Laminating Polystyrene to Ply

Okay folks ... let's just say I wanted to bond polystyrene (those pink of blue insulation sheets sold in big-box stores) to a sheet of BS 1088 ply ... what should I use?

 

I have made several interior panels like this using epoxy. Sand the surface of the foam with a 80 grit belt and walk on with a pair of golf cleats to create hundreds of good bonding holes. I then vacuum the sheets of ply on both sides at once.

 

Gotcha ... thank you.

 

Epoxy works.

So does Titebond 2.

Helped my wife make a table out of 4" foam and ply to stiffen the legs.
Takes a while longer than normal to "set".

 

You don't need the holes, if using epoxy on these types of low density foam. It just increases epoxy requirements.

TiteBond II is only water resistant, so consider TiteBond III instead if it'll be in a very humid or an occasionally wet/immersed environment.

 

PL 300 is for foam.

 

Thx Tungsten, are you also able to say how long it takes to to cure?

 

No idea, but it sticks and stays in place while you glue up more.

 

tmark,

What are you going to do with this lamination?
Just interested.

 

Odd pair of materials to be bonding together. I've done that once when I replaced the foam floor in my dinghy. I glued eps foam boards to the 6mm bottom on my dinghy for flotation and protection from dropping stuff through the bottom, like 60# anchors. I used gorilla glue to stick the replacement foam to the previously epoxied hull. Two layers of foam and a top layer of 2.5mm ply. Then I glassed the edges and draped 9oz cloth. Not a lot of hours on it yet, so I don't know how it will do.

 

Why, just experimenting my dear Mr Church.

 

I don't usually allow Mr.

But my name is Marc Richard Upchurch, so as an enlisted instructor in the navy I signed MR Upchurch making the Ensigns upset. If they persisted I put the periods in there.

The Lt. Commander who was an student of mine just laughed at me, which was what was appropriate

 

I have built a few panels, hard dodger top and cockpit sole, using resorcinol many years ago but I included a cedar perimeter and stringers for reliable bonding. I think today I would use the PL300

 

PL300 isn't very good on dynamic loads, but is suitable for static. It's also not waterproof, just water resistant and it's "creepy" under load.