Lego Table build - glue choice?

[DriveHard]

My son and I will be building him a Lego table together this weekend. I have everything I need except the glue to bond the Lego plates to the plywood table top. Any suggestions??? No, I don't want to use small nails or screws, I want it to look clean.

 

[racin4ds]

I would go with something like a Loctite construction adhesive for this application.

 

[Kira]

Contact cement? I assume you want it to last. Do it outside for sure due to heavy fumes.

A few details of exactly what is being bonded to the plywood would help.

Will the Lego top and plywood bottom be the same size?

Make the plywood oversize to allow for a border molding?

Glass over the Legos?

 

[anndel]

Liquid Nails

 

[spasm3]

Something like this?

Locktite power grab

http://www.loctiteproducts.com/p/pg...-Grab-Ultimate-Construction-Adhesive.htm

 

[benjamming]

Off Topic: Are you making this after any particular pattern or blueprint that you would care to share?

 

[doitmyself]

I have no actual experience with this, but I might be tempted to use the following product because it specifically lists ABS plastic, which LEGO is supposedly made of: http://www.loctiteproducts.com/tds/PG_CA_EX_TBS_tds.pdf

If possible, scuff up the glue surface with sandpaper for better bite. Maybe use an alcohol wipe in case there is a mold release film present.

 

[JHZR2]

Id argue the opposite - are you sure you want these parts to be permanently bonded?

Id either want to size a little lip on the outer edges to friction fit the bases, or else use something really weak and removable, like maybe rubber cement or something like that.

 

[HangFire]

The plates will be pulled upwards, a lot, hard, and often, as Lego blocks are removed. Permanent, tough bonding is really your only option, unless some kind of heat or chemical release is in the offing.

 

[Dave9]

Clear epoxy! Build a perimeter around the edges of the plywood top using wood strips. Glue them down with wood glue. This needs to make a seal around the perimeter for the next step.

Pour on clear epoxy about 3/16" deep. Either pick very slow setting type, which you can let settle very flat and even first (this assumes your plywood is perfectly flat or can be fastened to something to make it so for at least till the epoxy has finished setting up), or faster setting and work on one area at a time that you d4mn off with temporary shims before moving the shims to begin the next area (depends on how many hands and how much time to lay all the legos out) to get all legos set before the epoxy gets too firm.

Inevitably a little bit may end up here or there, so using clear epoxy means the finished project will look better and unlike adhesives that dry to a more rubber state it is easier to use a small scraper tool to get some excess flaked off the top surface. Even so you might want to practice on some scrap material before getting started on the table itself.

You'd need about a quart of epoxy (in total including hardener) for every 300 sq inches at 3/16" depth, plus a little for practice, and spillage/loss. If your epoxy is thin you might find that the legos want to float so you may need another piece of plywood and some weight on top when finished to hold it together till it sets. If your legos are the shallow floor/base type you would want much shallower epoxy than 3/16" depth.

 

[DriveHard]

Thank you for the suggestions!

I am gluing down 10" x 10" Lego plates. Table will be 30" x 30" in size on top, with border trim making it slightly bigger. The plates must be exposed to facilitate building a Lego city, or whatever else we might want to build on the top of it. No specific plans really...I am going to take a 4'x8' sheet of 3/4" plywood, and cut it down to two 30"x30" pieces, screw them together to make a thick and sturdy top, screw four legs onto it (pre-bought off Amazon), glue the plates to the top, then trim with pre-finished oak trim. Guessing it would take me less than an hour to build, but with my 7 year old doing much of the work, guessing it will take half a day (but WELL worth the investment). I can throw up some pics when we are done.

I like the tub surround glue idea...from the research I have done so far, that seems like the best choice. I will go over the backs lightly with a wire wheel before gluing them down.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted by HangFire
The plates will be pulled upwards, a lot, hard, and often, as Lego blocks are removed. Permanent, tough bonding is really your only option, unless some kind of heat or chemical release is in the offing.


Curious. I played with legos growing up without a table or incident, including large castles and towers. Now my children are playing with small legos, extremely well and creatively, with, get this, the LEGO bases only sitting on a tablecloth! And it works fine.

Adhesive can be permanent. I'm just not seeing the need. But that's just me and my 30-something years of LEGO and duplo experience.

 

[DriveHard]

Got 'er done today. The boy got to help a bunch, including the trim nail gun which he was not a fan of...which is odd since he has no trouble plinking targets in the back yard with a .22. Anyways, turned out nice!

 

[doitmyself]

That's awesome. Lego's give me hope for humanity. They fill in the void for Tinker Toys, Erector sets, Lincoln Logs, and building blocks (imagination, and so much more).

 

[Kira]

That's a cool looking AC unit in the corner. What brand is it and what is it called?

 

[DriveHard]

Originally Posted by Kira
That's a cool looking AC unit in the corner. What brand is it and what is it called?


That is my electric smoker...

 

[DriveHard]

Originally Posted by Kira
That's a cool looking AC unit in the corner. What brand is it and what is it called?


Unless you are talking about inside my house, then in that case, it is a homemade subwoofer...one of four.