Gluing prints: how to join parts
Gluing prints means joining PLA or PETG parts with adhesive. Most often superglue or two-part epoxy is used.
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Which glue to choose
- Superglue (cyanoacrylate) bonds PLA quickly, suits small areas and repairs. The joint is hard and can crack on impact.
- Two-part epoxy (epoxy resin) holds firmly and fills gaps. It has to be mixed and takes longer to set, but it is suited to larger areas and joints under load.
- Hot glue and plastic glue are weaker and suit joints that are not demanding. There is a general overview on Wikipedia.
PLA and PETG
PLA glues well. PETG is smooth and chemically resistant, so superglue holds worse. For PETG it is better to use epoxy and roughen the surface. Solvent welding, which is used with other plastics, is not a common method for PLA and PETG.
How to glue
- Roughen. Lightly sand the surfaces to be glued, see sanding.
- Degrease with isopropyl alcohol and let it dry.
- Large area. For cuts in split models use pins and grooves, see splitting a model. A slanted cut gives a larger area.
- Dry fit. Assemble the parts without glue first to see how they fit.
- Safety. Cyanoacrylate also bonds skin, wear gloves and ventilate.
Apply the glue in a thin layer and hold the parts for a few minutes. With epoxy, follow the maker's cure time, it reaches full strength only after several hours. A joint often breaks between layers rather than at the glued spot, so orient the glued surface so that it is not perpendicular to the layers.
When ordering
We do not glue as a service, you receive the individual parts. If parts are hard to fit together, see tolerances. Also bear in mind that glue adds a little thickness, so leave clearance for precise joints.
Common questions
What should I use to glue PLA?
Superglue for small areas, two-part epoxy for larger or loaded joints. Roughen the surfaces.
Why does PETG glue badly?
It has a smooth, chemically resistant surface. Epoxy and roughened surfaces hold better.
Will you glue the printed parts for me?
No, we do not glue as a service. You receive the individual parts.
Related terms
Splitting a model
Splitting a model means cutting a large or complex part into several pieces that are printed separately and joined afterwards. It is used when a model does not fit on the bed or prints better in parts.
Sanding prints
Sanding is wearing down the surface of a print by hand or machine with sandpaper to reduce visible layers. It is the first step if you want to paint a part or have it smooth to the touch.
Epoxy coating
An epoxy coating is a thin layer of two-part epoxy resin applied to the surface of a print. It floods the layers, cures to a hard glossy finish and usually stiffens the part.
PLA
PLA (polylactic acid) is the most common 3D printing material, made from plant starch. It is cheap, accurate and easy to print, but it does not withstand heat above about 60 °C or long exposure to sun.
PETG
PETG is a tough 3D printing plastic, a close relative of the material in PET bottles. Compared with PLA it withstands more heat, impact and moisture, so it suits technical parts and outdoor use.
Tolerances
Tolerances in 3D printing set how far a printed dimension may differ from the model and how much clearance to leave between parts that are meant to fit together.
SourcesSources checked 1 November 2026, 3
- Cyanoacrylate, Wikipedia, checked 2026-11-01
- Epoxy, Wikipedia, checked 2026-11-01
- Adhesive, Wikipedia, checked 2026-11-01
We will print it for you
Upload a model and see the price per piece, the total with shipping and the date at once. We print in Košice, Slovakia, from PLA and PETG.
No model? No problem, pick a ready one
These sites have thousands of free models. Download an STL or 3MF and upload it here. If you sell it or use it for business, check the model licence. How to pick a model and licence