Bonding Very Thin Aluminum Together?

Discussion in 'Do It Yourself' started by Atmo, Jul 16, 2014.

  1. #1 Atmo, Jul 16, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 16, 2014
    So I'm making a light-trap vent from 2 angles aluminum pieces. Like this:
    [​IMG]
     
    Single pieces look like this:
    [​IMG]
     
    I want to bond them together without adding any/much thickness.
     
    So far I plan on using JB Weld after sanding the aluminum down with coarse sand paper, but I've been reading various things about scuffing aluminum and it not holding epoxies well because of the oxidation. Some say that Superglue/cyanoacrylate glue will hold it as well.
     
    I mean honestly I'm not sure I even really NEED to bond them together, as long as I bond those little wooden pieces nice and tight, the layered nature of the whole stack should hold it in place, so should I even bother?
    Maybe I will just tape the ends or something.. it doesn't need any structural integrity, and I think the stack will keep them nice and flat... Hmmm.
     
    I just want to make sure it's 100% light-tight!
     
    edit: thinking about it more, I honestly might not even have to epoxy or glue ANYTHING together, just stack em and zip tie em together on the ends, where the wood is. I will probably put a dab of epoxy on the little wooden spacers, though. I am gonna try that first before going through this huge process of sanding and epoxying a huge stack of aluminum.

     
  2. Rivet and strong glue normally works ...lol
     
  3. #3 Atmo, Jul 16, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 16, 2014
    I was looking at rivets but couldn't find any small enough.. each one of these is about 1/3mm thin.
     
    And apparently aluminum is an oddball to use epoxies and glues on, or so I've read.. I've read various conflicting things about it, though, so I dunno.
     
    I think I'm not even gonna bond them together, just a little gorilla glue on the wood spacers and I will squeeze them together with zip ties on the ends... at least I will try that before going through all the trouble to bond them if it's not really needed, which the more I look and think about it the more I think it will work out fine that way, but I shall see!
     
    My next issues is cutting the stack of aluminum nice.. gonna find a hacksaw blade meant for aluminum and clamp the stack together nice and tight and try that. Pretty excited, though.. this is going to take up so much less space than those stupid PVC elbows!
     
  4. Try using Liquid Nails adhesive, they make several different types for this kind of stuff.
     
    Don't expect to be able to take it apart again.
     
  5. Yeah I thought about using that but ultimately just used Gorilla glue - worked great! I will have to post pics when I finish my light-proof vents - they are coming out very nice so far!
     

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