at all translucent then _don't_ use anything with solvents in it (any of the Gripfill / No More Nails type) or there's a risk they'll affect the back surface and it might be visible.

Cyano sounds like a bad idea on bare plaster as it would require a perfect and non-absorbent surface to be applied to. If you did use it, I'd put some smooth planed timber bearers onto the wall first, then glue it to them.

[adder1969]

This is for sticking it to itself. The alternative is superglue if I remember correctly.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

If it's opaque plastic they're probably right. If translucent it might be better to use mirror screws.

I'd say those are glues to bond it to itself. A very different application to yours.

FWIW, you can make your own bonding agent for Perspex by dissolving the correct shavings in chloroform. Of course this is probably against some H&S regulations these days.

[meow2222]

acetone is much better. chloroform is a general anaesthetic, and one of the riskiest ones too. Filling your bedroom wall with that would gegt you a very very long sleep. In fact it would seem like an eternity.

these glues are for bonding perspex to perspex, and will work with some othe things too.

NT

[Phil L]

no more nails, or any of it's cheaper counterparts, your local plastics shop is correct