Acrylic Help

[kouma]

Hello,
I have four pieces of 30cm x 70cm acrylic that I would like to glue together and drill with holes. I have two questions, can I use silicon to glue that pieces to gather? second, what is the best way to make holes without risking splitting or breaking the acrylic.
Thanks!

 

[joncat24]

silicone will not bond acrylic....you need to use weld on 4 or 16. They make drill bits for plastics that will not crack or chip the material,,,,google plas-drill

 

[kouma]

Thanks for the reply. I checked local hardware shops like ACE and here they don't carry weld-on 4 of any weld-on products. Can I use a normal PVC adhesive to do the job. This will not be used to hold water, just act as a cage inside my fish tank.

 

[shrimpy brains]

Search for local plastics place! Or you can try a hobby shop. It might have a different name, but I think you are looking for "methyl chloride". Check with SCSI who passed this info to me. I think u can pm him. I do not believe the pvc glue will work!

 

[pbienkiewi]

check out ridoutplastics.com

 

[acrylic51]

Regular PVC glue will glue PVC to acrylic but not acrylic to acrylic.....You can order the WeldOn 4 from online suppliers or check yellow pages for plastics dealer near you.....As far as drilling you can buy the special plastics bits, or round over a standard drill bit....you have to remember not to force the bit through the material.....as it get ready to break through the back ease off of it.....let the bit do the work....Another trick I found is to actually lay either another piece of acrylic underneath it or even a piece of plywood under it as well...that way you don't splinter the backside of the holes.....

 

[jackri]

Running tape on both sides of the acrylic will help as well before drilling. I drilled 1/4" and 3/8" acrylic with standard drill bits -- use LIGHT pressure and higher speeds.
Weld-On doesn't "glue" acrylic -- it chemically bonds the acrylic -- which is why you need it versus a glue or silicone... has to do with the chemical properties. If you try to substitute you'll probably end up regretting it with a leaking tank and wet floor.