So,, tomorrow I get the pleasure of drilling about 300 holes into a couple of boulders. They are Montana rocks. I'll be using this clear supper strong silicone sealent. $8.00 bucks a tube. Liguid nails was cheaper but sometimes I think more money is better. So what's the rest of the world using to glue in stud or combination stud mounted Gemini formed plastic letters into rock, brick, or man-made rocks?
Posted by Michael Boone (Member # 308) on :
silicone
Posted by bruce ward (Member # 1289) on :
silicone
Posted by Mark M. Kottwitz (Member # 1764) on :
Silicone here.
I had an install on some routed letters, but with studs. I has something like 24 letters, and by the time I got to the end, the first ones had set up.
Posted by Dale Feicke (Member # 767) on :
Silicone here also, though I don't know that you need to spend that much for it. Hope you've got a good hammer drill. Have fun!
Posted by Shane Durnford (Member # 8125) on :
Silicone in a small hand held tube - the flow is easier to control and less messy.
Posted by Bruce Bowers (Member # 892) on :
Another vote for silicone.
Posted by John D. Heller Sr. (Member # 8712) on :
My brothers daughter came up with an idea to cut the tip of the silicone cartridge just a little bigger than the stud. Then you shove the stud into the tip as far as it will go. Now you squeeze the trigger as you pull out the stud. This will leave you with a perfect jacket of silicone around the stud. You will use a lot less silicone and there is almost no mess.
Posted by David Harding (Member # 108) on :
If the letters have perforated pads, I usually drill and stud only one per letter and try to pick whichever stud is closest to the vertical midline of the letter. I use silicone on the pads and that one stud. The stud holds the weight of the letter until the adhesive sets up. There are fewer holes to drill and straightening out the letters is facilitated by each one pivoting on only one point. When you have several studs per letter, it's easy to get them crooked initially because the drill bit might "walk" as you drill.
Posted by Dawud Shaheed (Member # 5719) on :
The advantage to silicone as opposed to something like liquid nails or some over priced glue is that if the customer needs to remove the letters it's much easier.
Posted by bruce ward (Member # 1289) on :
i do what david does also. i have taken down 4" latters that have had 4 studs drilled out and inserted, thats a bit much. on a letter that small i would do 1 or 2 would suffice.
Posted by Stephen Deveau (Member # 1305) on :
Silicone GE clear exterior
Posted by Bill Lynch (Member # 3815) on :
Silicone, unless you're concerned about theft, then I use polyurethane adhesive in a caulk tube (PL something i forget the number).
Posted by Dave Sherby (Member # 698) on :
Silicone. When are some of you going to start reading labels. Liquid nails is not recommended for exterior use.
You have to buy an exterior construction adhesive for exterior use and regular liquid nails is not it. There have been several posts on this board about failures using liquid nails.
We use John Hellers method.
Unless the rocks are like sandstone, have a BUNCH of bits ready. I used 6 bits on 19 letters drilled into native rock a while back.
Posted by David Harding (Member # 108) on :
Dave, we just build signs, we don't read 'em.
You're right about checking the labels on the adhesives. Liquid Nails has a whole series for different applications and regular Liquid Nails is not the one to use for outdoor durable installations.
Silicone is probably the best all around, however, when using on chalky limestones, the acetic acid in it will eat into the stone, turning the adhesive line into a pasty mess that will fail. On limestones, I use PL Premium. PL Premium will bond tenaciously to stone, but it does yellow considerably in UV exposure so be careful not to get excess where it can be seen. Doing the John Heller thing helps.