What glue to use if connecting LR with rods?

seagirl · 01/17/2009, 01:39 PM

I want to connect some LR with acrylic rods, but they won't go all the way thru the rocks. I plan to drill an inch or 2 deep into the rock and then want to glue a rod into that hole. I know super glue will work, but is there anything else that would be cheaper, maybe something that comes in a caulk tube? Will silicon work?

jhildebrand · 01/17/2009, 02:22 PM

Silicone won't adhere very well. I'm going to be doing this soon and using epoxy putty (the two part clay-like stuff).

Reef'in Colorado · 01/17/2009, 02:34 PM

X2

You can pick up Aqua Mend 2 part epoxy at Home Depot.

Squidward5 · 01/17/2009, 02:43 PM

I used Hold Fast epoxy stick when I built my pillars, but Aqua Mend should work well also. I would drill my hole and then stuff about a quarter size piece into the hole and then insert the rod and then let it cure for about 15min , The holes were about 2-3 inches deep,,,,,,,it worked well.

snorvich · 01/17/2009, 03:27 PM

Aquamend. Inexpensive, readily available. Works great.

seagirl · 01/17/2009, 06:19 PM

Aquamend sounds good to me. What section is it in at lowes/hd?

rldavisou · 01/17/2009, 06:58 PM

You can get epoxy that's designed to be the color of coraline algae. I used it to put my rocks together, and it looks great! The white stuff really stands out, and under actinics it practically glows. You can't see the purple stuff unless you already know it's there.

The way I built my rocks was like this:

I live in a rent house, so I wanted to be able to tear my tank down if I needed to therefore, I didn't actually want my rock glued together. I drilled holes for the rods, test fitted the pieces, then pulled them apart. I then reinserted the rod into one piece of rock and wrapped a "snake" of epoxy around the base of the rod, at the surface of the rock. I put the two rocks together to form the epoxy to the shape of the rocks, then pulled them apart, and allowed the epoxy to dry. This way, your rocks are very secure, but they can removed with minimal effort.

I have to credit pwhitby for the process.

01/17/2009, 01:39 PM	#1
seagirl Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 1,130	What glue to use if connecting LR with rods? I want to connect some LR with acrylic rods, but they won't go all the way thru the rocks. I plan to drill an inch or 2 deep into the rock and then want to glue a rod into that hole. I know super glue will work, but is there anything else that would be cheaper, maybe something that comes in a caulk tube? Will silicon work?

01/17/2009, 02:22 PM	#2
jhildebrand Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Green Bay Posts: 782	Silicone won't adhere very well. I'm going to be doing this soon and using epoxy putty (the two part clay-like stuff). __________________ 1000 gallons of liability Current Tank Info: 1000 gallon total system volume - 260g mixed reef - Fish room: 270g fiberglass grow out tank, 150g LPS cube, 150g sump, 150g 'fuge, remote DSB frag tub + 14g nano

01/17/2009, 02:43 PM	#4
Squidward5 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Seattle Posts: 231	I used Hold Fast epoxy stick when I built my pillars, but Aqua Mend should work well also. I would drill my hole and then stuff about a quarter size piece into the hole and then insert the rod and then let it cure for about 15min , The holes were about 2-3 inches deep,,,,,,,it worked well. Last edited by Squidward5; 01/17/2009 at 02:50 PM.

01/17/2009, 03:27 PM	#5
snorvich Team RC member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Outlander Posts: 40,953 Blog Entries: 46	Aquamend. Inexpensive, readily available. Works great. __________________ Warmest regards, ~Steve~

01/17/2009, 06:19 PM	#6
seagirl Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 1,130	Aquamend sounds good to me. What section is it in at lowes/hd? Last edited by seagirl; 01/17/2009 at 06:39 PM.

01/17/2009, 02:34 PM	#3
Reef'in Colorado Reefer Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Frederick, Co. Posts: 934	X2 You can pick up Aqua Mend 2 part epoxy at Home Depot.

01/17/2009, 06:58 PM	#7
rldavisou Moved On Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Oklahoma City Posts: 119	You can get epoxy that's designed to be the color of coraline algae. I used it to put my rocks together, and it looks great! The white stuff really stands out, and under actinics it practically glows. You can't see the purple stuff unless you already know it's there. The way I built my rocks was like this: I live in a rent house, so I wanted to be able to tear my tank down if I needed to therefore, I didn't actually want my rock glued together. I drilled holes for the rods, test fitted the pieces, then pulled them apart. I then reinserted the rod into one piece of rock and wrapped a "snake" of epoxy around the base of the rod, at the surface of the rock. I put the two rocks together to form the epoxy to the shape of the rocks, then pulled them apart, and allowed the epoxy to dry. This way, your rocks are very secure, but they can removed with minimal effort. I have to credit pwhitby for the process.