---
title: "Which glue works on acrylic?"
description: "A solvent cement run into the joint by capillary action — not a tube adhesive, which will always look like a repair. The ranked options, the technique that changes t"
url: https://atoneplace.net/which/glue-acrylic/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Which glue works on acrylic?

**Which glue works on acrylic?: A solvent cement run into the joint by capillary action — not a tube adhesive, which will always look like a repair.**

Acrylic is amorphous, so a solvent can get between its chains and soften the surface, and two softened faces held together fuse into one piece. The catch is stress. Sheet acrylic carries internal stress from extrusion and from machining, and a solvent applied to a stressed area produces crazing — a fine network of cracks that appears over hours or days and cannot be removed. Annealing the parts before bonding, typically a slow warm soak followed by slow cooling to the maker's schedule, relieves that stress and is the difference between a professional job and one that crazes. The traditional thin cements are based on methylene chloride, which is a suspected carcinogen and is now restricted in consumer paint strippers in several markets; where it is still sold, it needs serious ventilation and gloves that actually resist it.

## The options, ranked

*Ranked best-first for the stated job. The third column is why the others exist.*

| Option | Good at | Bad at |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Thin solvent cement | Water-thin, drawn into a tight joint by capillary action, and welds an almost invisible seam stronger than any glue. | Needs a joint with no gap at all, and the solvent runs anywhere it is dropped and etches the surface instantly. |
| Thickened acrylic cement | Fills a gap of up to a millimetre or so and still welds; the answer where the cut edges are not perfect. | Visible glue line, and it traps bubbles if applied carelessly. |
| UV-cure acrylic adhesive | Water-clear, controllable, and cures on demand — used for display cases and jointing to glass. | Needs UV to reach the joint, and it is a bond rather than a weld. |
| Cyanoacrylate | Available everywhere and fast. | Fogs the surface with its vapour and triggers crazing that spreads through the sheet over the following days. |

## Technique that changes the outcome

1. Cut and finish the edges square: a capillary joint needs full contact along its length
2. Anneal machined parts before bonding if the piece matters
3. Assemble dry, tape in position, then run the cement along the seam with a needle applicator and let capillary action pull it in
4. Leave the protective film on until the last moment to keep solvent off the faces
5. Support the joint for at least a few hours; full strength takes a day or more

## What goes wrong

- Superglue, which fogs the surface and starts crazing
- Cleaning acrylic with alcohol, ammonia glass cleaner or acetone — all attack it
- Using methylene chloride cement without ventilation and suitable gloves

> Compiled practical guidance rather than a published standard. Product formulations vary by brand and market, so read the label — and where the work is structural, electrical or gas, the regulations that apply where you are govern rather than anything here.

## Other glue and adhesive questions

| For | Use |
| --- | --- |
| Plastic | It depends entirely on which plastic — identify it first, because solvent cement is unbeatable on some and useless on others. |
| Polypropylene and polyethylene | Ordinary adhesives cannot wet these plastics at all. Use a polyolefin primer with cyanoacrylate, an MMA structural adhesive, or weld the plastic. |
| Wood | PVA wood glue for anything indoors; a water-resistant grade (Type I / D4) or polyurethane for anything that gets wet. |
| Metal | Two-part epoxy for anything structural, cyanoacrylate for small dry parts, and MMA where the surface cannot be properly prepared. |
| Ceramic and pottery | Two-part epoxy for anything that will be handled or loaded, cyanoacrylate for a clean break on a display piece — and neither is dishwasher-proof. |
| Shoes | A flexible shoe repair adhesive — polyurethane or a neoprene contact cement — never superglue, which cracks within a day of walking. |
| Fabric | A washable fabric adhesive or a fusible bonding web — and never superglue, which reacts with cotton violently enough to burn. |
| Glass | UV-cure glass adhesive for an invisible joint, clear epoxy where it must hold load, and neutral-cure silicone where it must stay flexible or wet. |
| PVC pipe | PVC solvent cement with its matching primer — and PVC, CPVC and ABS cements are not interchangeable. |
| Tiles | A cement-based thin-set in almost every case; ready-mixed tub adhesive only on small dry walls, never on floors or in showers. |
| Phone screens | A pre-cut adhesive gasket, or a flexible B-7000-type adhesive around the frame — superglue destroys screens and is the classic mistake. |
| Rubber | Contact cement for large flexible areas and rubber-toughened cyanoacrylate for small ones — but silicone and EPDM need a primer or they will not bond at all. |
| Outdoor and waterproof joints | Polyurethane or epoxy for rigid joints, MS polymer where the joint has to move — and check the water-resistance class rather than the word "waterproof". |
| Concrete | Epoxy or a construction adhesive for bonding to it, and a chemical anchor resin — not glue — for anything that carries load. |
| Leather | Contact cement for a permanent flexible bond, or a leather-craft PVA to hold pieces while you stitch them. |
| Silicone | Effectively only more silicone, and even that needs a primer — and any silicone residue left on a surface stops everything else sticking too. |
| Paper | A glue stick or PVA for everyday work; wheat starch paste or methylcellulose for anything you want to survive — and never tape. |
| Foam | A foam-safe water-based adhesive or low-temperature hot melt — solvent adhesives dissolve polystyrene on contact. |
| Polycarbonate | A urethane or silicone adhesive is safest; solvent cements work but polycarbonate is unusually prone to stress cracking days later. |

## Common questions

### Which glue works on acrylic?

A solvent cement run into the joint by capillary action — not a tube adhesive, which will always look like a repair.

### What should I avoid?

Superglue, which fogs the surface and starts crazing Cleaning acrylic with alcohol, ammonia glass cleaner or acetone — all attack it Using methylene chloride cement without ventilation and suitable gloves

## Related pages

- [Which glue works on plastic?](https://atoneplace.net/which/glue-plastic/)
- [Which glue works on polypropylene and polyethylene?](https://atoneplace.net/which/glue-polypropylene/)
- [Which glue works on wood?](https://atoneplace.net/which/glue-wood/)
- [Which glue works on metal?](https://atoneplace.net/which/glue-metal/)
- [Which glue works on ceramic?](https://atoneplace.net/which/glue-ceramic/)
- [Which glue works on shoes?](https://atoneplace.net/which/glue-shoes/)
- [Which glue works on fabric?](https://atoneplace.net/which/glue-fabric/)
- [Which glue works on glass?](https://atoneplace.net/which/glue-glass/)
- [Which glue works on PVC pipe?](https://atoneplace.net/which/glue-pvc-pipe/)
- [Which adhesive should I use for tiles?](https://atoneplace.net/which/glue-tile/)

## Sources

- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place (/about/)