Why do you call lexel silicone?

[Notarealsignguy]

So I wanted to be a realsignguy and ordered some lexel to see what the hype was about. I've always used 3m 5200 and sikaflex for bonding. This isn't silicone. Did I buy the wrong stuff? If not, why does everyone compare it to regular silicone, which typically won't stick to crap?

 

[Jester1167]

Lexel is awesome. I gave up on silicon years ago and started using power grab until Lexel came along. Lexel is thicker with more initial holding power and doesn't dry out and get brittle like construction adhesives. Because it stays flexible, it can handle materials with dissimilar expansion coefficients. The only downside is that it's harder to clean up the squeeze-out then power grab or silicone.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Lexel is awesome. I gave up on silicon years ago and started using power grab until Lexel came along. Lexel is thicker with more initial holding power and doesn't dry out and get brittle like construction adhesives. Because it stays flexible, it can handle materials with dissimilar expansion coefficients. The only downside is that it's harder to clean up the squeeze-out then power grab or silicone.

I wish I would have known that it's not actually silicone. I have always turned my nose up at it because silicone is a terrible adhesive and never understood why everyone thought it was great. Now it makes more sense

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

Level is the best. Silicone smells like crap and doesn't stick well.

 

[Moze]

....whereas Lexel smells like crap and does stick well.

It actually smells just like model glue - the glue that came with model cars. Which makes sense because it welds/etches just like model glue used to.

That being said, I've never seen it referred to on the forum as silicone.....just a superior alternative.

 

[Andy D]

I will be the odd-man out and say I will never use Lexel again, I tried it on several projects and was
extremely disappointed every time. It's next to impossible to clean up & I set letters, came back 48 hours later
& it still wasn't set/dried.

 

[Johnny Best]

That 3M 5200 you mentioned, that stuff really adheres to things. Messy though. Whats the difference in price between 3M 5200 and a tube of Lexel?

 

[Notarealsignguy]

That 3M 5200 you mentioned, that stuff really adheres to things. Messy though. Whats the difference in price between 3M 5200 and a tube of Lexel?

About 10 bucks but we have been using bostik 940 and 940FS (fast set) which is about the same price as lexel. It works just as good as 5200 and just as messy. I always wear gloves with it.

 

[Moze]

I will be the odd-man out and say I will never use Lexel again, I tried it on several projects and was
extremely disappointed every time. It's next to impossible to clean up & I set letters, came back 48 hours later
& it still wasn't set/dried.

Yeah, you kind of have to be aware of that going in. It takes a while to fully set up. It's definitely not a quick grab solution. Silicone sets up much faster. But if you have something acrylic or polycarbonate that will stay in place while the Lexel sets up, once the Lexel DOES cure, no one is going to get it off easily.

I guess the best example I can think of is a heavy tape-mounted acrylic panel. The tape alone may easily hold it in the short term but may start to sag over the long term. Lexel is perfect for that.

 

[Billct2]

I agree, we use the lexel/tape combo often

 

[GAC05]

Team Joe does not approve of Lexel either

 

[SignosaurusRex]

Team Joe does not approve of Lexel either

Should have used "TrumpTack 2020b".

 

[visual800]

when you say silicone doesnt stick to crap, what crap are you referring to? I tried Lexel and Im not a fan, I will stick to silicone as it has never failed me. The ONLY time it failed was when there was a huge bad bacth released and you could tell as soon as it came out of the tube

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

I don't mind the smell of Lexel. You can clean it up with rapid remover.

 

[a77]

Good stuff - hard to clean for sure, so it's tougher if you are doing small letters.

 

[eahicks]

Level is the best. Silicone smells like crap and doesn't stick well.

Maybe you're not using the 'right' silicone. GE Silicone I is a great adhesive for most stuff. Don't get the regular silicone II sealant stuff. For metal signs we use Lord 810 Signlok.

 

[MikePro]

i still LOVE silicone, aside from functionality my main draw is that I can get tubes for under $4, whereas Lexel/PowerGrab tubes are $7-10ea.
obviously it doesn't work in every single situation, as we have different solutions for different situations, but I'd say we go through about 1000 tubes of silicone every year and that makes a HUGE difference.

 

[Moze]

Agreed - I rarely need the Lexel, but it's always on the van. The maority of what I install is with silicone.

I mainly use Lexel for acrylic or polycarbonate signs in specialty situations (heavy signs, signs subject to tampering or theft, etc) since silicone adheres poorly to bare, smooth acrylic and polycarbonate.

Lexel isn't good for immediate grab. It is however, once cured, excellent for ensuring a sign won't go anywhere unless a prybar of some sort is used.