Re: Development Tubes?
Eugene Robkin, Assist. Professor, Math, UWC-Baraboo/Sauk Cnty (erobkin)
Tue Nov 29 08:44:03 CST 1994
The best way to join acrylic is with chemical welding. If you live near an
acrylic supplier in the USA you can buy the necessary solvent fairly
cheaply. You can also buy tubes of acrylic dissolved in the solvent to make
a sort of glue. I prefer the solvent used straight but the goo-in-a-tube
works ok but it makes messier joints. The solvent you want is ethylene
dichloride. It is explosively inflamable and as effective as chloroform as an
anasthetic (sp?) so work carefully. The resulting joints are very strong and
effectively turn the acrylic into a single piece. After the joint ages for a
day or two there should be no chemical residue other than the original
acrylic. Acetone may work for the solvent welding but in my experience it
makes grossly inferior joints to the dichloride.
The PVC can be joined using the chemicl solvent bonding agent sold at any
store that sells PVC plumbing supplies. In the US this is available
everwhere but other countries have very different procedures as to the
availability of building supplies so there may be problems finding what you
need. I have no idea what is included in the PVC solvent adhesives so there
may be more chemical residue to worry about.
Hope this helps.
Gene Robkin