Mixing
What glues for PLA?
Clash Royale CLAN TAG#URR8PPP
up vote
6
down vote
favorite
I will be creating a small tube styled piece to use as a junction between two pieces of plastic. The idea is to reattach the two pieces and provide strength so they don't break apart again. I plan on using PLA. My question is, will superglue (cyanoacrylate) work best for this or are there better choices for attaching PLA to hard (injected molded) plastic? The big thing I'm wanting to make sure is if any of these glues will dissolve the PLA and whether some glues might bond better than others.
pla post-processing
edited Aug 23 at 12:57
Trish
1,911128
asked Aug 23 at 12:08
Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2
4401216
add a comment |Â
up vote
6
down vote
favorite
I will be creating a small tube styled piece to use as a junction between two pieces of plastic. The idea is to reattach the two pieces and provide strength so they don't break apart again. I plan on using PLA. My question is, will superglue (cyanoacrylate) work best for this or are there better choices for attaching PLA to hard (injected molded) plastic? The big thing I'm wanting to make sure is if any of these glues will dissolve the PLA and whether some glues might bond better than others.
pla post-processing
edited Aug 23 at 12:57
Trish
1,911128
asked Aug 23 at 12:08
Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2
4401216
Related: What is the best way to connect 3D printed parts?
– Greenonline♦
Aug 23 at 16:53
add a comment |Â
up vote
6
down vote
favorite
up vote
6
down vote
favorite
I will be creating a small tube styled piece to use as a junction between two pieces of plastic. The idea is to reattach the two pieces and provide strength so they don't break apart again. I plan on using PLA. My question is, will superglue (cyanoacrylate) work best for this or are there better choices for attaching PLA to hard (injected molded) plastic? The big thing I'm wanting to make sure is if any of these glues will dissolve the PLA and whether some glues might bond better than others.
pla post-processing
edited Aug 23 at 12:57
Trish
1,911128
asked Aug 23 at 12:08
Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2
4401216
I will be creating a small tube styled piece to use as a junction between two pieces of plastic. The idea is to reattach the two pieces and provide strength so they don't break apart again. I plan on using PLA. My question is, will superglue (cyanoacrylate) work best for this or are there better choices for attaching PLA to hard (injected molded) plastic? The big thing I'm wanting to make sure is if any of these glues will dissolve the PLA and whether some glues might bond better than others.
pla post-processing
edited Aug 23 at 12:57
Trish
1,911128
asked Aug 23 at 12:08
Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2
4401216
edited Aug 23 at 12:57
Trish
1,911128
edited Aug 23 at 12:57
Trish
1,911128
edited Aug 23 at 12:57
Trish
1,911128
1,911128
asked Aug 23 at 12:08
Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2
4401216
asked Aug 23 at 12:08
Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2
4401216
asked Aug 23 at 12:08
Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2
4401216
4401216
Related: What is the best way to connect 3D printed parts?
– Greenonline♦
Aug 23 at 16:53
add a comment |Â
Related: What is the best way to connect 3D printed parts?
– Greenonline♦
Aug 23 at 16:53
Related: What is the best way to connect 3D printed parts?
– Greenonline♦
Aug 23 at 16:53
Related: What is the best way to connect 3D printed parts?
– Greenonline♦
Aug 23 at 16:53
add a comment |Â
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
up vote
8
down vote
accepted
PLA is a nice one, and gluing has been a topic on some of our most favorite maker's channels. For example Stefan from CNC kitchen (this video) and Joel the 3DPrinting Nerd (this video). Here some information from them together with my own experiences. Most of these glues are not exactly PLA specific by the way and work for many other materials too. Be careful with PLA containing infil though, as that can seriously alter the properties.
Step 0: Safety First!
Some of these methods are working with chemicals that can irritate the skin (resin, cyanoacrylate), have irritating fumes (acetone), are flammable (acetone) and others.
Use proper protection when working with these! Eye protection and respiratory protection, as well as gloves, are to be used when necessary. Read the manual of the products you are working with!
Preparations
For most glues, it is advisable to prepare the surface: sand it to increase the surface area, remove fat from fingerprints etc. Follow the manual!
Glues
- Cyanoacrylate - yep, the "one kind for all" is a solution for PLA too: Superglue. However, look out for what type you get! Some are clearly better than others, and using an accelerator can change the properties of the glue spot.
- Together with talcum powder, CA glue can fill gaps easily.
- Epoxy resin - Epoxy is a favorite for very tough gluing, a few droplets can stick a car to the roof... and it warms up in curing. If you take a slow curing resin, you can safely use it to glue PLA without the part deforming.
- Urethanes - 2 Component Urethanes offer strong but flexible bonds and work great according to Joel. Their curing process is also exothermic, so take care to not 'cook' your piece.
- 2-phase Putty - in a similar vein come 2-phase putties like Green Stuff or Miliputt, which harden after mixing. Their heat generation isn't too big and they allow to fill gaps easily. My favorite stuff though is not the expensive modeling putty but the stuff from the home depot: stuff like Pattex Repairsorry, no English site for this or UHU Repair All Powerkitt harden within an hour, are surprisingly cheap and get a smooth surface.
- Acetone - We all know that you can smooth and glue ABS with Acetone or an acetone-ABS slurry. Tom (Thomas Sanladerer) made a few experiments with it. He discovered that it ALSO works for PLA: apply some acetone to a spot and press the second piece (that also was prepared this way) to it and they will meld themselves together after some time.
- There's a type of glues commonly called "Kraftkleber" or "Alleskleber" in Germany, for example, UHU Hart or Pattex KraftkleberGerman. While they often stick to PLA, I personally don't like their gluing power and find them often quite messy to work with.
Glue? Why glue?!
What better way is there to combine parts than welding or soldering?! Often none. My personal all-time-favorite PLA glue is PLA itself, by using it as PLA solder. This method also works for most other filament types, but is not advisable for ABS and other plastics that emit fumes without wearing respiratory protection!
- Take the pieces and make sure on both sides is a cavity that can be filled.
- Take a soldering iron and set it to around 200°C.
- Take a length of PLA filament.
- Melt the filament with the soldering iron and use it as solder when combining the two pieces. Make sure that at least some filament gets into the cavities and sticks there - it can help to stick the soldering iron into the goop in there to force it to merge with the infill/walls and press together to hot PLA goop filled pieces against the iron before pulling it away, pressing the pieces together.
- As the PLA cools and hardens, the joint is usually tougher than the actual layer boundaries.
Instead of using a soldering iron, one might also use a 3D printing penOne that eats filament, not one for PCL or some gel!, but I don't like those personally.
On a different note, a soldering iron is also a very good solution to make inserts into PLA - heat up the metal insert (like a nut) and press it into an undersized hole, and it will mold the plastic around itself into a perfect fit without any glue.
An alternative to using direct heat from a soldering iron is friction welding. For this, take a rotary power tool and some filament. Insert the filament into the tool, tighten and cut so that about an inch is reaching out of the claw. Turn it on at medium speed, about 800 to 1200 RPM. Now, once you press the tip of the spinning filament against other PLA it gets hot and melts, creating a welding seam. Joel has a good explanation.
answered Aug 23 at 13:27
Trish
1,911128
Welding is best, but it can be tricky to melt the part enough to merge with the "solder" but not deform or damage the part.
– Carl Witthoft
Aug 23 at 15:29
Consider using 3d pen instead of soldering iron. They are pretty cheap these days. Here is a nice list: all3dp.com/1/… I like3D simo Mini 2a lot.
– amra
Aug 23 at 15:54
Here's a video about using a superglue, urethane adhesive from BJB Enterprises, as well as 5 minute epoxy to glue 3d printed parts together: youtube.com/watch?v=s1q2D_pK0BE
– amra
Aug 23 at 16:02
I haven't had much luck softening PLA with Acetone. I like the "wheel of creation" aspect of using filament as plastic welding rod, since the first filament I knew of was made to be plastic welding rod.
– cmm
Aug 23 at 21:49
@cmm Added a tidbit on acetone and corrected it a little.
– Trish
Aug 24 at 18:51
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
Yes Super Glue is best choice.
I personally use it in many PLA projects.
I even apply Super Glue layer to ABS prints to avoid layer separation.
It works well with both ABS and PLA, but exercise some caution whilst using Super Glue because it produces very bad tear gas. Use it in a well ventilated area.
edited Aug 23 at 17:02
Greenonline♦
2,6573841
answered Aug 23 at 12:25
Himanshu
1064
SuperGlues are not really any more dangerous than paints you'd use to paint your walls. I agree you shouldn't "huff" them, but that's about it.
– Carl Witthoft
Aug 23 at 15:27
1
the dangers of superglues depend a lot on what acrylate one gets and what it its solvent.
– Trish
Aug 23 at 15:40
add a comment |Â
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
8
down vote
accepted
PLA is a nice one, and gluing has been a topic on some of our most favorite maker's channels. For example Stefan from CNC kitchen (this video) and Joel the 3DPrinting Nerd (this video). Here some information from them together with my own experiences. Most of these glues are not exactly PLA specific by the way and work for many other materials too. Be careful with PLA containing infil though, as that can seriously alter the properties.
Step 0: Safety First!
Some of these methods are working with chemicals that can irritate the skin (resin, cyanoacrylate), have irritating fumes (acetone), are flammable (acetone) and others.
Use proper protection when working with these! Eye protection and respiratory protection, as well as gloves, are to be used when necessary. Read the manual of the products you are working with!
Preparations
For most glues, it is advisable to prepare the surface: sand it to increase the surface area, remove fat from fingerprints etc. Follow the manual!
Glues
- Cyanoacrylate - yep, the "one kind for all" is a solution for PLA too: Superglue. However, look out for what type you get! Some are clearly better than others, and using an accelerator can change the properties of the glue spot.
- Together with talcum powder, CA glue can fill gaps easily.
- Epoxy resin - Epoxy is a favorite for very tough gluing, a few droplets can stick a car to the roof... and it warms up in curing. If you take a slow curing resin, you can safely use it to glue PLA without the part deforming.
- Urethanes - 2 Component Urethanes offer strong but flexible bonds and work great according to Joel. Their curing process is also exothermic, so take care to not 'cook' your piece.
- 2-phase Putty - in a similar vein come 2-phase putties like Green Stuff or Miliputt, which harden after mixing. Their heat generation isn't too big and they allow to fill gaps easily. My favorite stuff though is not the expensive modeling putty but the stuff from the home depot: stuff like Pattex Repairsorry, no English site for this or UHU Repair All Powerkitt harden within an hour, are surprisingly cheap and get a smooth surface.
- Acetone - We all know that you can smooth and glue ABS with Acetone or an acetone-ABS slurry. Tom (Thomas Sanladerer) made a few experiments with it. He discovered that it ALSO works for PLA: apply some acetone to a spot and press the second piece (that also was prepared this way) to it and they will meld themselves together after some time.
- There's a type of glues commonly called "Kraftkleber" or "Alleskleber" in Germany, for example, UHU Hart or Pattex KraftkleberGerman. While they often stick to PLA, I personally don't like their gluing power and find them often quite messy to work with.
Glue? Why glue?!
What better way is there to combine parts than welding or soldering?! Often none. My personal all-time-favorite PLA glue is PLA itself, by using it as PLA solder. This method also works for most other filament types, but is not advisable for ABS and other plastics that emit fumes without wearing respiratory protection!
- Take the pieces and make sure on both sides is a cavity that can be filled.
- Take a soldering iron and set it to around 200°C.
- Take a length of PLA filament.
- Melt the filament with the soldering iron and use it as solder when combining the two pieces. Make sure that at least some filament gets into the cavities and sticks there - it can help to stick the soldering iron into the goop in there to force it to merge with the infill/walls and press together to hot PLA goop filled pieces against the iron before pulling it away, pressing the pieces together.
- As the PLA cools and hardens, the joint is usually tougher than the actual layer boundaries.
Instead of using a soldering iron, one might also use a 3D printing penOne that eats filament, not one for PCL or some gel!, but I don't like those personally.
On a different note, a soldering iron is also a very good solution to make inserts into PLA - heat up the metal insert (like a nut) and press it into an undersized hole, and it will mold the plastic around itself into a perfect fit without any glue.
An alternative to using direct heat from a soldering iron is friction welding. For this, take a rotary power tool and some filament. Insert the filament into the tool, tighten and cut so that about an inch is reaching out of the claw. Turn it on at medium speed, about 800 to 1200 RPM. Now, once you press the tip of the spinning filament against other PLA it gets hot and melts, creating a welding seam. Joel has a good explanation.
answered Aug 23 at 13:27
Trish
1,911128
Welding is best, but it can be tricky to melt the part enough to merge with the "solder" but not deform or damage the part.
– Carl Witthoft
Aug 23 at 15:29
Consider using 3d pen instead of soldering iron. They are pretty cheap these days. Here is a nice list: all3dp.com/1/… I like3D simo Mini 2a lot.
– amra
Aug 23 at 15:54
Here's a video about using a superglue, urethane adhesive from BJB Enterprises, as well as 5 minute epoxy to glue 3d printed parts together: youtube.com/watch?v=s1q2D_pK0BE
– amra
Aug 23 at 16:02
I haven't had much luck softening PLA with Acetone. I like the "wheel of creation" aspect of using filament as plastic welding rod, since the first filament I knew of was made to be plastic welding rod.
– cmm
Aug 23 at 21:49
@cmm Added a tidbit on acetone and corrected it a little.
– Trish
Aug 24 at 18:51
add a comment |Â
up vote
8
down vote
accepted
PLA is a nice one, and gluing has been a topic on some of our most favorite maker's channels. For example Stefan from CNC kitchen (this video) and Joel the 3DPrinting Nerd (this video). Here some information from them together with my own experiences. Most of these glues are not exactly PLA specific by the way and work for many other materials too. Be careful with PLA containing infil though, as that can seriously alter the properties.
Step 0: Safety First!
Some of these methods are working with chemicals that can irritate the skin (resin, cyanoacrylate), have irritating fumes (acetone), are flammable (acetone) and others.
Use proper protection when working with these! Eye protection and respiratory protection, as well as gloves, are to be used when necessary. Read the manual of the products you are working with!
Preparations
For most glues, it is advisable to prepare the surface: sand it to increase the surface area, remove fat from fingerprints etc. Follow the manual!
Glues
- Cyanoacrylate - yep, the "one kind for all" is a solution for PLA too: Superglue. However, look out for what type you get! Some are clearly better than others, and using an accelerator can change the properties of the glue spot.
- Together with talcum powder, CA glue can fill gaps easily.
- Epoxy resin - Epoxy is a favorite for very tough gluing, a few droplets can stick a car to the roof... and it warms up in curing. If you take a slow curing resin, you can safely use it to glue PLA without the part deforming.
- Urethanes - 2 Component Urethanes offer strong but flexible bonds and work great according to Joel. Their curing process is also exothermic, so take care to not 'cook' your piece.
- 2-phase Putty - in a similar vein come 2-phase putties like Green Stuff or Miliputt, which harden after mixing. Their heat generation isn't too big and they allow to fill gaps easily. My favorite stuff though is not the expensive modeling putty but the stuff from the home depot: stuff like Pattex Repairsorry, no English site for this or UHU Repair All Powerkitt harden within an hour, are surprisingly cheap and get a smooth surface.
- Acetone - We all know that you can smooth and glue ABS with Acetone or an acetone-ABS slurry. Tom (Thomas Sanladerer) made a few experiments with it. He discovered that it ALSO works for PLA: apply some acetone to a spot and press the second piece (that also was prepared this way) to it and they will meld themselves together after some time.
- There's a type of glues commonly called "Kraftkleber" or "Alleskleber" in Germany, for example, UHU Hart or Pattex KraftkleberGerman. While they often stick to PLA, I personally don't like their gluing power and find them often quite messy to work with.
Glue? Why glue?!
What better way is there to combine parts than welding or soldering?! Often none. My personal all-time-favorite PLA glue is PLA itself, by using it as PLA solder. This method also works for most other filament types, but is not advisable for ABS and other plastics that emit fumes without wearing respiratory protection!
- Take the pieces and make sure on both sides is a cavity that can be filled.
- Take a soldering iron and set it to around 200°C.
- Take a length of PLA filament.
- Melt the filament with the soldering iron and use it as solder when combining the two pieces. Make sure that at least some filament gets into the cavities and sticks there - it can help to stick the soldering iron into the goop in there to force it to merge with the infill/walls and press together to hot PLA goop filled pieces against the iron before pulling it away, pressing the pieces together.
- As the PLA cools and hardens, the joint is usually tougher than the actual layer boundaries.
Instead of using a soldering iron, one might also use a 3D printing penOne that eats filament, not one for PCL or some gel!, but I don't like those personally.
On a different note, a soldering iron is also a very good solution to make inserts into PLA - heat up the metal insert (like a nut) and press it into an undersized hole, and it will mold the plastic around itself into a perfect fit without any glue.
An alternative to using direct heat from a soldering iron is friction welding. For this, take a rotary power tool and some filament. Insert the filament into the tool, tighten and cut so that about an inch is reaching out of the claw. Turn it on at medium speed, about 800 to 1200 RPM. Now, once you press the tip of the spinning filament against other PLA it gets hot and melts, creating a welding seam. Joel has a good explanation.
answered Aug 23 at 13:27
Trish
1,911128
Welding is best, but it can be tricky to melt the part enough to merge with the "solder" but not deform or damage the part.
– Carl Witthoft
Aug 23 at 15:29
Consider using 3d pen instead of soldering iron. They are pretty cheap these days. Here is a nice list: all3dp.com/1/… I like3D simo Mini 2a lot.
– amra
Aug 23 at 15:54
Here's a video about using a superglue, urethane adhesive from BJB Enterprises, as well as 5 minute epoxy to glue 3d printed parts together: youtube.com/watch?v=s1q2D_pK0BE
– amra
Aug 23 at 16:02
I haven't had much luck softening PLA with Acetone. I like the "wheel of creation" aspect of using filament as plastic welding rod, since the first filament I knew of was made to be plastic welding rod.
– cmm
Aug 23 at 21:49
@cmm Added a tidbit on acetone and corrected it a little.
– Trish
Aug 24 at 18:51
add a comment |Â
up vote
8
down vote
accepted
up vote
8
down vote
accepted
PLA is a nice one, and gluing has been a topic on some of our most favorite maker's channels. For example Stefan from CNC kitchen (this video) and Joel the 3DPrinting Nerd (this video). Here some information from them together with my own experiences. Most of these glues are not exactly PLA specific by the way and work for many other materials too. Be careful with PLA containing infil though, as that can seriously alter the properties.
Step 0: Safety First!
Some of these methods are working with chemicals that can irritate the skin (resin, cyanoacrylate), have irritating fumes (acetone), are flammable (acetone) and others.
Use proper protection when working with these! Eye protection and respiratory protection, as well as gloves, are to be used when necessary. Read the manual of the products you are working with!
Preparations
For most glues, it is advisable to prepare the surface: sand it to increase the surface area, remove fat from fingerprints etc. Follow the manual!
Glues
- Cyanoacrylate - yep, the "one kind for all" is a solution for PLA too: Superglue. However, look out for what type you get! Some are clearly better than others, and using an accelerator can change the properties of the glue spot.
- Together with talcum powder, CA glue can fill gaps easily.
- Epoxy resin - Epoxy is a favorite for very tough gluing, a few droplets can stick a car to the roof... and it warms up in curing. If you take a slow curing resin, you can safely use it to glue PLA without the part deforming.
- Urethanes - 2 Component Urethanes offer strong but flexible bonds and work great according to Joel. Their curing process is also exothermic, so take care to not 'cook' your piece.
- 2-phase Putty - in a similar vein come 2-phase putties like Green Stuff or Miliputt, which harden after mixing. Their heat generation isn't too big and they allow to fill gaps easily. My favorite stuff though is not the expensive modeling putty but the stuff from the home depot: stuff like Pattex Repairsorry, no English site for this or UHU Repair All Powerkitt harden within an hour, are surprisingly cheap and get a smooth surface.
- Acetone - We all know that you can smooth and glue ABS with Acetone or an acetone-ABS slurry. Tom (Thomas Sanladerer) made a few experiments with it. He discovered that it ALSO works for PLA: apply some acetone to a spot and press the second piece (that also was prepared this way) to it and they will meld themselves together after some time.
- There's a type of glues commonly called "Kraftkleber" or "Alleskleber" in Germany, for example, UHU Hart or Pattex KraftkleberGerman. While they often stick to PLA, I personally don't like their gluing power and find them often quite messy to work with.
Glue? Why glue?!
What better way is there to combine parts than welding or soldering?! Often none. My personal all-time-favorite PLA glue is PLA itself, by using it as PLA solder. This method also works for most other filament types, but is not advisable for ABS and other plastics that emit fumes without wearing respiratory protection!
- Take the pieces and make sure on both sides is a cavity that can be filled.
- Take a soldering iron and set it to around 200°C.
- Take a length of PLA filament.
- Melt the filament with the soldering iron and use it as solder when combining the two pieces. Make sure that at least some filament gets into the cavities and sticks there - it can help to stick the soldering iron into the goop in there to force it to merge with the infill/walls and press together to hot PLA goop filled pieces against the iron before pulling it away, pressing the pieces together.
- As the PLA cools and hardens, the joint is usually tougher than the actual layer boundaries.
Instead of using a soldering iron, one might also use a 3D printing penOne that eats filament, not one for PCL or some gel!, but I don't like those personally.
On a different note, a soldering iron is also a very good solution to make inserts into PLA - heat up the metal insert (like a nut) and press it into an undersized hole, and it will mold the plastic around itself into a perfect fit without any glue.
An alternative to using direct heat from a soldering iron is friction welding. For this, take a rotary power tool and some filament. Insert the filament into the tool, tighten and cut so that about an inch is reaching out of the claw. Turn it on at medium speed, about 800 to 1200 RPM. Now, once you press the tip of the spinning filament against other PLA it gets hot and melts, creating a welding seam. Joel has a good explanation.
answered Aug 23 at 13:27
Trish
1,911128
PLA is a nice one, and gluing has been a topic on some of our most favorite maker's channels. For example Stefan from CNC kitchen (this video) and Joel the 3DPrinting Nerd (this video). Here some information from them together with my own experiences. Most of these glues are not exactly PLA specific by the way and work for many other materials too. Be careful with PLA containing infil though, as that can seriously alter the properties.
Step 0: Safety First!
Some of these methods are working with chemicals that can irritate the skin (resin, cyanoacrylate), have irritating fumes (acetone), are flammable (acetone) and others.
Use proper protection when working with these! Eye protection and respiratory protection, as well as gloves, are to be used when necessary. Read the manual of the products you are working with!
Preparations
For most glues, it is advisable to prepare the surface: sand it to increase the surface area, remove fat from fingerprints etc. Follow the manual!
Glues
- Cyanoacrylate - yep, the "one kind for all" is a solution for PLA too: Superglue. However, look out for what type you get! Some are clearly better than others, and using an accelerator can change the properties of the glue spot.
- Together with talcum powder, CA glue can fill gaps easily.
- Epoxy resin - Epoxy is a favorite for very tough gluing, a few droplets can stick a car to the roof... and it warms up in curing. If you take a slow curing resin, you can safely use it to glue PLA without the part deforming.
- Urethanes - 2 Component Urethanes offer strong but flexible bonds and work great according to Joel. Their curing process is also exothermic, so take care to not 'cook' your piece.
- 2-phase Putty - in a similar vein come 2-phase putties like Green Stuff or Miliputt, which harden after mixing. Their heat generation isn't too big and they allow to fill gaps easily. My favorite stuff though is not the expensive modeling putty but the stuff from the home depot: stuff like Pattex Repairsorry, no English site for this or UHU Repair All Powerkitt harden within an hour, are surprisingly cheap and get a smooth surface.
- Acetone - We all know that you can smooth and glue ABS with Acetone or an acetone-ABS slurry. Tom (Thomas Sanladerer) made a few experiments with it. He discovered that it ALSO works for PLA: apply some acetone to a spot and press the second piece (that also was prepared this way) to it and they will meld themselves together after some time.
- There's a type of glues commonly called "Kraftkleber" or "Alleskleber" in Germany, for example, UHU Hart or Pattex KraftkleberGerman. While they often stick to PLA, I personally don't like their gluing power and find them often quite messy to work with.
Glue? Why glue?!
What better way is there to combine parts than welding or soldering?! Often none. My personal all-time-favorite PLA glue is PLA itself, by using it as PLA solder. This method also works for most other filament types, but is not advisable for ABS and other plastics that emit fumes without wearing respiratory protection!
- Take the pieces and make sure on both sides is a cavity that can be filled.
- Take a soldering iron and set it to around 200°C.
- Take a length of PLA filament.
- Melt the filament with the soldering iron and use it as solder when combining the two pieces. Make sure that at least some filament gets into the cavities and sticks there - it can help to stick the soldering iron into the goop in there to force it to merge with the infill/walls and press together to hot PLA goop filled pieces against the iron before pulling it away, pressing the pieces together.
- As the PLA cools and hardens, the joint is usually tougher than the actual layer boundaries.
Instead of using a soldering iron, one might also use a 3D printing penOne that eats filament, not one for PCL or some gel!, but I don't like those personally.
On a different note, a soldering iron is also a very good solution to make inserts into PLA - heat up the metal insert (like a nut) and press it into an undersized hole, and it will mold the plastic around itself into a perfect fit without any glue.
An alternative to using direct heat from a soldering iron is friction welding. For this, take a rotary power tool and some filament. Insert the filament into the tool, tighten and cut so that about an inch is reaching out of the claw. Turn it on at medium speed, about 800 to 1200 RPM. Now, once you press the tip of the spinning filament against other PLA it gets hot and melts, creating a welding seam. Joel has a good explanation.
answered Aug 23 at 13:27
Trish
1,911128
edited Aug 25 at 16:26
answered Aug 23 at 13:27
Trish
1,911128
answered Aug 23 at 13:27
Trish
1,911128
answered Aug 23 at 13:27
Trish
1,911128
1,911128
Welding is best, but it can be tricky to melt the part enough to merge with the "solder" but not deform or damage the part.
– Carl Witthoft
Aug 23 at 15:29
Consider using 3d pen instead of soldering iron. They are pretty cheap these days. Here is a nice list: all3dp.com/1/… I like3D simo Mini 2a lot.
– amra
Aug 23 at 15:54
Here's a video about using a superglue, urethane adhesive from BJB Enterprises, as well as 5 minute epoxy to glue 3d printed parts together: youtube.com/watch?v=s1q2D_pK0BE
– amra
Aug 23 at 16:02
I haven't had much luck softening PLA with Acetone. I like the "wheel of creation" aspect of using filament as plastic welding rod, since the first filament I knew of was made to be plastic welding rod.
– cmm
Aug 23 at 21:49
@cmm Added a tidbit on acetone and corrected it a little.
– Trish
Aug 24 at 18:51
add a comment |Â
Welding is best, but it can be tricky to melt the part enough to merge with the "solder" but not deform or damage the part.
– Carl Witthoft
Aug 23 at 15:29
Consider using 3d pen instead of soldering iron. They are pretty cheap these days. Here is a nice list: all3dp.com/1/… I like3D simo Mini 2a lot.
– amra
Aug 23 at 15:54
Here's a video about using a superglue, urethane adhesive from BJB Enterprises, as well as 5 minute epoxy to glue 3d printed parts together: youtube.com/watch?v=s1q2D_pK0BE
– amra
Aug 23 at 16:02
I haven't had much luck softening PLA with Acetone. I like the "wheel of creation" aspect of using filament as plastic welding rod, since the first filament I knew of was made to be plastic welding rod.
– cmm
Aug 23 at 21:49
@cmm Added a tidbit on acetone and corrected it a little.
– Trish
Aug 24 at 18:51
Welding is best, but it can be tricky to melt the part enough to merge with the "solder" but not deform or damage the part.
– Carl Witthoft
Aug 23 at 15:29
Welding is best, but it can be tricky to melt the part enough to merge with the "solder" but not deform or damage the part.
– Carl Witthoft
Aug 23 at 15:29
Consider using 3d pen instead of soldering iron. They are pretty cheap these days. Here is a nice list: all3dp.com/1/… I like
3D simo Mini 2 a lot.– amra
Aug 23 at 15:54
Consider using 3d pen instead of soldering iron. They are pretty cheap these days. Here is a nice list: all3dp.com/1/… I like
3D simo Mini 2 a lot.– amra
Aug 23 at 15:54
Here's a video about using a superglue, urethane adhesive from BJB Enterprises, as well as 5 minute epoxy to glue 3d printed parts together: youtube.com/watch?v=s1q2D_pK0BE
– amra
Aug 23 at 16:02
Here's a video about using a superglue, urethane adhesive from BJB Enterprises, as well as 5 minute epoxy to glue 3d printed parts together: youtube.com/watch?v=s1q2D_pK0BE
– amra
Aug 23 at 16:02
I haven't had much luck softening PLA with Acetone. I like the "wheel of creation" aspect of using filament as plastic welding rod, since the first filament I knew of was made to be plastic welding rod.
– cmm
Aug 23 at 21:49
I haven't had much luck softening PLA with Acetone. I like the "wheel of creation" aspect of using filament as plastic welding rod, since the first filament I knew of was made to be plastic welding rod.
– cmm
Aug 23 at 21:49
@cmm Added a tidbit on acetone and corrected it a little.
– Trish
Aug 24 at 18:51
@cmm Added a tidbit on acetone and corrected it a little.
– Trish
Aug 24 at 18:51
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
Yes Super Glue is best choice.
I personally use it in many PLA projects.
I even apply Super Glue layer to ABS prints to avoid layer separation.
It works well with both ABS and PLA, but exercise some caution whilst using Super Glue because it produces very bad tear gas. Use it in a well ventilated area.
edited Aug 23 at 17:02
Greenonline♦
2,6573841
answered Aug 23 at 12:25
Himanshu
1064
SuperGlues are not really any more dangerous than paints you'd use to paint your walls. I agree you shouldn't "huff" them, but that's about it.
– Carl Witthoft
Aug 23 at 15:27
1
the dangers of superglues depend a lot on what acrylate one gets and what it its solvent.
– Trish
Aug 23 at 15:40
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
Yes Super Glue is best choice.
I personally use it in many PLA projects.
I even apply Super Glue layer to ABS prints to avoid layer separation.
It works well with both ABS and PLA, but exercise some caution whilst using Super Glue because it produces very bad tear gas. Use it in a well ventilated area.
edited Aug 23 at 17:02
Greenonline♦
2,6573841
answered Aug 23 at 12:25
Himanshu
1064
SuperGlues are not really any more dangerous than paints you'd use to paint your walls. I agree you shouldn't "huff" them, but that's about it.
– Carl Witthoft
Aug 23 at 15:27
1
the dangers of superglues depend a lot on what acrylate one gets and what it its solvent.
– Trish
Aug 23 at 15:40
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
up vote
2
down vote
Yes Super Glue is best choice.
I personally use it in many PLA projects.
I even apply Super Glue layer to ABS prints to avoid layer separation.
It works well with both ABS and PLA, but exercise some caution whilst using Super Glue because it produces very bad tear gas. Use it in a well ventilated area.
edited Aug 23 at 17:02
Greenonline♦
2,6573841
answered Aug 23 at 12:25
Himanshu
1064
Yes Super Glue is best choice.
I personally use it in many PLA projects.
I even apply Super Glue layer to ABS prints to avoid layer separation.
It works well with both ABS and PLA, but exercise some caution whilst using Super Glue because it produces very bad tear gas. Use it in a well ventilated area.
edited Aug 23 at 17:02
Greenonline♦
2,6573841
answered Aug 23 at 12:25
Himanshu
1064
edited Aug 23 at 17:02
Greenonline♦
2,6573841
edited Aug 23 at 17:02
Greenonline♦
2,6573841
edited Aug 23 at 17:02
Greenonline♦
2,6573841
2,6573841
answered Aug 23 at 12:25
Himanshu
1064
answered Aug 23 at 12:25
Himanshu
1064
answered Aug 23 at 12:25
Himanshu
1064
1064
SuperGlues are not really any more dangerous than paints you'd use to paint your walls. I agree you shouldn't "huff" them, but that's about it.
– Carl Witthoft
Aug 23 at 15:27
1
the dangers of superglues depend a lot on what acrylate one gets and what it its solvent.
– Trish
Aug 23 at 15:40
add a comment |Â
SuperGlues are not really any more dangerous than paints you'd use to paint your walls. I agree you shouldn't "huff" them, but that's about it.
– Carl Witthoft
Aug 23 at 15:27
1
the dangers of superglues depend a lot on what acrylate one gets and what it its solvent.
– Trish
Aug 23 at 15:40
SuperGlues are not really any more dangerous than paints you'd use to paint your walls. I agree you shouldn't "huff" them, but that's about it.
– Carl Witthoft
Aug 23 at 15:27
SuperGlues are not really any more dangerous than paints you'd use to paint your walls. I agree you shouldn't "huff" them, but that's about it.
– Carl Witthoft
Aug 23 at 15:27
1
1
the dangers of superglues depend a lot on what acrylate one gets and what it its solvent.
– Trish
Aug 23 at 15:40
the dangers of superglues depend a lot on what acrylate one gets and what it its solvent.
– Trish
Aug 23 at 15:40
add a comment |Â
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Related: What is the best way to connect 3D printed parts?
– Greenonline♦
Aug 23 at 16:53