Best way to glue plexiglas to wood

[stoppy]

I'm going to screw and glue and screw a piece of plexiglas on a wood profect the plexigas will end up in slight bow in the middle of 1/4" over 10".  What is the best glue for this project. Epoxy? I have trophy tape (metal or plastic to wood) but want a clear solution.  Tape isn't clear.

[Robin Dobbie]

I might stick with screws. Maybe some silicone if I needed a moisture barrier, but I wouldn't be counting on the silicone for any kind of strength.

[stoppy]

I had planned on both glue and screws.

[Wild Turkey]

Not sure if gluing such dissimilar materials is a good idea -- Acrylic is very rigid and wood isn't.  Seasonal movement could cause cracks if the connection is too rigid.

[Hank Knight]

Many archery bows are made by laminating fiberglass or similar man-made materials to a wood core. Many wooden boats have fiberglass protective layers. Epoxy works for those applications. It adheres to dissimilar material and is flexible. Many types of epoxy are clear. I don't think epoxy adheres well to polycarbonate, but it should work for acrylic (Plexiglas).

[Derek Cohen]

I'm going to screw and glue and screw a piece of plexiglas on a wood profect the plexigas will end up in slight bow in the middle of 1/4" over 10".  What is the best glue for this project. Epoxy? I have trophy tape (metal or plastic to wood) but want a clear solution.  Tape isn't clear.

The problem with all forms of glue is that it will appear through the plexiglass as a smear, and look unsightly. I would either just screw or use transparent double-sided tape (or as near as possible).

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Cooler]

E6000 is a much stronger adhesive than silicone and remains flexible like silicone.  It is a styrene based adhesive and bonds well to non-porous surfaces as well as porous ones. 

I used to buy this at Michaels hobby shops but Lowes and Home Depot now carry it too.

[Ed in NC]

I would test glue or tape on scrap plexi before committing to its use. I think I would go with screws only as has been mentioned here. Good luck with your project

Ed

[Alan S]

According to this reference, either epoxy or cyanoacrylate (superglue) should work well for bonding plexiglass.  If you use enough glue to entirely coat the joined plastic and wood surfaces, it should look more like a thick finish and less like a smear.  Try on scrap first.

As it's somewhat brittle, if you were planning to put a bend in the plexiglass, you may be better off warming it to bend, rather than using the screws to hold in the bend, to avoid cracking at the screw holes.