[Shop-talk] Plastic epoxy/solvent weld

[David Scheidt]

On Oct 5, 2025, at 17:50, Jim Stone <1789alpine at gmail.com> wrote:

My granddaughter asked me to fix her favorite hair clip and I’d like to
keep my reputation as Grandpa Fixit intact.  The part that came off will be
under stress when the clip is used.  The plastic didn’t break; the larger,
decorative part of the clip came loose from the spring clip.  It looks to
me like it was originally solvent welded, not glued.



Methylene chloride is the traditional solvent for acrylic welding. It is
now banned for most uses, so newer forulmulations use something else. I
have not used any of them, as I don’t work with acrylic. But I did do some
in the mists of time.  There were two types we used.  One was a thin liquid
(straight methylene chloride, or very nearly, I think) that was used for
fabricating stuff with tightly fitted gap free joints.  The other was a gel
that would work for joints with a gap, it had acrylic in it, I think, which
is what gave it gap filling power.  Pick the right sort, based on how well
your parts go back together.
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