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Epoxy glue for metal: a clamped joint, not a weld

Updated: 23 October 2026

You are sticking a bracket to a timber rail, a tool handle to its tang, or two bits of steel that will not take a neat weld. Epoxy glue for metal can do that when the metal is clean, keyed, and held still. It does not replace a weld on a hot, oily, or safety-critical part. Products Compared checked the metal lines on the amazon.co.uk listings in our [epoxy resin adhesive comparison](/hub/fillers-adhesives-and-sprays/epoxy-resin-adhesive) on 19 October 2026. If you buy through our links, a qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. The question is whether the bracket is a light repair you can clamp, or a part that should leave this set.

You are sticking a bracket to a timber rail, a tool handle to its tang, or two bits of steel that will not take a neat weld. Epoxy glue for metal can do that when the metal is clean, keyed, and held still.

Our top picks

Araldite Araldite Rapid 15 ml x 2 tubes

Best overall

Araldite Araldite Rapid 15 ml x 2 tubes
9.2/10about £7.85
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Araldite Araldite Standard 2 x 15 ml

Rank 2

Araldite Araldite Standard 2 x 15 ml
9.2/10about £7.47
View offer
Gorilla Gorilla Epoxy 25 ml (pack of 2)

Rank 3

Gorilla Gorilla Epoxy 25 ml (pack of 2)
9.4/10about £13.00
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.A joint, not a weld
  2. 2.Clean metal, then a thin film
  3. 3.Which pack in this set
  4. 4.When to stop and leave the set

A joint, not a weld

A weld melts the edges into one piece. A household epoxy wets two surfaces and hardens between them. The load sits in a thin bond line, in shear if the bracket slides, or in peel if something levers the edge. Peel is the unkind one. Expert Reviews says superglue can stick metal but does not fill a gap, and epoxy needs the parts held while it cures. That is an editor's pick, not a load rating. Gorilla's UK page states 240 kg/cm². J-B Weld is not in this comparison, and neither maker's number is a winner here. A gouged engine casing, or a part that must cope with oil and heat, has left these clear tubes. A rear-view mirror button is still the wrong job. Both Araldite listings, and the Rapid data sheet, exclude mirror glue. A fallen mirror belongs with a mirror-button product, or with a glazier.

Clean metal, then a thin film

These reviews fail when the adhesive bonds to the dirt. Wire-brush loose rust, degrease, dry, then key the surface. Gorilla's notes for steel, aluminium, and brass still start with sanding. Polished chrome you will not scratch is a poor candidate. Keep the film thin. A shed bracket needs a flat face, a smear on both sides, and a clamp or a temporary screw so the joint cannot peel. It is heavier than a ceramic chip, so a fingertip is not enough support. One Standard review set poorly outdoors in winter until the work was warm. Cold metal is a heat sink. The mix and the gloves sit on the how to use epoxy glue page. Uncured epoxy is a sensitiser on steel as on wood. Do not wipe it off with solvent.
Araldite Araldite Rapid 15 ml x 2 tubes

Testsieger

Araldite Araldite Rapid 15 ml x 2 tubes
9.2/10about £7.85
View offer

Which pack in this set

Gorilla Epoxy at £13.00 lists metal. The file, 4.5 from 16,684 reviews, includes a hose-reel bracket and hobby parts that superglue had not held. That is light use, not a structural test: five minutes to set, a 30-minute clamp, and 24 hours to full cure. Water resistant is a poor match for driving rain unless you shelter the joint. It is the top pick when the repair is small and ready. Araldite Rapid at £7.85 also lists metal, including a thread insert in hardwood in the reviews, with about five minutes to work and a sandable line after two hours. Skip it if you are still lining the bracket up. Standard at £7.47 lists metal and cures in 14 hours on the tube page. Choose it when alignment is the slow part. Neither tube is a mirror adhesive. The WAN2TLK kit lists metal and, in 108 reviews, has been used on a fan base and on nuts in plywood, beside one report of no bond. Do not read 149°C as an exhaust rating. The 3HA tube names metal, states no cure, and has 2.5 from three reviews.

When to stop and leave the set

Stop when the part is hot, oily, or vibrating as its job. An exhaust, an engine bracket, a brake, or a fuel joint is outside every listing here. Heat, oil, and vibration are why that work wants a weld, not a household syringe. Stop when the metal is polyethylene-coated, or the repair is a plastic clip. Ordinary epoxy does not wet polyethylene, polypropylene, or PTFE, and Gorilla's FAQ sets PVC pipe aside. A copper coupling under mains pressure is a soldered or compression joint. Water resistant is not a plumbing approval. Stop when a peel could injure someone: a stair bracket, a swing fitting, or a mirror you use in traffic needs a mechanical fixing or a product specified for that duty. A steel-filled epoxy is a different aisle for a gouged casting. It still will not make a cracked safety part sound.

Common questions

Should I sand first?
Sand or wire-brush back to sound metal, then degrease and dry. Shiny or rusty faces are why a joint lets go with the dirt still stuck to the glue. If you cannot mark the surface, this is a weak candidate for epoxy.
Can I glue metal to wood?
Yes, when both faces are clean and the joint is supported. A thread insert in hardwood is in the Araldite Rapid reviews, and nuts in plywood jigs are in the WAN2TLK file. The wood still needs to be dry. Paint and varnish should be keyed, not left as a glossy film.
Is it as strong as a weld?
No. These packs do not claim to replace a weld, and we did not test them against one. Use them for a light repair you can clamp. Use a weld, or a specified metal-filled product, when the part is structural, hot, or oily.
Can I use it on an exhaust or an engine?
Do not. Heat, oil, and vibration sit outside the water-resistant household claims here. The 149°C line on the 250 ml kit has no test method in the file, and it is not an exhaust rating.
Can I stick a rear-view mirror back on?
No. Both Araldite listings, and the Rapid data sheet, say not to use the adhesive as a rear-view mirror glue. Buy a mirror-button product or have the glass refitted.

Related pages

Best 2 part epoxy adhesive

Araldite Rapid or Standard

Epoxy resin adhesive

Epoxy resin adhesive buying guide: time and format

How to use epoxy glue: equal mix, clamp, full cure

Sources

Public UK sources used for this comparison. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts were taken from the listings on 19 October 2026.

  1. GB CLP, EUH205 label sentence (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. HSE COSHH skin duties (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. HSE RR79, sensitisation from uncured epoxy (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. Gorilla Epoxy UK product page (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Gorilla on glue drying on wood (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. Araldite Rapid technical data sheet (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Araldite Standard syringe trade note (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 19 October 2026)