Best adhesive for brass, white metal, aluminum?

[Kit Basher]

I'm thinking about attempting the Gunze Hi-Tech Cobra Daytona. The chassis consists of two brass tubes, some white metal castings, and some bent aluminum rod. I intend to build a jig to hold everything in place, but then how to glue it? It needs to be structural. The instructions say to use CA, but I've had poor results gluing metal with CA. It could be that I'm using it wrong. Any advice, especially from someone who has built this or similar kits, would be most welcome. Thanks!

[sidcharles]

are you cleaning the metal surfaces? sometimes the manufacturing process leaves some gook which hampers adhesion.

i've had good luck with adhering dissimilar materials with this:  https://bsi-inc.com/hardware/super_gold_plus.html

you could always resort to solder for brass to brass if strength is going to come into the equation.

[Bainford]

I think epoxy is going to be quite useful. CA, both thin and thick, will be useful as well for some applications. Each glue joint will require a judgement call as to which adhesive is appropriate. Make sure the white metal bits fit and mate well together before glueing. 

Very much looking forward to seeing your project. I have the Gunze Daytona, too, and really want that kit to make it to the bench someday.

[Kit Basher]

1 hour ago, sidcharles said:

are you cleaning the metal surfaces? sometimes the manufacturing process leaves some gook which hampers adhesion.

i've had good luck with adhering dissimilar materials with this:  https://bsi-inc.com/hardware/super_gold_plus.html

you could always resort to solder for brass to brass if strength is going to come into the equation.

Thanks! I haven't started yet, but I would certainly clean the surfaces. Unfortunately, there are no brass to brass joints, only white metal or aluminum to brass. Strength is definitely important.

 

44 minutes ago, Bainford said:

I think epoxy is going to be quite useful. CA, both thin and thick, will be useful as well for some applications. Each glue joint will require a judgement call as to which adhesive is appropriate. Make sure the white metal bits fit and mate well together before glueing. 

Very much looking forward to seeing your project. I have the Gunze Daytona, too, and really want that kit to make it to the bench someday.

Thanks! I've had much better luck gluing metal with epoxy, but it would probably make for a more difficult assembly. I would have to take the parts out of the jig, apply glue, and put them back in. It would be great to jig everything up, hit the joints with CA, and pull out a finished chassis. However, if it just falls apart, not so great.

[sidcharles]

i think it's called a "plug weld" when one of two mating pieces has holes drilled to access the other. then a weld is done and subsequently the cosmetic filler disguises the access hole.

if you need to go to that extent, this stiff is a great adhesive/ accelerator :  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006IUWCC?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_10&th=1

the glue is thick. the same company may make a thinner version. 

[peteski]

CA glue and epoxy are perfect adhesive for these types of bonds.  Yes, make sure the metal parts are clean and grease/oil free for best bond.  Acetone, Lacquer Thinner, or 99% Isopropanol are excellent degreasers.

[johnyrotten]

2 hours ago, sidcharles said:

think it's called a "plug weld" when one of two mating pieces has holes drilled to access the other.

Correct. Also known as a "rosette" weld. 

[NOBLNG]

If the joints are beefy enough, you could drill and pin them also. Even oversized holes filled with epoxy and a loose pin would add structural strength.

[Pierre Rivard]

I've done well with the 15-25 sec Maxi-Cure CA. I like a light sand paper scuff of the areas to be bonded.

Option 2 - Avoid all the trouble and ship me the kit? I'll take good care of it, promise...🥴

[SfanGoch]

1 hour ago, NOBLNG said:

Even oversized holes filled with epoxy and a loose pin would add structural strength.

Neither epoxy nor CA, by virtue of their chemical compositions, provide any structural strength.

[Kit Basher]

4 hours ago, peteski said:

CA glue and epoxy are perfect adhesive for these types of bonds.  Yes, make sure the metal parts are clean and grease/oil free for best bond.  Acetone, Lacquer Thinner, or 99% Isopropanol are excellent degreasers.

 

14 minutes ago, SfanGoch said:

Neither epoxy nor CA, by virtue of their chemical compositions, provide any structural strength.

OK, now I am thoroughly confused.

[Shark]

Not familiar with the kit you mentioned, but I use JB Weld on several things I built, even use it for filler. Draw back is the slow set up time.

[peteski]

5 hours ago, Kit Basher said:

 

OK, now I am thoroughly confused.

As you should be going by all the responses.  Typical for an online forum.

Not much structural strength is needed for a 1:24 mode car kit (where majority of the model is plastic).

As long as you properly clean and degrease the metal parts CA (with accelerator) should be more than adequate.  I like the instant bond (I hate waiting).  5-minute epoxy does have poor strength but if you want to wait 12-14 hours for it to set JB Weld liquid steel epoxy is plenty strong.  Pining the parts is helpful too.

I also want to mention that in the Gunze kits I own with metal parts those are made of some sort of tin alloy (some form of pewter?). It is not typical zinc/aluminum white metal (liek Zamak).  If you careful, for maximum strength you could solder those metal parts.  I mentioned "careful" because you could end up melting the parts. Brass can also be soldered.

I have used CA on metal kit parts and they still hold together.  Again the key is cleanliness of the glued surfaces and having the surface  roughened also helps.  The Gunze metal parts already have a fairly rough surface.