How to Glue Plastic to Wood

It is good to know how to glue wood to plastic if you are making a repair involving the two. Or, as seen in the photo above, making mixed media furniture or art is much easier (and more durable) when you use the right adhesive.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 120 grit sandpaper
• adhesive
• rubber gloves
• painters mask
• clamps (depending on project)

1. First of all, prepare your materials. Plastic will grab onto the glue easier if it is sanded at the point where you are going to put the glue. Sand the plastic and wood that you will be gluing together.

2. Make sure that your materials are wiped clean of any dirt, dust and grease. Dirt will cause the glue not to form a strong bond.

3. The glue you will need to glue plastic and wood together depends on the size of the project you are doing. If you are working with materials that will be handling a large weight load, you are going to need to go with a strong adhesive, such as the silicone based Household Goop or an epoxy.

4. On the other hand, if you are gluing a small piece of plastic to a piece of wood for jewelry or some other small item, you'll want to use a thinner adhesive. 3M makes a product called Fastbond 30-NF that is good for thinner projects where you don't want that layer of epoxy.

Tips & Warnings

• Some adhesives work best when the pieces are clamped together. While this is not typically true of epoxies, it is definitely true of contact adhesives, such as the Fastbond.
• Be sure to wear a mask when sanding plastic and/or wood.
• Work in a well-ventilated area when gluing plastic to wood because of the strong adhesives.
• Wear gloves when working with epoxies and other strong adhesives.

Resources

• Glue PVC Pipe
• Glue Glass
• Metal Glue and Adhesives
• How to Glue Plastic