Yeah, this is pretty off-topic, but I have cut and folded acrylic (perspex) sheet to cover my solar panel, and now need to glue a couple more strips to the side to make a box.
The youtube videos i have seen say to use an acrylic glue. But now I’m confused because there seem to be a variety of acrylic products including paints, let alone brand names not available in Australia.
If someone has worked with acrylic sheets in Australia, what product do you recommend to glue them together ?
i use the following. It was recommended from the factory I get my acrylic sheets from. Its the same that I used on some projects that spent all day in the hot sun and nothing let loose.
It goes a very long way. Is very “watery” and the idea is to use some from of applicator squeeze bottle that allows you to run a bead along the join. That bead will get “sucked in” and weld the to bits together. i.e. Assemble the two pieces, secure them in place (e.g. tape or jig) leaving a joint exposed, then run a bead down.
note: if you try to apply to one bit first, then push together, it can dry off too quick on not bond.
I forgot to add, this is really good for nice clean joins with little to no gaps. If your two peices are not a seamless join, there are thicker glues that will help fill in the gaps a little.
i.e. if you have nice matching/aligned joins… all good else may need to look at something a little different.
I have watched a few video tutorials, and that is probably my main concern … I have never been into DIY and don’t have a workshop, so I’ve been using a wood hand saw to make straight cuts - which are not the most straight. I will sandpaper the edge but even then … guess I’ll have to do several practice joins first.
I sent an email to the company I bought my acrylic sheets from, and they also recommend Weld-on 3. Though it seems a very large container for something we should use so little of. Some overseas websites show 3 sizes of container, but one warns “For Industrial and Professional Use Only. Not for Consumer Use.”, so I guess it’s only available here in commercial quantity.
Thanks Michael for your help. Now to wait for a couple of days fine weather without other commitments.
A widely recommended solvent-based acrylic adhesive, Acri-Bond 105 is praised for creating clean, bubble-free, and virtually invisible bonds between acrylic sheets. It even works well for mixing acrylic with polycarbonate, ABS, PETG, and more. It’s water-thin, meaning it seeps into joints via capillary action, welding the surfaces together for a strong, clear bond.
That is worded very much like an AI answer … or are you recommending because you personally use it ? I see at least that it is available in Australia, so thank you for suggesting an alternative.
Yeah, it goes a very long way. Also its best kept cold for long term storage.
Its one of those things that If you lived just down the road from me, I would just lend you the tin for you to use.
I also have 1/2 a tin of Acri-Bond 105 that a mate and I used on a project years ago, without doing a chemistry comparison, from a user stand point its the same stuff as the arc-weld.
Without knowing your project and desire, one robust way to help with rough cuts would be to lay a strip over the join and glue that. then you have a smooth face to face and not cut edge to edge. (I have a CO2 laser so had nice clean edges for my last project)
it will look a bit more industrial, but should be stronger and better sealed
Useful trick … however I’m gluing sides onto a box so won’t help me this time 
I assume the large size tins are to discourage hobbyists since it says on the tin
DANGER: Causes skin irritation. Causes serious eye irritation. May cause drowsiness ...
and
DANGER: Suspected of causing generic defects. Suspected of causing cancer. Harmful to aquatic life with long-term effects.
and then goes on to the mere Cautions…
No wonder it is banned in several parts of USA.
As for smoothing the cuts, I have tried setting up my Dremmel as a table router, so hoping that will smooth the cut edges
Yeah, as a wise man once said “dont drink the stuff” but more important, like most things we do, use the needed PPE and take care. I think you will find that most of the “glues” in this area will a have some less then friendly chems in them. this is really a solvent in that it “melts” the pastic that then mixes with the other melted plastic. then as one of the agents dries/evaporates the plastic re-hardens. so is more a weld then a “glue”. Depending on what you need to do to apply it, most of the time the best approach is a syringe (from the chemist) and one of those fine blunt needles. so you can hold it all and gently push/feed it into the join.
People also use a littls squeeze bottol with the “needle”. it will come out of you just turn it upside down, so great to rapid apply to a long join, but no so good getting it to the start position, so a bit of skill to squeeze the air out of it (never any more than about 50% full, then back of the pressure just a little so its trying to suck some air in, that holds the liquids in the squeeze bottle until your ready, but takes practice.
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