Does anybody have a recommendation for what type of glue I should use to to temporarily glue two pieces of thin gauge silver back to back in order to pierce out two identical shapes for earrings?
It needs to be strong enough not to let go during the sawing process!
Thanks guys in advance
Willie
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I super glue nails to rough bench formed beads to have a way to hold them while I polish. I then suspend the nail by a pair of pliers and heat the nail. The heat travels to the bead releasing the glue. I have never directly heated two pieces glued together, but my guess is that they would behave the same way. You just need to leave a temporary tab that you can use to pull the pieces apart. The tab can be removed after you separate the two earring pieces. Give it a try and let us know what works…Rob
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Super glue is definitely the way to go. Do not use pliers to hold the pieces together. This will cause them to snap apart.
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I’ve used common glue sticks. The metal can slide out of position if you handle the pair roughly, but it never gave me problems. Let it set for a while before sawing. The glue cleans up with just water.
Neil A
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Thanks guys - i especially like the tip about leaving a temporary tab to pull them apart! Thanks Rob.
I have a super strong glue stick that I might experiment with too - just in copper.
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I use white glue with paper between the metal pieces.
So first I put glue on the metal then a piece of paper then more glue then the next layer of metal. I’ve done a number of layers to cut multiples when sawing.
Since for large stacks I use a powered scroll saw, and it doesn’t come apart.
I then put it under my bench block or in the hydraulic press under lite pressure until the glue dries or at least overnight.
I’ve never had it separate while sawing .
Here’s the best part, water separates them when done.
I just head to the sink , get the layered up metal wet, soak it for a little in warm water & then use my fingers to separate them & wash the paper down the drain.
Patty
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I just experimented on pieces of silver scrap with super glue, tabs and applying heat directly after I was done. It came apart with no problem. You have also received a number of other great ways to do what you want to do. I may try some of them myself next time I need to temporarily hold two pieces of metal together…Rob
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Great ideas, but here is one more. Double sided tape you buy from a wood working supply store. Extra strong glue surfaces on that tape. after just heat it a bit to soften up the glue. No waiting for it to cure/harden. The tab to pull them apart might be a bit of a problem since the tape would tear if you had to apply a lot of effort to pull them apart. You can use your handy dandy bench knife to slice them apart. I just used my fingernails to do it after heating a bit.
Aggie
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A tip to insure quick separation of your pieces once they’ve been super glued is to suspend the acetone container you use to soak them in a heated ultra sonic cleaner and run it for 15 minutes or so. I use a small, lidded glass jar and just put the jar into the parts basket, with the cleaning solution something like 1/3 of the way up the side of the jar, and have the lid loosely on the top to keep the acetone from boiling off. They will eventually just fall apart, no tabs or blades needed, keeping your finished parts pristine.
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I have used rubber cement to fasten pattern to metL for cut out. Can rub the paper off when done. Also used it for cutting two sheets of metal, but think I had a problem seperating the two pieces when done.
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I use rubber cement but as a dry mount I coat all pieces let them dry then mount together. But once you touch it it must be in the right place or you have to start over.
Double sided tape works for me sawing and engraving
I use contact cement or double sided carpet tape. Carpet tape is stronger that the double sided tape that is used for paper. I prefer contact cement over rubber cement as well. It is made for heavier duty stuff. Like Marianne Jennings I put a very thin coat on both sides, let it mostly dry. When I put the two parts together I put a steel block on top for pressure for a few minutes. I also like to take things one step further. I HATE removing scratches and polishing metals. When saw piercing, the back side of the metal tends to get pretty scuffed up from the bench pin. So whenever I saw pierce a fresh well polished sheet I cover it on both sides with clear packing tape. It not only protects the metal, but it also significantly decreases the chance that the paper pattern glued on top will lift or shift.
Jo
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