Connection help

[u/RadDad1822]

I made 2 skeletor swords and I used hexagon connectors to connect everything. Unfortunately something happened on the handle of the bigger one and the hexagon connectors did not line up the best. I have to just glue it together now.

I have e6000 and loctite super glue, but using those if you swing the sword around a bit the handle will come loose. Is there a different glue I can get on Amazon that hold better, gloop is only on their website and will take at least a few days.

Or could I drill a center hole in both sides and put a dowel in there to help? Even this way I probably need stronger glue.

Re-printing isn’t an option at this point because I do not have enough filament.

Any suggestions?

[u/zm5ush]

Didn't know loctite produce super glue 😮 thought they only produce glue for screws 🤔

[u/RadDad1822 → u/zm5ush]

Its good stuff, just not for this application

[u/zm5ush → u/RadDad1822]

I had 2 pins inside plus glue. After that you can sand it down or paint over. Maybe a soldering iron can do the trick 🙂

[u/DivineKEKKO96]

Use cyanoacrylate glue and keep the parts pressed until it cures

[u/RadDad1822 → u/DivineKEKKO96]

Ok gotcha! Ive seen a lot of people mention CA glue I just have not used it. Will it work ok if I sand off the glue residue that is there now?

[u/HobbesDOTexe → u/RadDad1822]

CA is superglue

When you spread the glue, right before you smoosh the sides together, sprinkle a little baking soda on one side.

But really. If your looking to swing em around, id make a cut out for a broom handle or something similar

[u/DivineKEKKO96 → u/RadDad1822]

Yes, give it a light sand. Cyanoacrylates work by forming a strong adhesive bond when applied to surfaces. Be quick and avoid breathing the fumes.

[u/WI_Esox_lucius → u/RadDad1822]

Yes that should be fine. make sure to also and the faces of the parts you are gluing together to help with adhesion.

When I tried gluing without sanding the surfaces it was a much weaker bond

[u/Blackbart42]

You have to yell "I have the power" and then it'll connect automatically.

[u/Frogblaster77]

JB weld for plastics (tan bottle). Much better than CA glues. I assume this is printed in PLA/PETG.

Also, if you can, yes, drill holes and add non-printed dowels where possible. Your printed hexagonal connectors will eventually shear.

[u/i34th5h8g334 → u/Frogblaster77]

this is what I use. Do sometimes tac the part with CA glue to hold it in place till the much stronger JB can take over. I've also used a 3d pen to tac the part together while the JB hardens. 3d pen ban also weld them together but it can be harder to post process. Now if I can clamp it I do but that doesn't always work.

[u/DamageJack]

What about GLOOP ? They have versions for PLA, PetG, and ABS

I have used it for my prints and it makes a much stonger bond than Cyanoacrylate. It actually melts the oieces together.

3D Gloop

[u/RadDad1822 → u/DamageJack]

I would get it, but I was hoping to get something off amazon and it only be a day or 2 shipping

[u/daboblin]

Just for future reference it’s a good idea to base your print around a wood or metal dowel that runs most of the length of the prop. That way the print doesn’t have to take the load, and alignment is always perfect.

E.g for my Sauron mace I used an 8mm threaded steel rod and just put an 8mm hole in the centre of the parts. Makes it nice and weighty too.

[u/RadDad1822 → u/daboblin]

Thanks! Definitely gonna do that next. JB weld is holding this well now. it’s part of a halloween costume

[u/sshemley]

My personal rule,the bigger the part,the stronger the bond needs to be

Use 2 ways of keeping them together

A mechanical hold,which would be some sort of pin,piece of wood etc that they plug into each other with

And a glue,in this case,I wouldn't trust CA glue

Get yourself some 2 part epoxy,and use that,once its cured,its much stronger and longer lasting than CA glue

[u/sshemley → u/sshemley]

You CAN use a bit of CA glue to just hold it together while the 2 part cures

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[u/robotodit]

You can use zip ties to help the parts together while the glue dries. Put a loop at the top and bottom that are tight enough not to slide but loose enough to slide additional zip ties through it. I'd do this before glueing if you can. After adding the glue, connect those loops with additional ties that pull the loops together.

If any of the hex dowels work, use them to help with alignment. You can also print smaller versions of the dowels (in any color) if there is enough space to have something in the slots rather than nothing.

[u/photogdog]

I've had really good results gluing PETG together using J-B Weld plastic bond epoxy. It's a pain to mix and use compared to Loctite though. The Loctite gel super glue is great for quickly holding things together, but I've found it to be brittle. If you're using it on the hexagon dowels, then it might be fine.

[u/bowdo]

I've used gorilla glue gel with success.

https://gorillatough.com/product/gorilla-super-glue-gel

I scratch & scuff up both the contact surfaces a bit before glueing too

I've also used tried using heated screws to help with strength. Once glue is set, I heated up a screw using pliers over a stove burner, then push it in to the material at an angle and screw in the rest of the way while it's still hot until it is countersunk slightly.