Hi all,
I’m still in the process of installing a NWSL gearbox in my West Side T-12, and I think I will need to superglue it in place. I’m aware that acetone will dissolve superglue and I have a tin of it, but my worry is that it will also dissolve the plastic of the gearbox. Would this be the case?
Regards,
tbdanny
Yes, acetone will dissolve plastic. I accidentally dropped a plastic handled paint brush into a can of acetone and nothing was left but the bristles.
Acetone is the active ingredient in most plastic adhesives that fuse the plastic parts together.
Yes and no. Acetone is one of the more active petroleum distillates, Brother and sister to lacquer thinner, Toluene, Xylol, and MEK. Normally used as nail polish remover, which means it can dissolve nail polish which is a nitrocellulose lacquer. One the other hand, it won’t dissolve plastic immediately, I’d expect it to debond the CA long before it dissolve the plastic gearbox, especially if the gear box is made of tough engineering plastic rather than styrene.
You pays yer money and ye takes yer chance.
The plastic in question is called acetal (I think)
There are debonders made to disolve CA (superglue). Different brands use different names, but should work an any brand. They are listed on the same page as the glue.
Good luck,
Richard
Have you considered using silicone bathtub caulk to glue the gearbox in place? It would provide a strong bond that can be broken if needed.
double sides tape works surprisingly well with motor mounts. Maybe for the gearbox as well?
Of course acetone and plastic mix . . . . . . . . . . mix them together and you get a wonderful plastic paste!
Danny,
If the plastic really is Acetal like Delrin (a trademarked variety) acetone won’t hurt it for short term exposures. I use acetone to clean acetal parts I make in my machine shop all the time. I wouldn’t go for a 24 hour soak though because long term micro damage may not be noticable.
Lou
Basically, If the chemical in question is only sold in metal containers, it is generally a safe bet that it isn’t 100% plastic friendly. I can’t recall ever seeing acetone sold in anything but a metal can.
However, for the definitive answer to your compatibility questions, try http://www.coleparmer.com/techinfo/chemcompresults.asp
Dan,
I too have used silicone caulk, as you suggested, with great success. And like the old Brylcreem commercial: “a little dab’ll do ya.”
Wayne