Best Bonding Agent for cardboard to Plastic liter bottles?

May 31, 2014 11:50 AM

I spraypainted some 2 liter bottles to make kids' rocket jet packs. I am wanting to bond a piece of cardboard onto the back (later with elastic loops for arm loops) that will do it very quickly* as this will be during an activity with 40 kids.

I am thinking Epoxy is my best bet. Anybody have better or alternative advice?

*1-2 minutes drying time if possible

Thank you Ground Control,

Major Tom

posted by snap_dragon to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (17 answers total)

Hot melt adhesive. Faster, and less toxic.
posted by jon1270 at 11:55 AM on May 31, 2014 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: As in, glue gun and glue sticks? I failed to mention we tried the glue gun bit and it took forever, maybe because we had to push out so much glue and pile it up and then let it bond. If you are talking about something else, can you flesh it out? When I walk into Home Depot, I am a total ignoramus.
posted by snap_dragon at 12:03 PM on May 31, 2014

40 kids? Shine on, you crazy diamond.

Is there a way to alter your design to avoid glue altogether? Perhaps pierce holes in the bottles and run a string through, tie them to the cardboard?
posted by Mary Ellen Carter at 12:06 PM on May 31, 2014 [5 favorites]

If the only weight it has to support is the empty 2-liter bottle, I'd suggest double-sided foam mounting tape.
posted by drlith at 12:09 PM on May 31, 2014 [2 favorites]

I'd use a hot glue gun too --- fast, safe to use for kid stuff, secure.

But yeah: you don't want a big traffic jam with all those kids getting bored! Maybe you could spraypaint the bottles and glue them to the cardboard in advance, and just have the kids decorate them with stickers and/or paintbrushes?
posted by easily confused at 12:10 PM on May 31, 2014

Yes, a glue gun, but it sounds like you need a better one.
posted by jon1270 at 12:21 PM on May 31, 2014 [1 favorite]

How about using a stapler, with heavy-duty staples? Or a hole punch and some of those brass paper fasteners? It's nearly impossible to glue plastic, and if you did find a glue that worked it would probably take 24 to set and be stinky and toxic. Go mechanical rather than chemical.

On preview: Depending on the plastic, hot glue may just peel or crack off. Plus, hot glue + kids? Ouch. High tack double sided foam tape may work depending on the plastic (some plastic is very resistant to adhesion), but it could be pricey.
posted by tula at 12:29 PM on May 31, 2014

Cable ties. If they aren't long enough, they can be chained.

Two holes in the cardboard, and wrap the cable tie all around the bottle, through both holes. If you really want to be clever, plan it so that your arm loops connect to the cable ties, too.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 12:55 PM on May 31, 2014 [1 favorite]

Duct tape? The silver color is very jet pack appropriate.
posted by MadamM at 12:56 PM on May 31, 2014

Keep in mind that, since the bottles have been painted, you'd essentially be glueing cardboard to the paint, not the plastic. Could be tricky if the paint doesn't adhere too well, and on many kinds of plastic, that can be a problem.

I second the ideas in the answers that do not use glue of any kind.
posted by Too-Ticky at 12:59 PM on May 31, 2014

Best answer: Check out thistothat.
posted by Room 641-A at 1:18 PM on May 31, 2014

Response by poster: Okay...going with mounting tape, but have hot glue guns and duct tape as backup...but all good ideas. Thanks so much.
posted by snap_dragon at 5:49 PM on May 31, 2014

Here's a thought: if you can, don't spray paint the portion of the plastic bottle that'll have the mounting tape applied to it. Maybe stick on a strip of that blue painter's tape during the spraypainting, then peel that off so there's a nice, clean strip of bottle for the mounting tape to get a good hold on.
posted by easily confused at 9:55 AM on June 1, 2014

Keep gravity in mind with hot glue, particularly with plastic (because it melts), so cardboard on the bottom, then glue, then bottles. Also, spray paint the inside of the bottles through the opening because any adhesive will just pull the paint off the plastic.
posted by sexyrobot at 10:33 AM on June 1, 2014

(Also, 2-part epoxy is really toxic...not good for kids...and carpet tape (also 2-sided) might be stickier than mounting tape)
posted by sexyrobot at 10:36 AM on June 1, 2014

Response by poster: Changed my mind...going with the cable ties. Thanks for all good ideas.
posted by snap_dragon at 4:30 PM on June 1, 2014

you might want to put something between the two holes in the cardboard if using cable ties...like a few layers of duct tape...this will keep the ties from sawing through the cardboard and coming loose.
posted by sexyrobot at 5:41 PM on June 1, 2014