Best adhesive for bonding vinyl to MDF?

[rscotta831 10+ year member]

Looking for the best adhesive for bonding vinyl-backing to MDF. I tried the $4 can of spray adhesive at Lowe's & it has some trouble bonding the vinyl-backing when it wraps around the MDF.

I didn't want to spend $14 for the 3M can of spray adhesive, but if it's the best as recommended by you guys, then I'll get it.

Opinions on any products?

Click to read more...

 

[Black_Jesus 10+ year member]

ill vouch for the 3m. good stuff

 

[Black_Jesus 10+ year member]

wrapping around? why? just do the faces, then make cuts. clean up the edges. and your done

 

[rscotta831 10+ year member]

wrapping around? why? just do the faces, then make cuts. clean up the edges. and your done

It's a 1/2-inch MDF amp rack removable cover. What about the sides? They would easily show.

 

[Black_Jesus 10+ year member]

do the surfaces side by side. dont try to bend the vynl around the edges. unless you score it and angle cut.. it wont ever look right just bent around the edge

 

[rscotta831 10+ year member]

I guess I would just have to post a pic of the MDF cover. The MDF is so thin in areas that it has to be covered with one piece of vinyl. And I did use angle cuts in obvious areas.

It would look awful if I covered the face in one piece & then each side in one piece...the white vinyl-backing would show on the edges.

 

[JAZN 5,000+ posts]

hot glue gun. my 3m tends to stop working here and there, but i never go wrong with hot glue.

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

3m and vinyl will last about a year. best bet is take it to an ahpolester or get green red or orange ahpolster glue. it will last for years. some times they sell it cheap at stores but if you need it go to select products they always have it..

 

[rscotta831 10+ year member]

Hot glue would no doubt hold, but it's very hot. It might burn through the thin vinyl & show ugly burn marks on the face. HOWEVER, I could use it in places like the sides & back where it's coming up & won't show. Good idea! I'll try it tonight.

Not familiar with upholstery glue. I assume they're hot glue sticks that go in a hot glue gun? And what's the benefit over standard hot glue sticks? Or is that glue in liquid form like Elmer's?

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

noooooooo it is sprayed with a gun or brushed

 

[bcarpenterfhl 10+ year member]

do not use a hot glue gun, that is a dumb idea. because vinyl is vulnerable to air bubbles, you the the entire surface covered with a bonding agent. i just vinyled by fiberglass monitor mount, and contact cement worked really well for me. However, i had an air compressor at my disposal, and i've never seen an aerosal contact cement can, so you're best off with 3M adhesive spray. I believe 90 is quite stronger than 77, so you may want to consider 3M 90.

*edit*- only use hot glue on the sides that wont show, like for gluing down edges underneath.

just a tip: i dont know how your object is shaped, but if its really curvy, use a hair drier to warm of the vinyl and stretch it. Careful though, hold in one spot too long and you will get a burn mark.

 

[bonesninja 5,000+ posts]

you almost have to use a spray adhesive for vinyl--if you use a hot glue gun it will leave very visible lumps where the glue is.

 

[6spdcoupe 5,000+ posts]

The easiest way and what Ive been doing for years is to first carpet the piece. This will work as padding to avoid any defects in the surface and to also eliminate possible tears at the corners. The using 3M 90 spray both the vinyl backing and the carpet, let it get a bit tacky then put them together. Wrap all the sides and make your needed angle cuts at the corners. The using a nuematic staple gun staple it underneath. A regular staple gun would work, but would take forever and is a Real PITA.

Hope that helps some. Cars that Ive done back in the late 90's are still holding strong.

 

[rscotta831 10+ year member]

Hot-melt glue worked well for where I needed (sides & back). It definitely would not have looked good if I had used it on the face as it causes lumps (as bonesninja mentioned). The spray adhesive should hold on the face as the sides & back are down well.

Thanks for the suggestions guys! I'll probably try roll-on contact cement for future projects.

 

[PaLiAcH 10+ year member]

the secret to spray adhesive is to spray both the wood and vinyl, then wait about 10-20 seconds to let the adhesive get tacky... then apply vinyl to mdf...

im in the upholstery business... i work with spray adhesive all the time //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif