How and how to glue a metal leg to a glass tabletop

Glass and metal are considered the most common materials for the manufacture of interior items and household appliances. Often you have to smash your head over how to glue metal to glass.

With certain knowledge and skills, this "procedure" will not cause you any problems. And yet, how do you glue the leg to the glass table? What formulations are the most effective?

What to use

First of all, it is worth deciding what exactly you will glue these two, at first glance, non-glued surfaces.

There are enough adhesives:

1. Two-component epoxy adhesive. It is appreciated for its high insulating properties, strength and electrical conductivity. Most often, this composition has a transparent color and consists of two components that must be mixed. This adhesive is highly popular for its affordability and ease of use.
2. Thermally resistant silicone. Typically this compound is used to glue glass to the oven. The main performance characteristics are indicated on the packaging, but, as a rule, after hardening, this glue is not afraid of high temperatures, fatty or oily environment. In addition, silicone perfectly withstands low temperatures (up to -60 degrees Celsius).
3. Moment-crystal. It is difficult to imagine an easier-to-use product for gluing metal and glass. The interlayer between the materials is elastic and resistant to various influences. Often used when gluing parts that will be subject to vibration.
4. Automotive glue. Outwardly, the composition is very similar to rubber. Excellent for gluing glass and metal, however, due to the black color of this glue, it is not used very often.

Important: whatever you choose, remember that it is important to carefully follow the recommendations indicated on the package. Even if you have already "glued glass to metal a hundred times" and "the previous tube was almost the same." The quality of the repair work will depend on compliance with the instructions.

How to glue correctly

It turns out that you can glue it incorrectly. At first glance, this procedure seems so primitive. In addition to the recommendations indicated on the packaging of the adhesive, it is important to take into account the fact where the glued object will subsequently be used.

Among the general recommendations, the following should be noted:

• Never skip the point about degreasing surfaces. Often the strength of the adhesion depends precisely on the quality of the pretreatment. After all, in this way all dirt and fat layers that interfere with the strong adhesion of two surfaces are removed.
• Paint, varnish and other coatings must also be removed from surfaces, as they will significantly reduce the degree of adhesion.
• Heat the glass surface before gluing. The optimum temperature is 30 degrees Celsius above zero. To achieve this, you need a hair dryer. Important: Remember that the glass surface can crack in the event of a sudden change in temperature, so heat gradually and with great care, in full control of the process.
• Use a press to dry the glue faster. The main thing is that the load is uniform, otherwise the glass will crack.

Cyanoacrylate

The main advantages of this adhesive are water resistance and minimal drying time.

The algorithm of actions is as follows:

1. Surfaces are properly prepared. As mentioned, it is not worth saving time at this stage. Carry out degreasing as required by the instructions.
2. The two components are mixed until a homogeneous mass is obtained. And remember, the mixture retains its plastic state for only a few minutes, then it hardens, and you cannot glue anything with it.
3. The mixture is applied to prepared surfaces, and they stick together.
4. The tighter the connection at the time of gluing you provide, the more reliable the result will be.

Sealant

A sealant can also be used as an adhesive. Usually, a high degree of joint isolation is achieved thanks to the sealant. And therefore, the sealant as an adhesive is used in situations where it is required to ensure not high strength, but waterproofness.

The procedure is almost the same as in the case of glue. The only caveat: it takes longer to dry. In addition, in terms of strength, the connection is not as strong as after the use of special adhesives.

Moment crystal

Another popular composition. The moment forms a soft layer, which allows it to withstand even a slight displacement of the glued surfaces. But after drying it restores its shape.

How to use Moment crystal:

1. Prepare the surfaces well, clean off the remnants of glue and paintwork. Heat glass and metal, this will provide a more reliable connection.
2. The glue is available in liquid or paste form. In any case, for a more effective adhesion, you need to smooth the adhesive well over the surface.
3. To enhance the effect, a high load should be applied to the surfaces to be glued, but remember, it must be uniform, otherwise the glass may break.
4. The amount of time it takes to dry is usually indicated in the instructions, but more time is recommended for 100% certainty.

Car glue

Transparent car glue is on sale. Thanks to it, it is also possible to obtain a strong connection between surfaces of different materials.

The order of work is as follows:

• Surfaces are being prepared. All foreign matter and coatings are removed. Try to achieve maximum smoothness of the surfaces to be glued.
• For degreasing, products that do not leave a film are used.
• It checks how tightly the surfaces are connected to each other.
• With the help of a hair dryer, surfaces are heated up to 30 degrees Celsius (not higher). Remember that both glass and metal surfaces are hot.
• The details are positioned so that the seam is as horizontal as possible.
• As long as the surface is warm, the adhesive is applied and evenly distributed. If there is excess leaking out, it should be removed immediately, as it will be difficult to do after hardening.

Automotive glue is offered in a sufficient range today. However, professionals recommend giving preference to products from well-known brands that have earned a serious reputation. Otherwise, you are not immune to unpleasant surprises.

Ultraviolet lamp

A UV lamp is another way to connect surfaces made of different materials. It's easy enough for her to work.

It comes in handy when you use special adhesives such as VERIFIX MV 750 or B 682-0 to attach the metal part to the glass base.

To get a decent result, take into account the following recommendations:

1. Before work, clean the plane, get rid of any small debris, as well as the remnants of paint and varnish coatings. Degrease the surfaces, but under no circumstances use gasoline or kerosene for this, as a film remains after them. Special liquid degreasers are sold for glass.
2. Heat the surfaces with a construction hairdryer, and, thanks to this, you will increase the level of adhesion. In this case, you need to heat up to 60 degrees.
3. Apply glue in a thin layer, spread evenly over the surface and connect the parts.
4. Now the UV treatment starts. You need to irradiate the surface to be glued twice. After the first treatment, the bond strength reaches about 70%, and after the second one we can safely speak of 100% conjugation. Remember that the duration of exposure depends on the power of the device. And the first stage of irradiation is usually much longer than the second.

Obviously, there are enough tools available today that can be used to glue a glass countertop to metal. They differ in price and method of application, but in general, most adhesives guarantee a decent result.

Video: gluing the support to the tabletop