Some of you may remember that I am intending on using the very high bond 3M tape to bond my ali floor paneling to the frame in lieu of any rivets. (But with a Bondurant Panel riveted under the drivers footwell, thanks kb58).

I finally got the tape and bonded a 6" long 1x1 rhs tube to an ali test strip to see how strong the stuff really is.

So strong it's impossible to pull apart in a direct pull. I could probably hang the entire car from the ceiling with this one 6" strip.

I'll be bonding the floor onto the frame today and will post photos later this weekend.

Sounds good Steve.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and all US readers...

Happy Thanksgiving to you and all US readers..

Alan, what exactly is it that they are so grateful for?

surviving the first year against indians, disease, etc, methinks.

btw - I know that there are some really trick glues and planes are held together by em, but I think your are braver than me steve!

Do you get ads for a glue called solvite in the states - its for wallpaper and they glu a guy to a board and dnagle him over sharks



neat solution to the floor - im just too much of a pessimist to have tried that !

atb

steve

On a slightly more serious note, when we use these modern super adhesives at work, we always use one mechanical fastener at each end of the run. Aparently lotus also do this on the Elise floor

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mark Allanson
Happy Thanksgiving to you and all US readers..

Alan, what exactly is it that they are so grateful for?

---

It would be quite good if the SVA Rules were at least Nationally consistant. Seems like some centres have different idea's on safety than other's. Still, it's a 'third eye' to judge over what you done... which I think is good!

Hey, Steve!

Did you have a spare 20 minutes to bond your floor the other day? Just kidding, of course, but it should go way faster than riveting.

I once had occasion to remove a nameplate (made by 3M) from an office door. I am pretty sure that the thing was stuck on with this tape, and when it came off it took a chunk of the door with it, despite my best efforts.

The recommendation for a rivet at the beginning and end of each run is excellent, as the only way to get the tape to budge at all is at the corners. I don't think I'd use a Bondurant panel myself (for a candy-ass road car), but respect the precaution.

So how's it turning out?

Pete

[Edited on 29/11/03 by pbura]

The flooring is attached to the car!
I used a fresh 80 grit flap disc on my angle grinder to scuff all the tubes and also the ali and then I applied the tape to all the tubes. I used 35 lineal feet of tape. Apart from being an incredibly strong bond, it also had the side effect of deadening all of the metallic ringing of the frame. The whole frame sounds like a solid chunk now. It's very unusual.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mark Allanson
On a slightly more serious note, when we use these modern super adhesives at work, we always use one mechanical fastener at each end of the run. Aparently lotus also do this on the Elise floor

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by sgraber
Apart from being an incredibly strong bond, it also had the side effect of deadening all of the metallic ringing of the frame. The whole frame sounds like a solid chunk now. It's very unusual.

---

if aircraft can be glued together i would have thouight a car would be ok

yep - i hinted at that.

difference is boeing et al did lots of testing and research but Steve is faced with gluing it on and hoping the floor never drops out. There is no way a home builder can be properly sure of what and when summat might fail.

We use a 3m glue at work to seal plastic 5mm thick viewing windows to a 2mm thick s/s panel. Its almost impossible to get off. We thow the panel away...!


atb

steve

[Edited on 29/11/03 by stephen_gusterson]

i to have seen this method of fixing thirty foot steel panels to bus sides in the coachbuilding trade.allthough the bare metal has allways been primed first,this is a good fast teckneque when building but a few years down the line when water and condensation sit between the chassis and the floor it will creap under the tape and then it will become unstuck,needless to say your arse will be scrapeing along the floor if your lucky.i cant see the problem with putting the right amount of rivets in.allso when mateing alloy panels against steel you shouldprotect the mateing face of one of the panels with gaffer tape or something sutch like because when these two materials are butted together they react causing the ali panel to drop off..

I'm glad you posted this as I have been considering doing this also. Even if you have to use some rivits, looks like the material between the two metals would be a good idea. Shoukd keep every thing a lot quieter.

Just wanted to know how much the magic tape costs and where to find it? Can it be applied to human lips( i.e. when the other half goes off on one for buying parts for the car).
regards
from a hopeful builder (nothing to do with the build)

Wouldnt the glue itself act as a barrier between the two metals??

I would've thought using gaffer tape on one of the panels would effectively reduce the strength of the join between the floor and the chassis to the strength of the glue on the gaffer tape...?

quote:

---

Originally posted by alainmengoli@hotmail.com
Just wanted to know how much the magic tape costs and where to find it? Can it be applied to human lips( i.e. when the other half goes off on one for buying parts for the car).
regards
from a hopeful builder (nothing to do with the build)

---

are you sure? I couldn't find that bit - not that i was looking mind you officer, I was, errm, I was just errm, looking for a missing pussy cat!

Structural Performance Tests in Architectural Metal Panels

Clink link above for some interesting tests with 5' X 8' building panels.

This tape is amazing stuff, but did deflect some in wind pressure testing. No outright failures, but enough movement to convince me that some rivets are needed, at least on the floor as my ass creates a load of at least 60psf . The question is, how many? I'd ask a supplier, but am a little bashful at this time because I would not be ordering immediately. Maybe one every 3 inches?

For side and rear panels, though, I would be more willing to risk going with tape alone.

Regardless of quantity of rivets needed, this material appears to be superb for weather sealing and insulation against galvanic reaction, and the sound-deadening property that Steve described is as advertised, and way cool.

Pete

Pardon my ignorance but what is a Bondurant Panel?

quote:

---

Originally posted by drmike54
Pardon my ignorance but what is a Bondurant Panel?

---

Just been reading the thread and thought I'd add my experience with 3M VHB tape.

We have used it at work to bond stainless panels to Zintec panels to provide aesthetic exterior finishings to public access kiosks for outdoor applications. Originally we spot welded the panels, together. This worked OK, but came apart too easily when the 'public' were allowed to touch it.

Our metalworking supplier recommended the 3M tape and made us a sample enclosure. We haven't been able to get the thing apart, nor have the caring 'public'.

On balance though I would still sit more comfortably with a few rivets under my bum - just in case.

ATB

Nick

which tape did you buy?

they do look fairly expensive as well, have to work out the cost of all the rivits ill use and the time taken to drill the holes.

are seats normally bolted straight to the floor panel? if so im not suprised you all worry about 3m alone, i would too! my seat sits on a pair of 1" tubes, fully part of the chassis, so i may well have been OK just using the tape. Welded it now though so sod it...

Is this tape only for metal to metal or is it suitable for a powdercoated frame?

Cazzy R

The tape is not at all expensive. I bought a 30M roll (90feet) for $36.00 from McMasterCarr.

They sell a version for metal to metal and another which works on painted surfaces, including powdercoats. I can't remember what the difference in price was, but I believe that the one for painted surfaces was more expensive.

Graber

You should know I have driven my car around the block with the floorpanel held in place only by the VHB and it works great, but for safety sake I will be adding some rivets after I paint the chassis.