Anodized Aluminum and Glue/Epoxy

[Bryan]

Hey Guys,

So, I've been putting off the finish of an old project.... Time to finish it up.

I have some Front Panel Express machined pieces that will sit in a recessed wood chassis. Basically, the panel is rectangular, and I have routed out a recess in the chassis for the panel to fit in so it is flush with the surface of the chassis....

I dont want to drill the panel, as I want a clean look. I was thinking about bonding either plastic or metal tabs on the inside of the panel, which could then be mounted to the inside of the wood chassis. Does anyone know what would be the best way to bond either plastic or metal to the anodized aluminum...

I am out of my element here.

Thank for any suggestions.

Bryan

[rafalc]

I used super glue on mine with good result.

Treat the surface first with fine sand paper and clean with alcohol before applying the super glue.

[baggystevo82]

How thick is the front panel?
Steve

[Bryan]

IIRC, it is 3mm

[baggystevo82]

Ahhh bit too thin to drill and tap a blind hole from behind then...
I guess it would have to Areldite and some little mounting blocks then...Maybe rivets (traditional ones, not pop rivets) and then smoothed again could look nice (maybe surface grinder or a big linisher). Cant think of too many other ways if it has to be flush with the wood
Good luck,
Steve

[Pottsvillain]

PC-7 epoxy works well for almost anything.

If you want to get complicated, stud welding to the back of a sheet will not make any marks on the front. Although, you would have to send this out for someone else to do.

[SY]

I used super glue on mine with good result.

Yup, for plastic and metal bonding, cyanoacrylates are, ummm, super. The one caution is to pay attention to thermal expansion/contraction issues between the differing materials you want to bond. If this is not dealt with in design (e.g., match of CTEs or some sort of strain relief), it can cause adhesive failure. This is most critical with relatively brittle adhesives like unmodified epoxy and cyanoacrylate.

[Bryan]

The only welding I am going to do will be unintentional!

The glue should work. So is "super-glue" the brand of choice, or should I ty to find another more preferred brand (ie your favorite brand is...), and if so, where is it commonly available?

Thanks,

Bryan

[SY]

I'd go to a Home Despot or (even better) an industrial supply place like Grainger, look at the various cyanoacrylates, and pick one whose label says it's suitable for bonding metal to plastic.

[Pjotr]

Super cyanocrylate glues comes in many flavours. The one you need and works best is the thin flowing one. But be very careful with it. It really glues in a few seconds. If you glue your fingers together you have a big problem that need to be solved at a hospital.

Cheers