LED strip adhesive on plastic jacket

I am using a Core product link below, LED strip with a plastic jacket. It is fantastic to work with and the 5 metre length is perfect for my project. However I need to adhere the plastic jacket to wood. Unfortunately it does not arrive with a self adhesive double sided strip attached, so I started experimenting with glues that would NOT attack the plastic jacket.

Summary; used contact glues … various types, used a strong A and B mix it together araldite style of adhesive, used liquid nails but nothing sticks :weary:. Gave up and used cable ties, that worked … but truly ugly to look at :face_vomiting:. Anyone found a strong/safe glue to use on this plastic jacket that will also stick to wood?

[LED strip with plastic jacket](https://core-electronics.com.au/5m-rgb-led-strip-ws2812-60-per-meter-white-strip-weatherproof.html)

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Hi Jeff
If this plastic jacket is impervious to oils acids and anything else you can throw at it as it is likely to be you will find that you will be lucky to find any fastening glue type product that will work. This is fairly obviously meant to be able to be used outdoors so the above may well be the case.

When I was working full time the company had an industrial chemist on strength. When looking for something to repair a cracked vise base he told me when the material is impervious to most things as above it is almost impossible to find any sort of glue or adhesive that will work. Reason being that to stick surfaces together the adhesive must attack the surface of the host material. If it cannot do this adhesion is usually not possible. I think you can read spectacle frames into this material group. Remember how hard they were to repair when broken. Impossible usually and one had to resort to sticky tape as a temporary measure.
Cheers Bob

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Hey Jeff,

Welcome to the forum.

As Bob mentioned you wont have much luck with any chemical adhesive so a mechanical one would be best.

Check out these mounts I made a while ago for the same strips: Waterproof LED Holder by Leeeeeeam - Thingiverse
If you have access to a 3D printer making some in a similar colour of the paint or even painting the prints themselves should yield some decent results.
If you dont Core has a service although you’re limited to Black PLA which might breakdown when exposed to humidity - here you’ll need a coating such as epoxy or a few layers of paint.

PS: If anyone has some tips for making good ‘Things’ on Thingiverse I’m all ears!

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Hi Bob, thank you for your comments. It appears that it is a plastic that is hard to glue to. However having said that I did find a Moroday product from Victoria that adheres reasonably well. Due to the low weight of the LED strip, the Moroday product is adequate. They have various sizes and a range of bonding strengths, I used the Ultra High Bond. It was incredibly adhesive to the wood support structure. Thank you for your feedback.
Jeff

https://www.bunnings.com.au/moroday-24mm-x-20m-clear-double-sided-ultra-high-bond-acrylic-tape_p0057715

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Hi Liam, The plastic jacket is certainly an issue. I really appreciate your info on the plastic mounts, they look great. Due to the low weight of the LED strip, I was able to use an Ultra High Bond double sided self adhesive clear tape, not a perfect adhesion but adequate for the job. Thank you for your feedback.
Jeff

https://www.bunnings.com.au/moroday-24mm-x-20m-clear-double-sided-ultra-high-bond-acrylic-tape_p0057715

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Thanks Jeff
I am not familiar with Moroday products but then again I have not looked too hard for such things lately. It is just what the chemist told me about bonding anything that stuck in the old memory bank. Hive of information that bloke and didn’t mind parting with his knowledge.
I will certainly do some research on this and store away in the old scone for future reference. Have found “No Nails” pretty good for larger things (like bricks etc).
Cheers Bob

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Hey Jeff,

It certainly is, the most important factor which I’m sure you’ve already tried is roughing up the surfaces with relatively fine grit sandpaper (it seems counter intuitive as this appears to make the surface more smooth, but the number of very small minor scratches in the surface majorly assists the glue in leaching into the material). Personally, I would aim for around the 120-180 grit depending on the materials. Please let us know how you go with it, it would be very useful info to get added to the site if this comes up for others in future.

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