Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Test #2 is finished. This test actually allowed a 6 day cure time.

Loctite Power Grab.

Again I found the Power Grab to be lacking in Power or Grab. The break was easy to achieve. Product had dried well around the edges but was still a bit sticky in the center. With more time I am sure it would achieve a full cure, but I do not think it would help much with the Power Grab .

Loctite PL 300.

This product was a bit harder to achieve separation. Again the edges were dry, but the center was still quite wet. I believe with a longer dry time this product would achieve a good bond just by the effort it took to separate with just the edges dried .

Gorilla Glue Construction Adhesive.

OK, once again the Gorilla Glue Construction Adhesive showed it's stuff. This took quite a bit of effort to break. In fact, as you can see, the glue line did not fail and it was the foam that gave away. That is how much effort that had to be applied to snap this block in two. Product once again was dry all the way through. I like the fact that not only does it dry fast, but it also bonds to the foam quite well.

Alex Plus.

Again I found that Alex Plus achieved nearly the same bond as the PL 300. The break point seemed nearly the same. Edges where dry, but the center was like a clay constancy. I believe that it was drying faster than the PL 300 too. Again for the price and such similar results I think I would just stay with Alex Plus.

Small wonder that Loctite Power Grab All Purpose did not work well. The tech data on that one states one surface must be porous. Foam to wood/plywood/OSB works very well but foam to foam, No.

This is just a test for foam to foam construction. Non of these products, as well as standard Gorilla Glue and Great stuff, have a recommendation for a foam to foam bond, that I can tell.

The Power Grab does mention Foamboard in its list of products that it works with, as does the Gorilla Glue Construction Adhesive and of course the PL 300 which is specific to foamboard use. I had different results from all these products in this test. Some worked well and some worked not so well.

I might also add that the Alex Plus is not even sold as a adhesive let alone recommended for foam bonding, but as a crack and seam filler. Which in my test seems to bond just as well to foam as the PL 300 which is a specific product for foamboard. For the price I would op for the Alex Plus. Would the PL 300 work better once a full cure was achieved? I don't know. That is another test if someone wants to pursue the results.

So you see that this was a test for first hand experiences with different products to try and figure out which adhesives work the best for me. I am sharing my experiences with others so that they can be more informed with their purchases. I encourage others to do tests of their own to prove out what will work for them. There really is limited information about foamie construction so tests like these are needed to help future foamies. In my case I found you had to think out of the box to overcome certain obstacles, such as using Alex Plus as a adhesive. Recommended? no. Works, yes.

bump

Thank you for that information and your good work. It's a timely reminder.
I tried that foamboard adhesive in my build. I didn't like it either.

Some say Liquid Nails does the job.

Not sure if they would react to any foam types, but 3M 5200 and Sikaflex 292 are both incredibly strong, also permanently flexible sealants used below the waterline for fixing keels and sealing through-hulls on boats.

There is a Fast-Cure 5200, cure time is significantly reduced to tack-free in 1 hour and fully cured in 24 hours.

Spiking holes or scribing channels into the foam for a 3D / 90° pattern?

3M Super 90, but of course only 2D flat-to-flat bonding.

Some say Liquid Nails does the job.

My opinion? That stuff is junk.

T

I just have to comment to keep this in "my posts". good stuff

Excellent information!
Thanks for the testing and results.

Have you tested epoxy?

skyl4rk wrote:Have you tested epoxy?

No. I like foamies because I can use low toxic materials so I usually stay away from the two part stuff.