Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Im trying to make a dyi carry/storage case.

I was planing on glueing metal coins to bottom of base and glue another metal coin to the bottom of plastic 'really useful box'. (Plastic box)

I used a superglue gel to stick the coins to the bottom of a box and went to work. After coming home i realised that the coins didint stick and slid right of the plastic with a smooth glass loke layer on the coins. The glue didint bond at all.

So my theory is
a) the plastic is too smooth and coated with something.

B) the coins wont bond to the plastic because its the wrong type of glue for the job. Although i have never had superglue not stick to anything. Interestingly the magnets i stuck on the coins also didint bond. So perhaps the metal in the coins (new 1p & 2p coins).

Appreciate any sugestions. First time superglue has failed me so im stumped lol

Yeah, coins are really hard to get to stick down. You can try scoring both the plastic and the coin before gluing, that can help.

Alternatively try using green stuff. It take like 24 hours to properly cure but it should hold the coin in well enough.

You probably should use 2-part mix 5 minutes set epoxy glues; regular super glue don’t work on metal well unless it’s pinned; plastic glue don’t work at all.

I would second the suggestion of 2 part epoxy, this is exactly the application it would be good for since you can leave it to cure.

But I'd also still try to score the surfaces as well. It wouldn't hurt to give the epoxy the best surface to work on.

superglue will stick metal to plastic, but you should clamp it together for it to bond properly, or the bond will loosen as the heavier metal pulls down due to gravity (I assume you left the bases the right way up)

but as others have suggested, pinning, or some other stronger bonding agent will help hugely. lately I've been using my greenstuff world UV activated resin to reinforce certain metal bonds (i'm too lazy and cheap to go out and buy 2 part epoxy)

there are 2 problems here:
1: all the raised details on the coins means there's not much surface area for the glue to grab hold off.
2: the plastic is probably in the PVC family & superglue doesn't work well with it.

You could try using washers instead of coins or a hot glue gun instead of superglue.

It's also worth noting that 1p & 2p coins will attract magnets.

Roughing up the plastic (sanding - although be careful with the particles) might help.

The actual contact surface area of the coins (as mentioned above) is probably also an issue.

Do you have zap-a-gap in the UK?

I still have some permanently stuck on few of my 28mm bases using US nickels (did it prior to turn of the millennium and still stuck with no signs of denaturing/deterioration).

Also, cure the glue off the magnetic surface - it sounds like the coin is peeling off due to magnetic force before the glue can fully cure.

right.. So I tried washers. Did not work.
Scoring the coins and the box. Did not work.

I even tried plastic cement glue a GW plastic base to the box bottom which was severely roughed up by sand paper, screw and graters... This.. did not work! I mean the base stuck but as soon as a magnet was placed and tried to remove the top coin it just came clean of lol..

So at this stage I am throwing in the towel on this idea. SPoke to my opponent today and he has recommended these ferro sheets shich he uses with the same boxes I bought.

http://www.tinytintroops.co.uk/Bases/Flex_Mag_sheets.htm?fbclid=IwAR3A8Wu7z8M_xblW35AgtRrhpTTIXIFFeUmnJuNfKU3jxnSanEFWE4Vz1DY

I will buy some of these instead of trying to push with epoxy etc as there is no point. really surprised by how much fail was involved in this. Sadly it meant some models could not join battle today as they would have disintegrrated in conventional storage. Magnets forward..

Thank you all for the tips.

Plastic cement only works for the particular type of plastic that models are made from. It won't stick to a plastic box.

Scoring surfaces is also next to useless for superglue. I don't know where this myth came from, but it actually creates a worse bond, because superglue works best when it has flat surfaces to work with.

For hard plastics, lightly sanding the surface to break the shiny outer layer can help. You can also get an 'all plastics' superglue, which is basically just superglue with a primer pen that helps to create a better bond.

For what you're trying to do, though, I think an epoxy or some other type of 'glue anything to anything else' type glue is going to be a better option than superglue.

If you’re in the US, you can get Walther’s Goo from model railroad suppliers. It is a rubbery solvent type cement, and has always held coins like nickels well in GW bases for me.

You could try silicone gasket maker, its cheap and sticks like s--t also has a tiny nozzle applicatior so not much to mess up, needs keyed surfaces to work.
Other suggestions are uhu impact adhesive