Adhesive over the Stove

March 5, 2012 11:34 AM

I have a microwave oven installed over my regular oven. The lower endcap has popped off the handle. I'd like to glue it back on, but it's in a spot where there will be a lot of steam rising towards it. What's the best product to get it glued back on?
posted by gimonca to home & garden (8 answers total)

J-B Weld is great for this kind of thing. Just make sure that everything is very clean and dry before you use the J-B Weld. After you apply the J-B Weld tape the endcap in place and wait 24 hours.
posted by gregr at 11:39 AM on March 5, 2012

Sugru!
posted by lois1950 at 11:52 AM on March 5, 2012

We had a similar problem - our microwave with a one-piece handle is mounted above the stovetop. The bottom of the handle popped out and cooking steam kept it from sticking. I can't remember which we ultimately used - either plain Super Glue or Gorilla Glue - but it's stuck through several years of us tugging on it and cooking under it.

Most importantly, I would make sure you give whatever glue you use ample time to dry and set before cooking under it.
posted by geeky at 12:05 PM on March 5, 2012

It depends quite a bit on what materials we're talking about gluing here. If we're talking plastic to plastic then I like epoxy for this application because it's strong as hell and completely waterproof.

J-B Weld is a good choice, it's an epoxy with some metal filler in it to thicken it up (good for vertical surfaces) and it's designed to be thermally stable, which is good if there's going to be a lot of steam. I also like their stick products for vertical surfaces but those might be *too* thick (they're basically putty) for this application.

But honestly any epoxy glue would work, especially one that's a bit thicker than most. Just make sure you clean the surfaces you are going to glue very thoroughly (I recommend using soapy water followed by a bit of alcohol since this is a microwave and there's likely to be a lot of grease from food) and and if they're real slick and shiny maybe scuff them up a bit with something or other.

Once you've got it nice and clean and have a nice surface, mix up your epoxy (it's always a two-part deal, resin and hardener, usually a 1:1 ratio for home products) on some nice disposable surface that you've prepared in advance (because this stuff is pretty hard to clean up) and daub a bit on both parts to be glued. Clamp them together as best you can (some strong tape is probably fine here) and wait the prescribed amount of time. Once nice thing about epoxies is that they don't have to dry, they cure via a chemical reaction between the resin and the hardener. (This even works underwater, and if you're making big batches like a gallon at a time the reaction becomes noticeably exothermic and can even spontaneously combust if you're not careful -- why yes, I did used to work for a shipyard, how did you know?)

Once the right amount of time has passed, take off your tape. If you followed my instructions exactly and didn't cheat by skipping the cleaning or clamping or by rushing it, then I guarantee you your glue joint is going to be much stronger than the original part ever was.

Happy gluing!
posted by Scientist at 12:17 PM on March 5, 2012

I used Gorilla Glue in this same application and it worked fine for the several months until I replaced the microwave.
posted by chazlarson at 2:26 PM on March 5, 2012

Yeah, an epoxy glue would be the best bet, as it will be mostly unaffected by either heat or moisture. The fast-cure epoxy glue that comes in a double syringe that mixes the two components together as you squeeze the glue out (something like this) is probably the most convenient and won't leave you waiting a day for the glue to cure before you can cook.
posted by dg at 3:30 PM on March 5, 2012

Thanks, everyone, this is great!
posted by gimonca at 4:23 PM on March 5, 2012

Oh, and a great site for all your gluing needs: thistothat.com. One of my favorite little things on the web.
posted by Scientist at 7:20 PM on March 5, 2012