Attaching aluminium channel to Duropal

[Sporky McGuffin]

Afternoon all - wasn't quite sure where to put this but aluminium is certainly metal...

I'm building some slightly industrial-looking (ie scruffy) workshop drawers, and taking the opportunity to use up the last of the Duropal from my previous house's kitchen. For anyone fortunate enough not to have ever encountered Duropal it's two thin layers of brushed aluminium (0.5mm or so at a guess) with a composite core - I think the core is resin and craft paper.

Having messed up cutting the Duropal the edges were a bit ragged, so I bought some mini aluminium channel to go around them with mitred corners. Now I need to fix the channel to the Duropal and am after suggestions on how to do it. The channel itself is about 12mm wide, with a 9mm central gap, and the Duropal is about 6mm thick. I would like the channel to sit against the front of the Duropal.

Thus far I had considered making up some little spacers and then screwing through the back of the channel into the Duropal, or using an epoxy or silicone.

 

[MARK.B.]

Could you just epoxy in the spacer/shim and channel in one go, no screws needed

 

[Inspector]

If not epoxy there are lots of sealants and adhesives that would work too and they can be "gunned" into the grooves and any gaps. The black snot used to hold your windscreen (notice I didn't say windshield) in place is an example or sealant/adhesive for gutters.

Pete

 

[Sporky McGuffin]

Excellent suggestions - thanks!

I've got some fancy-pants Loctite CA epoxy and some 3mm ply offcuts. I smell a plan.

 

[clogs]

just buy some polyurethane sealant from the builders merchant.....
it works a lot like silicone but better for this job...it's in the builders size tubes like silicone.....once it's stuck/cured u'll destroy the thing thats glued up before it gives way.....
I use it all the tip.....I even stick the soles back on my work boota when the toes part company...
it does until the boots are a throw away....
u can even get it in a range of colours...
if ur flush with money Sikkens makes a similar product....

 

[Jameshow]

Ebt glue sealant is good stuff cheaper than 521 or 3M 5100....

https://www.screwfix.com/p/sika-sik...1wwCLadBrFOcjLQWWq4aAlWjEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
Cheers James

 

[Cabinetman]

Or not cover the bad edge at all, I haven’t done it but I’m sure you could plane it. Ian

 

[Ollie78]

Sikaflex is a good option and comes in a good range of colours. There are lots of hybrid polymers that will be good like Stixall, etc.

Ollie

 

[Sporky McGuffin]

Or not cover the bad edge at all, I haven’t done it but I’m sure you could plane it. Ian

I did tidy the edges a bit - got a much better cut with a 60T blade on the tablesaw. At this point, though, I rather like the look with the channel attached!

First drawer went OK just using a thick superglue but I like the shim and epoxy plan - it feels well within my capabilities (and what I have to hand).

Much obliged for all the suggestions - I'll post a photo when it's done.

 

[Sporky McGuffin]

That was easier than I'd expected. Two of the drawers only needed the 3mm ply shims pressing into the gap, and the channel is now rock solid. For some reason (tolerance in the channel and/or ply is my guess) I added a bit of medium CA.

Here are the teeny little shims in place in one drawer front:

And here's the finished set of drawers. You will note (and ideally be kind about) the slight wonkiness. The scratches I am quite happy with - they'll get more, and these were all made from a bit of offcut I'd had lying around for at least 5 years. They go in and out and they hold stuff; I'm taking that as a bit of a victory for my first ever set of drawers.

Just to the left is the last bit of Duropal, which will become a door once I've figured out the right positions for the hinges and the bits of timber needed to fix them into the cabinet.

 

[voyager]

i think instead of "Duropal" you mean Dibond, i tend to glue it with PU adhesive but looks like you already done a pukker job

 

[Sporky McGuffin]

It's certainly like Dibond; my assumption is that it's a different brand name for similar stuff. But it most definitely did have "Duropal" written all over the plastic film protecting (most of) the finish. You can see "ROPAL" bottom left of the last photo.

 

[Cabinetman]

Hadn’t realised exactly what you were doing but that looks really professional!

 

[Owd Jockey]

Hi Sporky, I was also abit confused with the term "Duropal", which in my experience, refers to a product and company based in Germany producing kitchen worktops which are surfaced with a high-pressure laminate and composite core. During last lockdown, I renovated my kitchen with Duropal worktops.
Confusingly, there is a UK based company also called Durapol and offer a product called DuraPol offering advanced anti-corrosion coating technology.

 

[Sporky McGuffin]

I've found the stuff at stockists, but not on Duropal's site.

https://www.cwberry.com/duropal-2050-x-1300-x-96mm-brushed-aluminium-m80000-hg-splashback
I don't recommend using it though; as a splashback it's near impossible to clean, and for this sort of thing it's horrible to work with. OK to CNC though - I've made a few little holders for screwdrivers and Allen keys and so on which go onto my pegboards.