ange Posted September 2, 2020 Share Posted September 2, 2020 I'm trying to attach 3 pieces of driftwood and the connection points are too small of a surface area for super glue gel to be effective, does anyone have any recommendations for a wood filler that is aquarium safe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiffany Posted September 3, 2020 Share Posted September 3, 2020 I'm not really sure and am very new..but would silicone work? The same type you would use to seal an aquarium? You could just add enough of a glob to make the surfaces stick? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ange Posted September 3, 2020 Author Share Posted September 3, 2020 It would work somewhat as an adhesive but would take much longer to cure and be harder to control and I need to make sure that the significant gaps are filled so that my driftwood doesn't just snap off (some of the contact points have very little surface area so it's not well-supported). Wood filler would be much easier for me to blend in with the rest of the driftwood while filling in my gaps and providing adequate support which is why I'd prefer to use it if it's safe. This is a photo of the pieces I'm attaching. The bottom two pieces are stuck together with super glue gel but it's an extremely flimsy connection and could easily be broken (source: accidentally broke it once already). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Smith Posted September 3, 2020 Share Posted September 3, 2020 I don't know anything about wood fillers, but I would second the motion for silicone. The long working time for silicone could actually prove to be an advantage, as you seek the best way to distribute the adhesive and clamp the pieces together while they cure. I would also consider Bondo body filler. That stuff cures in minutes, but I don't know how inert it is after curing. It's probably fine for freshwater, but I'm not positive. Bondo is also not an adhesive, but it will give you mass for bonding surfaces with an adhesive after the fact. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ange Posted September 3, 2020 Author Share Posted September 3, 2020 Any suggestions for technique with silicone? I have some extra tubes from resealing the tank that this wood is going in but I really don't want the silicone to be super visible Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Smith Posted September 3, 2020 Share Posted September 3, 2020 (edited) I would focus on the clamping technique first. I would really invest time in getting this clamped and positioned just right. This would then inform me where to apply the silicone and how much to use. You could always pick/peel off the excess. Edited September 3, 2020 by Bill Smith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickS77 Posted September 3, 2020 Share Posted September 3, 2020 I would try an aquarium epoxy putty. It may provide a more substantive connection than silicone. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy's Fish Den Posted September 3, 2020 Share Posted September 3, 2020 2 hours ago, MickS77 said: I would try an aquarium epoxy putty. It may provide a more substantive connection than silicone. exactly what I was going to recommend. I used this stuff a lot when I had a saltwater reef tank to hold live rock together and to affix corals to the rock. I would use a sandwich of this epoxy with gel superglue surrounding to hold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyIce Posted September 3, 2020 Share Posted September 3, 2020 If the Epoxy doesn't work, depending on how visible the join is going to be, I'd use dowels. line everything up, drill holes, apply superglue, insert dowels, and let dry. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDukeAnumber1 Posted September 3, 2020 Share Posted September 3, 2020 That appears to be a difficult situation to try and make adhesives work, especially long term. IMO I think using a positive connection would be best, I would try to figure out a configuration for screws into the wood and buy some stainless steel fasteners from one of the big box hardware stores. Or try what MattyIce suggested. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted September 3, 2020 Share Posted September 3, 2020 (edited) 15 minutes ago, TheDukeAnumber1 said: That appears to be a difficult situation to try and make adhesives work, especially long term. IMO I think using a positive connection would be best, I would try to figure out a configuration for screws into the wood and buy some stainless steel fasteners from one of the big box hardware stores. Or try what MattyIce suggested. I was typing the below, when @TheDukeAnumber1 was typing the above. Great minds think alike! In my garden when I have had to create decorative wood joinery with delicate pieces of wood, I have used stainless steel screws. But along the lines @MattyIce is suggesting, you could also drill holes and then tie everything together with something inconspicous like a small amount of fishing line, or some kind of non-reactive wire. Edited September 3, 2020 by Daniel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ange Posted September 3, 2020 Author Share Posted September 3, 2020 I really like the epoxy + drill and dowels idea. That would help a lot for the vertical piece. Thank you for all of the suggestions! I've never used reef epoxy before, does it release any fumes/require gloves? I've worked with resins before for non-aquarium projects before so have run into those a few times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiffany Posted September 3, 2020 Share Posted September 3, 2020 Awesome!! I learned a bunch form this thread!! Also, that is a very pretty piece of wood. Show some pics if you could once you get it finished please!☺️ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kammaroon Posted September 3, 2020 Share Posted September 3, 2020 There's a technique using super glue and cigarette filters. YouTube has some how to guides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ange Posted September 4, 2020 Author Share Posted September 4, 2020 Every suggestion has something I like about it! 😂 I like this idea a lot because I'm not confident I could drill each piece of hardscape at the correct angle for dowels/screws before using the reef putty. Does anyone think I could substitute cotton balls and/or poly filling instead of filters and achieve similar results? I have an abundance of those at home and that would save me a trip to the store haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyIce Posted September 4, 2020 Share Posted September 4, 2020 (edited) 14 hours ago, ange said: Every suggestion has something I like about it! 😂 I like this idea a lot because I'm not confident I could drill each piece of hardscape at the correct angle for dowels/screws before using the reef putty. Does anyone think I could substitute cotton balls and/or poly filling instead of filters and achieve similar results? I have an abundance of those at home and that would save me a trip to the store haha I do not think cotton balls will work, the filters are tightly compacted into a dowel like shape where the fibers all seems to go in a uniform direction. you can get a pack of 200 top filter tips for around 5$ at most cigar shops/online. Edited September 4, 2020 by MattyIce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now