Materials Best glue for magnets

Can you tell us which glues you've tried already? (Saves on people suggesting stuff you've already done )

 

The most commonly used glue for magnets is cyanoacrylate ("super glue") but not all are created equal.
There are two main types, the gel type and the liquid type. Gel is best for when you have a little bit of wiggle room in the socket and need a few seconds to position the magnet corectly. The liquid kind is best if you have a very close fit and need the glue to get in there without taking up any space of it's own and it sticks much faster, so it has a bit of a learning curve, but it does save time when glueing a whole batch of doll parts at once.

Different brands also preform a bit differently sometimes. I use Loctite brand and get good results witht that, but there are many others on the market, so if you haven't allready, test several and see wich one works the best for you.
Always testing your materials before risking them on the main project is a good habit to have, anyway.
You can make tests using scrap pieces of polyurethane (like miscast parts, gate cut-offs or mold overflow) and glue magets too that using different glues, let it rest and the simply try to pry the magnets off and see wich glue is the strongest with your combination of materials and working enviroment.

If you have problems with magnets coming loose over and over, despite trying different glues, you may have a fit issue with the socket. Cyanoacrylate does not have full strength over gaps, it works it's best when the fit is tight.
If you have the socket drilled after casting using an ordinary drill, the bottom of the socket will be concave and the magnet only has contact with the sides of the socket, meaning that the surface for the glue to hold on to is very small. Likewise, if the socket is too deep or too big, you will get a similar effect.

Since you say the heads are allready finished, control the sockets. If cast in the mold, control that they have not been deformed and that they still have the correct size and shape. If drilled, make sure they have been properly shaped after drilling and that their depth is right.

You can use two part epoxy, but it cures a lot more slowly and it's a bit harder to work with. And if the problem realy is with the sockets, the problem may remain, so eliminate that first.

Hope you find something that works. Best of luck!

 

Just the information I need. My Minifee girl's magnetic feet keep coming off in her boots as the magnets aren't fixed correctly. Thanks for the advice.