Anyone have experience with PVC sheeting?

[tlmartin84]

I have some 3/8" sheeting that I will be gluing edges up on, pretty much making cabinets so think **** joints, tee joints, etc. Does anyone have experience with something similar?

Curious about what screws, and glue work well with it?

I'm sure I can figure it out through trial and error but hopefully someone here has already went through those pains.

Thanks

 

[PCustoms]

PVC cabinets?

Idk....

PVC glue.

 

[The Cobbler]

3/8 is pretty thin for t joints , and for cabinets in my opinion

 

[tlmartin84]

3/8 is pretty thin for t joints , and for cabinets in my opinion

It isn't for cabinets, but cabinet style joints, Dados, biscuits, etc.

 

[tlmartin84]

PVC cabinets?

Idk....

PVC glue.

Thanks.........

 

[rlitman]

Are we talking about a foamed PVC product like Azek? The cement made for it is similar to PVC plumbing cement, but it's thicker. You might get away with something like Oatey Fusion (a cement/primer all-in-one), but epoxy bonds great to PVC and would probably be stronger in a **** joint configuration than PVC cement.

 

[tlmartin84]

Are we talking about a foamed PVC product like Azek? The cement made for it is similar to PVC plumbing cement, but it's thicker. You might get away with something like Oatey Fusion (a cement/primer all-in-one), but epoxy bonds great to PVC and would probably be stronger in a **** joint configuration than PVC cement.

Yes, it is for a vehicle console. Im gonna try oateys unless someone here has specific experience with something else.

 

[whateg01]

Are we talking about a foamed PVC product like Azek? The cement made for it is similar to PVC plumbing cement, but it's thicker. You might get away with something like Oatey Fusion (a cement/primer all-in-one), but epoxy bonds great to PVC and would probably be stronger in a **** joint configuration than PVC cement.

It's hard to go wrong with epoxy

 

[PCustoms]

It's hard to go wrong with epoxy

Solvent welding versus glue.

This is going to be a typical garage journal thread starting with the op. "Pretty much building cabinets" then 5 post laterhe tells us what he's really using the material for.

 

[The Cobbler]

I would try pvc solvent glue & see what it does

 

[jack stand]

Yes, it is for a vehicle console. Im gonna try oateys unless someone here has specific experience with something else.

It's extreme expansion and contraction might give you trouble.

 

[Firstram]

I’ve been fabbing props and scenery for film and television out of PVC for years. Plain old PVC cement works fine if you can hold the joint stable until it dries. With 3/8”, I would cut a dado or rabbit an 1/8 inch deep to locate the parts. You really need to flood the joint more than you think and let the parts soften before clamping. Leave it clamped overnight!

This is the best adhesive you’ll ever use but, it’s expensive!

Exterior Trim Adhesive for PVC | Chem-Set TrimGrip

UV-stable exterior trim adhesive for PVC. Chem-Set TrimGrip offers a safer, stronger, and more versatile alternative to PVC TrimWelder.

www.chemical-concepts.com

I don’t know how much extra material you have to work with but it’s very easy to bend with some heat. A good heat gun shouldn’t have any trouble heating a bend line in 3/8. Ideally you want to make a simple plywood form that fits outside your part. When plastic cools down it wants to straighten out.

So many ways to do this, it’s difficult to convey. Very similar to working with wood but different!

 

[tlmartin84]

I’ve been fabbing props and scenery for film and television out of PVC for years. Plain old PVC cement works fine if you can hold the joint stable until it dries. With 3/8”, I would cut a dado or rabbit an 1/8 inch deep to locate the parts. You really need to flood the joint more than you think and let the parts soften before clamping. Leave it clamped overnight!

This is the best adhesive you’ll ever use but, it’s expensive!

Exterior Trim Adhesive for PVC | Chem-Set TrimGrip

UV-stable exterior trim adhesive for PVC. Chem-Set TrimGrip offers a safer, stronger, and more versatile alternative to PVC TrimWelder.

www.chemical-concepts.com

I don’t know how much extra material you have to work with but it’s very easy to bend with some heat. A good heat gun shouldn’t have any trouble heating a bend line in 3/8. Ideally you want to make a simple plywood form that fits outside your part. When plastic cools down it wants to straighten out.

So many ways to do this, it’s difficult to convey. Very similar to working with wood but different!

Being able to bend and form it was big draw. And it is readily available locally, I wanted ABS but couldnt find it.

I didn't consider it coefficient of thermal expansion. But even at a 200 f degree swing on 3' is less than 1/4".

Im more concerned about the inside temperature getting really hot and deforming it.

 

[tlmartin84]

I’ve been fabbing props and scenery for film and television out of PVC for years. Plain old PVC cement works fine if you can hold the joint stable until it dries. With 3/8”, I would cut a dado or rabbit an 1/8 inch deep to locate the parts. You really need to flood the joint more than you think and let the parts soften before clamping. Leave it clamped overnight!

This is the best adhesive you’ll ever use but, it’s expensive!

Exterior Trim Adhesive for PVC | Chem-Set TrimGrip

UV-stable exterior trim adhesive for PVC. Chem-Set TrimGrip offers a safer, stronger, and more versatile alternative to PVC TrimWelder.

www.chemical-concepts.com

I don’t know how much extra material you have to work with but it’s very easy to bend with some heat. A good heat gun shouldn’t have any trouble heating a bend line in 3/8. Ideally you want to make a simple plywood form that fits outside your part. When plastic cools down it wants to straighten out.

So many ways to do this, it’s difficult to convey. Very similar to working with wood but different!

The quick set properties make that adhesive very tempting.

 

[Firstram]

The quick set properties make that adhesive very tempting.

It’s an amazing product! unless the joint is really long, just skip the mixing nozzle and hand mix/apply with a putty knife.

PVC won’t really deform until the temperature is above 200 degrees

 

[tlmartin84]

Thanks

 

[kerrynzl]

I would try pvc solvent glue & see what it does

There is a proper PVC solvent glue available .
You cure it with a hot air welder / gun .

@tlmartin84 PVC is very weldable with a hot air welder.
It also welds easily with High frequency welders

I would use alloy sheet or angle behind it [to prevent blow through] and weld it with a hot air welder. Then remove the alloy.

PVC is the easiest of the thermoplastics to weld [The amount of welding I've done could be measured in miles]

 

[v8nutz]

I used plain old PVC plumbing glue on some PVC trim on the outside of my house 15 years ago and it's holding up just fine.

 

[tlmartin84]

It’s an amazing product! unless the joint is really long, just skip the mixing nozzle and hand mix/apply with a putty knife.

PVC won’t really deform until the temperature is above 200 degrees

Will it fill gaps in your rips?

Say 16", or do the joints have to be extremely tight?

 

[tlmartin84]

It’s an amazing product! unless the joint is really long, just skip the mixing nozzle and hand mix/apply with a putty knife.

PVC won’t really deform until the temperature is above 200 degrees

Will it fill gaps in your rips?

Say 16", or do the joints have to be extremely tight?

 

[tlmartin84]

I need to box these edges...think I can heat a line and fold it?

 

[Firstram]

Will it fill gaps in your rips?

Say 16", or do the joints have to be extremely tight?

It will fill gaps, within reason. I only say hand mix because it saves on nozzles and adhesive. We would prep a bunch of parts and glue them all up at the same time, it won’t harden in the nozzle if you keep dispensing!

they used to make a standard caulk tube size, it was nice to not need a special gun.

 

[tlmartin84]

It will fill gaps, within reason. I only say hand mix because it saves on nozzles and adhesive. We would prep a bunch of parts and glue them all up at the same time, it won’t harden in the nozzle if you keep dispensing!

they used to make a standard caulk tube size, it was nice to not need a special gun.

I spent some time messing around with some scrap this weekend.

From everything I saw, the Oatey's multipurpose will work for my needs, the only downside is the incredibly slow set time. Which is where the chem set will come in.

In all cases failure was in the pvc sheeting itself and not the glue joint.

 

[tlmartin84]

It will fill gaps, within reason. I only say hand mix because it saves on nozzles and adhesive. We would prep a bunch of parts and glue them all up at the same time, it won’t harden in the nozzle if you keep dispensing!

they used to make a standard caulk tube size, it was nice to not need a special gun.

Well I actually cracked open the cartirdge to glue the joints I had structural concerns about.

This is really, really good stuff. Expensive, but works great.

Thank you for taking the time to comment, I appreciate it.