"Steve" wrote in message
...
I've used Araldite for 40 years or more on all kinds of diy repairs and
I've found it pretty good at sticking hard stuff to many other types of
hard stuff. I've nearly run out and need to get some more but it occurs
to me that adhesives might well have moved on in 40 years without me
noticing.

Are there better adhesives out there these days?

Depends on what you are attaching and the speed of cure needed. e.g. One
epoxy I find quite remarkable is JB Weld. I have used this a multitude of
hard to do repairs of the years after 1st having it recommended to me to fix
a crack on the cast iron engine crankcase of our Citroen diesel. The oil
pressure sensor mounting split. I was fitting a secondary oil filter at the
time and was screwing in the tapered oil feed take-off and pressure sensor
fitting when at the last tighten I heard a crack. Starting the engine later
resulted in an quite serious oil leak. Examination revealed the crankcase
boss split because the casting oilway had been drilled off-centre and the
casing had cracked on the thinnest side :-( Anyway short answer was two
liberal coatings of JB weld, the 2nd around a supporting jubilee clip and
suffice to say the repair - subjected to vibration, hot oil at pressure,
road spray etc lasted 5 years until the car was sold.
We have since used it on fuel tank repairs, difficult plastics such a
toolbox clasps, model helicopters etc. Its only downside we have found is
the 24hr cure time to ensure a good bond and the fact it can sag unless
rotated / repositioned during initial setting. I gather there is a fast
cure 5 min version but we have never used that. Araldite for us never sort
of 'set hard' and although well mixed never seems to cure as 'hard' as JB
Weld.
Of course there are the Araldite metalised epoxies but again we find them a
little down on performance when it comes to a difficult repair so tend to
get used for non critical repairs. To be honest some of the Poundland
epoxies give a bond as good as the 3 to 4 times the price Araldite product.