Glue...Help!

Q: Friends of mine are looking for a glue that is a strong bond from metal to metal, that will stand up to jewelry shock impact...that's it...any suggestions?

A: Is the bond going to show? Is there a reason that they do not want to solder the pieces? What kinds of metal and what texture? No glue will ever make a GREAT metal bonding material, though some are better than others. How much shock must the bond withstand (what type of jewelry, earrings, or bracelets)? Try 2-part 'Epoxy', or liquid nail. They both work well, but you have to make sure that both pieces are really clean before gluing. My "adhesive of choice" in jewelry applications is 'E-6000'. It's incredibly strong, but has just a bit of flexibility when cured to prevent things popping off. Roughing up the surface a little is also a good idea. It is toxic, so be sure to have good ventilation. It was not I that asked ... but I was asking more questions like, will the glued area show? So, I could give some info. Ugly glue is not going to work if there is any chance it will be seen. There are few glues strong enough to glue metal to metal in a bracelet (or worse, a ring) because of the hard use they get (that's why I do not wear any bracelets - I break most of them). That is a good site. There is a glue info page in the 'Rio Grande' catalog too. There are some good glues, but none that are "invisible" AND super strong. That's why I asked the questions. It is not for my work, so I have no way of knowing the particulars. I would use silver solder (assuming silver and copper) or gold solder for gold. A soldered joint is quite strong (but still a touch weaker than the rest of the metal), and glue will never be that strong. I agree solder would truly be the way to go, but there is a trick when using silver solder. You must make extra sure that the metals do not oxidize as you are soldering them, or the joint will not hold. Silver solder may also be used with stainless steel (although tricky) and brass without any problems. When soldering white metal (a.k.a. pewter), one would use a tin/lead based solder. This allows the solder to melt at a lower temperature and not melt the white metal base.

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