Panel adhesive - continuing "welding for dummies"

[Popeye]

Panel adhesive - continuing "welding for dummies"

Hi all,

I see the "welding for dummies" thread has turned to panel adhesives.

What are the thoughts on this? Has welding gone the way of the dodo bird - for some sheet metal work??

Looking at some of the sites (Eastwood, Fusor), it seems panel adhesive is OK for non-structural repairs, such as fixing a hole in a panel, replacing a bit of rusted material, etc.

Is panel adhesive acceptable for replacing floors? Is it strong enough?

Anyone done this? Is it easier than welding? (other than less equipment required, and perhaps safer?)

Thoughts?
Mike

 

[DrEntropy]

Re: Panel adhesive - continuing "welding for dummies"

There's a floorpan replacement thread over in the MG forum about adhesives, too, Mike.

 

[JPSmit]

Re: Panel adhesive - continuing "welding for dummies"

Here's the thread

https://www.britishcarforum.com/bcforum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/374598/fpart/1

Doc - does this stiff work on exterior panels too? I'm thinking of filling in some side signal lights. I presume it glues on bare metal?

BTW FUSOR also sells self leveling seam sealer which if I recall an earlier thread about BE hood seams might be a solution.

 

[DrEntropy]

Re: Panel adhesive - continuing "welding for dummies"

I used it (in conjuncton with pop-rivets) to adhere dog-leg rear sections on the B, and to "plug" antenna and mirror holes in the front wings. Bare metal, yes. I gave it a chance to 'bite' by roughing the mating surfaces with #80. Only caution is: ya gotta let it CURE before you contour it. I got over-anxious and finished it after only a day. Give it more than a few days to quit shrinking before you contour it and all should be fine.

 

[stever_sl]

Re: Panel adhesive - continuing "welding for dummies"

If you look at the tensile and shear strength numbers on the adhesive alone, it's maybe 1/10th as strong as a weld. I'd hesitate to use it as a weld replacement where structural loads are carried -- not sure how to figure the contribution of rivets though, but they'd obviously be a big help.

I did some quick math and the adhesive alone ought to work just fine where replacing panels that were originally spot welded together. The cross-sectional area through the actual welds there only make up about 1/10th of the total area that could theoretically have been welded in that region, at least on the quarter panel sections of my own car.

Back in the day, I used to design structural repairs for fighter airplanes, and we mostly used riveted flush patches with sealants (not really adhesives, more to keep the water out.) The more highly loaded an area was, the wider the patch perimeter had to be, and the more rows of (staggered) rivets we had to use in order to distribute the loads safely around the damaged/repaird area. Sure wish I'd kept a copy of our standard repair practices manual, but who knew I'd ever want to do the same kind of thing to a car???

- Steve Richardson
St Louis MO
76 TR7 (original owner)

 

[zblu]

Re: Panel adhesive - continuing "welding for dummies"

Have seen 3MMM products over here used to attach panel fittings to each other, not to be used for structural though

 

[prometalshop]

Re: Panel adhesive - continuing "welding for dummies"

I was shocked one year to find they actually glued a Corvette body to it's chassis . But then how else were you to fasten Fiber glass to steel? I guess bolting it with mounts at that time was going by the wayside.
back in 2003 I built a new steel building on our old shop site and used liquid anchoring system for the floor mounting the main beams. The product if I remember correctly was from Hildy ? The stuff was brutal to remove a drop that had dripped out of the gun onto the cement floor. I used a very sharp edged chisel and still some residue was left behind. Even with seeing the strength of some of the new fasteners I still believe welding is the ultimate way to perform sheet metal repairs. Now if you don't have the equipment to do small none structural repairs a tube a glue can, for a lot less money, and training can get your job done.
When you are doing a repair on your own vehicle your end result is yours to decide whether you can live with the out come. It dose still take time to correct if there is a problem but some what not as painful if you have paid some one for it. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

 

[LarryK]

Re: Panel adhesive - continuing "welding for dummies"

If you have something like Land Rovers where aluminum and steel are close together, the adhesives are best. The aluminum is glued to the steel and both are bolted in sections for strength. I have a rust thru on an inner panel which is steel and the aluminum body piece is conveniently glued to it. Welding will hole the aluminum.