Laminating thin sheets of styrene?

[Ray Dunakin]

Does anyone have some tips for laminating a thin sheet of styrene to a large surface? In the past I've used MEK solvent, same as for regular joins, but often ended up with warped areas. I suspect that the solvent would be "trapped" under parts of the sheet and couldn't dry quickly, thus giving it time to attack the styrene.

[marc_reusser]

How thin are we talking?

I have gone down to laminating .010 onto heavier sheet and probably about 4x6 inches in area, with no real problem. I use a flat brush to apply Plastruct liquid cement (white bottle...though the orange should work also), and basically paint the surface to get it too become tacky, and damp...then press down the .010 onto that. I lay both sheets on a hard flat surface, such as a piece of glass or marble, then weigh it down with another flat piece or large flat weight (such as a steel milling plate or Sine block) After letting set for a few hours, I will then take small brush and run liquid solvent around the edges to get it to wick into the seam.  After this has dried I will trim and sand the piece to the final size, and again, with a small brush run some solvent along the seam to wick in and bond the edges as needed.

I have had limited success with Tamiya liquid cement when bonding smaller areas of .005 sheet onto thicker sheet. It seem to be less aggressive and have a longer dry time.

[Ray Dunakin]

Usually I'm working with .010" to .040". For this particular project it's .020", and I need to wrap it around a 6" diameter ABS tube from Plastruct.

[mad gerald]

Ray,

Does anyone have some tips for laminating a thin sheet of styrene to a large surface?

... I use acetone for laminating styrene sheetwise - but be carefull: acetone can be really hazardous to your health - and you have definitely almost no time for adjustment.

My approach: adjust the (2) sheets properly, apply some acetone with a paintbrush in small area at one end, let it "dry", open the the 2 sheets slightly ... and then laminate the sheets together, beginning at the already laminated end, area by aera, until it's finished ... should work with styrene on ABS as well ... eventually try with some test pieces at first ...

Cheers    

BTW: no experience with larger pieces than mentioned by Marc

[greenie]

Does anyone have some tips for laminating a thin sheet of styrene to a large surface? In the past I've used MEK solvent, same as for regular joins, but often ended up with warped areas. I suspect that the solvent would be "trapped" under parts of the sheet and couldn't dry quickly, thus giving it time to attack the styrene.

MEK is Ok for doing that, just don't have/leave any big wet puddles of the MEK on the styrene, let it dry out a bit and when tacky, just place the sheets together.

As Marc said, put some form of pressure on the joined sheets any way you can, with flat sheets I stick them between two bits of smooth timber and lock that lot into the vise. Give it all a good squeeze and leave it clamped up overnight, next morning you got one piece which is nice and smooth.


regards  greenie 

[5thwheel]

I have never used it in this context but how about regular spray contact cement? 

[Bexley]

Probably not. It might delaminate, especially if the piece will see any subsequent cutting/drilling.

[billmart]

For laminating styrene to an ABS cylinder, I typically use Plastruct Plastic Weld (the one with the orange label).  I draw a pencil line on the cylinder so I'll have a goo place to start.  I apply the solvent to the first half inch of the styrene sheet and the cylinder then carefully align the end of the styrene sheet with the pencil line on the cylinder.  I often use a piece of heavy stripwood on the outside of the styrene to "clamp" it all together (just using my hands).  At the same time, I place the whole thing on a flat surface and turn the cylinder a bit in order to get the proper curvature started.  Then, like Mad Gerald, I pull back on the styrene sheet to near ( or just beyond) the edge of the bonded area.  Apply more solvent to the cylinder and the styrene, roll the cylinder against a flat surface, etc., etc., etc.  Once that's done, I apply solvent to the edges, as Marc describes.

Doing this always makes me nervous, but it has never failed to work.

Bill Martinsen