WHICH GLUE WILL MEND PLASTIC SUNGLASSES FRAMES?

[Ann]

I have snapped the side of an expensive pair of sunglasses made of plastic. I cannot just replace the side as it is formed to be part of the front of the frame so the sides are not replacable. I need to stick the side with glue suitable for plastics but I have wasted so much money trying about a dozen brands which will just not stick! Can anyone suggest a glue which is available here in the UK please?

[welshlibranr]

Maybe Superglue will work!......but be careful not to glue your fingers to the glasses!......it sets really fast!...........

[Ann]

Thanks - but no, Superglue will not work, neither will the ultra-strong "Gorilla glue" also tried UHU for plastics and tons of others............

[puternut]

The glue used to stick on false nails? Seems to work with the hard type of plastics that super glue doesnt

Araldite?

[scotman]

I would be very surprised if anything works. Plastics like that are notoriously hard to bond and the application is usually high stress. If you succeed please come back and tell us what you used.

[rowanwitch]

The only thing that might work is using a micro drill the sort of thing miniaturists use and drilling sets of holes on each side of the break and inserting (glueing in) pieces of wire or fine plastic like the dowels you get in flat pack furniture... then once you have glued those and the join leave for a couple of days to make sure the internal glue is set then get a small piece of clear acrylic cut and sanded to fit and glue it on the inside of the side across the join to reinforce it.... I'd probably use an epoxy resin type glue araldite or similar

[RATTER15]

There is a special superglue for plastic however im thinking its time to throw them and buy a new pair, the arms of glasses have such a small area to bond its highly unlikely it will ever work.

Hint: if you're putting one lot of glue on top of an old glue that failed it will never work.

[Ann]

Thanks for all the advice! My husband has eventually bought a new pair but still loves the style of these old faithful ones which you can't buy anymore...... I resorted to using black insulating tape but he now looks like Jack Duckworth (Coro Street) so guess thats not the answer!!

[Clanad]

I buy and sell vintage Bausch & Lomb Ray Ban's on Ebay and some of the sunglasses I buy need repair. I find that, here in the U.S., there are several very reasonable Optical laboratories that do amazing reapirs on all kinds of glasses and sunglasses, from metal ones to nylon/plastic ones. One goes to thier website, completes and order form and mails the glasses to them. They evaluate your request and either call or e-mail the estimate for the reapirs, which you pay for with a credt card. In most cases, they pay for the return postage... again, stressing that's here in the U.S. Surely the same type of business is available in the U.K.

[RATTER15]

A good man with a fine drill would be able to drill and put steel rods in to support the plastic, that could well be a very effective repair coupled with a very good Cyanoacrylate glue.