Bonding Steel to fiberglass

[jtm311]

Hello all great site!!

being the owner of a 42' searay I thought I would ask you guys who would know best, what would you recommand to bond steel to fiberglass?

I'm building a Lamborghini diablo and need to bond steel in many places to the glass??

Thanks for the help. here is the build www.jtm311.com
John

[gfinishline]

General Motors used a sealer to bond steel to steel (Cameros, Firebirds) but I don't know of any material that will permanently bond steel to fiberglass. You need an epoxy that will stick to the metal. I don't think that having been designing, rigging, and building powerboats for over 36 years and having 33 world championships in racing, places me in the "junior" membership area. Thanks for reading!

[jtm311]

Thank You I heard of a product call duroglass has any one used this?

john

[War Whoop]

Old hat GM's been gluing steel to glass for a long time in the Corvettes. Check with the auto body supply shops.

[gfinishline]

I've had 11 Corvettes and they all have bonded panels, but not to steel. Fiberglass is bolted to steel in those cars. The 1/4 panels and front fenders are glass to glass. I have never found anything other than epoxy that would bond glass to metal, and it didn't last. (hood scoops on cars)

[gfinishline]

Sorry for the extra post.

[jtm311]

thanks I will keep looking.

John

[War Whoop]

Better check your doors on the 68-82 Corvettes

[jimslade]

Every Corvette door panel I have worked on,(many many) 30 years in the business, are bonded with a epoxy type glue. also many other GM based cars ie: saturn cars and 90s transport vans use a bonding agent. Any body shop supplier in your area will sell you this glue. Some are two part products and others are polyurethane based. both work very well. Just make sure you rough up the surfaces with a 24 grit grinder.If you need more info you can call me at my shop in Canada. 905-640-1123 Jim

[buckknekkid]

goin to the boat show?

[AVMan]

I've always seen the methylmethacrylate (MMA) adhesives work pretty well for bonding metals to composites. Companies like ITW Plexus & Weld-On have some good products. Only problem is that they're more expensive than epoxies or polyurethanes (like Sika-Flex).

[D'ARTOIS]

In the aircraft industry they are using an epoxy called "ARALDITE" that is available for a number of applications.

You mention Lamborghini: I presume that you are building a replica because original Lambo's don't have FRP bodies.

Araldite is the strongest adhesive available, made by Ciba Geigy, Germany and I have glued a ripped up steering house from a Lambo Espada at Fokker Aircraft and therefore a specific Araldite type was used.

Bodyparts vibrate a lot, specifically when you attach a fixed part (the steel part) to a vibrating shell (the body).

[D'ARTOIS]

Araldite, that was originally manufactured By Ciba Geigy is transferred to a sub-company called "Huntsman" in Belgium.

Their website: www.huntsman.com

There you will see all applications and you may ask who the US distributor is - and stay away from the acrylates - their bonding capacities are time limited.

[wet feet]

As has been said,Ciba became Huntsman and they make a range of epoxies,check their website.Check also 3m,Henkel-Loctite and Axson they will also have suitable epoxies for your purpose.One obvious-to me anyway-question why are you using steel?Unless there is a powerful reason not to do so,aluminium would be easier to work with and would save weight thus improving performance.One other thing that would help the part to stay attached is to laminate at least one ply of glass over it and on to the surrounding bodywork.

[fiberglass jack]

hetron 197 resin bonds steel to glass very well