"What is the best adhesive for plastic to MDF?" Topic

I have some plastic Spanish roof tiles that I want to glue to MDF for a Mexican church.
Any suggestions?

John, I use epoxy to glue "soft" plastic figures to plywood bases without issues.

I bought this back in 2020 and it's still working for me.
link

BFI 5 minute epoxy is awesome. I have even used it to cast missing wheels and other bits. Very easy to use and you can sand it, drill it, paint it.
I mix it with a Popsicle stick on a bit of aluminum foil. Then apply with a toothpick or similar disposable tool.
I store it upside down in a glass bowl or jar so it is always ready for use, as it is very thick and slow when it is cold.

Mike

Aleene's Stretchable Flexible Fabric Glue (water based)
Glue your parts down/together (you don't need much), let it dry (for at least a day), it's not going to budge.
(I mostly use it for repairing minis & gluing them onto larger bases…)

Hot glue gun? Stick pretty much anything to anything.

2 part epoxy works too,, but always feels like overkill for modelling projects.

I use a model railroading product that has been around for many years. It is called "Goo", distributed by Walthers in the USA. It is a rubber based glue that works very well when you need to connect different materials together. Way back in the late ‘70s I mounted Minifig Napoleonics to plexiglass bases, and Airfix ACW figures to wood bases. I have yet have a single deserter.
Goo comes in a tube for easy use. I just bought another tube at a train show this year in January

I just use Super Glue….

Dave

Thanks for the suggestions!

I use two part epoxy. I used to use Aileen's Tacky Glue but the figures started to pop off of their stands. The epoxy works very well.

There is a Web Site for these very questions:

thistothat.com

for wood to plastic they say:
"Wood to Plastic
For the strongest and most reliable bond we recommend:
Household Goop

For a faster bond, but not as foolproof, we recommend:
LePage's 5 Minute Epoxy
For less toxic alternative, also more suited for large laminate scenarios, we recommend:
LePage's Press-Tite Contact (solvent-based)
LePage's Press-Tite Green Contact Cement
3M Fastbond 30-NF
Clamping can make the difference between success and failure here.
There are so many kinds of plastic its hard to give advice here that applies to them all. If possible try a small test in an area that doesn't show.

Some plastics have a smooth surface finish that can be sanded off with a 120 grit sand paper, for better adhering properties."

The brand are of course optional, (paid adverts).

I strongly suggest scrapping up the surface of the plastic where the glue is going to go. Large grit sand paper or a scouring pad do the trick.

Another supper fast option is also CA glue then dose with baking soda.

John, I mount plastic Army Men figures to 50mm square MDF bases (500+ and still counting…), using Hot Glue. When I need to re-base them (rare, but it does happen), I really have to work to get them off.

Army Men figures are made from HDPE plastic, which almost nothing adheres to. Hot Glue is also a thermo-plastic, and it works superbly.

I have also used E6000 Glue (solvent based, dries to a hard rubber consistency), but I very much prefer Hot Glue for its low price, ease of use, and strong bond -- to HDPE! Hot Glue bonds more strongly to HDPE than does E6000 Glue. E6000 Glue will take acrylic paint, sans primer, if that matters (see below for paint adherence to Hot Glue's thermo-plastic).

Get a Hi/Low Temperature Gun, use multi-temperature Glue Sticks: hi temp setting gives you more working time, but it is also more liquid (it runs, and this can be a very hot problem); low temperature Glue is more viscous, barely "runs", and it sets much faster, being at a considerably lower temperature -- it will still burn, but not as severely.

Excess Hot Glue can be wiped away, when still molten (burn hazard!), or it can be cut away when fully hardened. It takes acrylic paint pretty well -- primer is always best, but it can be painted with acrylics. Cheers!

Plastic to MDF I just use Elmer's Glue-All.

I have found that this stuff or an equivalent to it is a really great universal adhesive for non-matching surfaces, I've used this to glue both plastic and metal figures to MDF bases, resin parts for fantasy and historical buildings, as well as gluing large pieces of insulation foam to MDF or bass wood/ply wood bases when making terrain.

What I love about this stuff is that it has a tacky, goopy consistency so it can help parts stay attached while waiting to set, and does so fairly quickly. It almost has the consistency and feel of Testors plastic glue but thicker if that makes sense. Perhaps the best way to describe it is that it reminds me of hot glue but you don't have to heat it up, and it's way easier to work with.

You can for example stand up two wall pieces joined at the corners and they will stay in place until dry. It's also great for helping metal minis. in awkward positions (like an infantryman leaning far over making it top-heavy) stay upright while waiting to set to an MDF or wooden base.