Glues and adhesives

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At Lowe's I just bought a small bottle of "Gorilla Glue," (best glue on the planet, they say) even though at the time I didn't have any gorillas that needed glueing. There are SO many bonding agents out there. I was wondering which ones folks here have had the best luck with, and for what. (Gorilla Glue says it bonds anything to anything. Why am I sceptical?)

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It's been quite a while, but I believe that the Gorilla Glue was intended for furniture (wood). Only problem was that it was slow curing.

Quite honestly I have used a lot of glues and I cannot recall the exact negatives of all of the ones I chose not to use again. Gorilla Glue was one of those that I never finished the bottle and ended up throwing away. Reason? :shg

Sorry, that's not a lot of help, is it? :wak

It is easier to discuss intended application, than come up with the different glues, rather than the other way around.

Glues are kinda like doctors: you need a different one depending on what's wrong, the part that needs fixing, the severity of the repair, and is it a temporary or permanent fix.

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GG now says it says it bonds just about anything to just about anything. And of course we ALL believe everything the corporate marketing world tells us, right?

Anyway, I just thought a generalized, non-specific adhesive thread would be useful. There's a lot of practical use-knowledge out there and I wanted to tap into some of it.

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plumbers goop is a really foul smelling brain cell killing kind of adhesive. It says it's stronger than glue. Hmm I thought it was glue. I don't know that much about it but it seems to grab on to anything. The excess that squeezes out of the bond can be trimmed with an exacto knife and peeled off when its's dry. Why this is true and the rest of it sticks I have no idea.

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GOOP makes a variety of adhesives and sealants and they're available at Home Despot, et al. I've used several kinds and have had no problems with them. The GOOP Marine Contact Adhesive Sealant (also better than glue) is good and I've read lots of recommendations for it. I suspect it's the same as the Plumber's Goop that Maggie Eau mentioned (marketeers difference). It looks and works like clear silicone sealant.

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Only caveat I have here: Before you apply the adhesive make sure it can be removed. Why?

In the case of regluing carpet on the walls, what happens if you need to remove it to run wire or make repairs. You want to make sure you can get the carpet off without destroying it.

I have also found that the bond will, most likely fail at some point. Will you be able to remove enough of the dried glue to secure a good second bond?

Oh, yeah. A few more things: Is it pliable when it dries? Will it discolor what your gluing? Will it ruin what you are gluing?

There are actually glues that require moisture to set properly. Beware, these suckers 'grow' as they cure to fill cracks.

I keep a bottle of Elmer's woodglue (Titebond?), a bottle of pliable fabric/craft glue, and silicone in my trailer. Of course, I should have a bottle of rubber cement for temporary paper apllications, but don't have that yet. None of those are really interchangeable.

I hope you have better luck than I have had. I have yet to find a 'one bottle does all' type glue.

One thing I do remember about Gorilla Glue. My Dad was a hobbiest woodworker. He tried GG, tossed it, and went back to his Elmers. :shg

GOOP Marine Contact Adhesive Sealant. Now there's one I haven't tried....Hello? Home Depot?

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Pumber's Goop (Marine Goop, Painters Goop, Household Goop, Automotive Goop, Shoe Goo, et al) is a very strong, very abrasion resistant stuff, but I've found it difficult and messy to work with. I've used it to stop leaks in plumbing, seal a cracked pump head, rebuild the heals on running shoes, and many other things. I usually have a tube around.

Gorilla Glue is a urethane glue that truly is incredibly strong, and truly will stick to almost anything, when used as directed. The downsides are that, first, the surfaces to be glued need to be dampened with water, which isn't appropriate for all jobs, and second, the glue expands somewhat as it cures. Therefore, it's best used in areas that aren't visually important. Cleanup can be a problem if a bunch of it oozes out.

Similarly, we get into a lot of discussions about caulk -- how to do it, which caulk to use, and so on. The caulk of choice seems to be marine silicone, but as many have pointed out, it has it's downsides, and many refuse to use it. Urethane caulk, which costs $4 a tube or so locally, is tougher than silicone and has better adhesion properties as well. I find it tools better, too. But beware - once cured, it's a booger to get off.

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I used gorilla glue on my table to glue strips of wood to reinforce it . As we all know they will sag after sleeping on them for a period of time. This mod prevents the problem and the glue has worked perfect.
<img src=http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/uploads/3f1fe69d6b6d5tablemod.JPG/>

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I was just going to head over to Lowe's to see if I could find something to glue rubber backed carpet. I seems that a previous owner of my Casita made some mods and used a latex carpet adhesive to stick the carpet back in place. After a few years, not much is left of that glue. It seems to have evaporated. It is in an area that I probably won't need to access again. I was thinking of just using plain old contact cement as I can't think of any way to hold the carpet in place on a vertical surface while a slow drying glue sets. Anyone got a better idea?

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Craig:

If you're going to Lowes for contact glue, it comes in two ways; smelly kind and not so smelly (costs more). I buy it in a pint can and the smelly kind has been banned from the house. All repairs must be done outside. :)

I think it was Charles W. who suggested making carpet repairs using real carpet glue from a carpet store, and a horse syringe from a farm store. Sticks thru the carpet without leaving a scar.

Your previous repair may have been made with a glue that 'melted' the foam back of the carpet?! Some glues react to some plastics and foam this way. :o

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Gorilla glue - Thanks, Paul. I've had a couple of different brands of urethane glues and couldn't remember for sure if GG was one of them.

As you pointed out, the urethanes require just the right amount of moisture to cure properly. And once they start curing and growing, it reminds me of the expanding foam. They are a good glue when used correctly and on the appropriate item, but I am hardpressed to consider it an all purpose glue.

I am no means an expert, nor do I even claim to know that much. I have just used a lot of glues. Most likely, not properly, either. ;) I've learned that glues are like tools. Having the right tool for a job can make it easy or hard; a success or failure.

That's from a novice's point of view, not an expert's. :)

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<<smelly kind and not so smelly>>

I think the smelly kind would be better suited to the application - I think, but don't know, that it has better heat- and condensation-tolerance.

Just be careful with the stuff -- it is extremely flammable/combustible, and the fumes are toxic, as in a good snort can kill. I use it only outdoors. To use it in a camper, have the door, all windows and the roof vent wide open. A fan running outside to blow fresh air in wouldn't be a bad idea. I mentioned the gel type contact cement earlier -- my impression is that it has lower fuming than the liquid type. My daughter and I have used about 6 qts of it so far on our kayaks, and the smell hasn't been too bad (we have been using it outside).

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Gorilla glue is the same glue as Pro-bond. A urethane glue that does stick to almost everything, though I've not tried it on teflon...

I've used these glues extensively and in an expierment I've found that instead of adding the moisture to the surfaces, mixing a drop or two with the glue in a cup does the same thing. The moisture is the catalyst, and it will get it from the wet surfaces or the atmosphere. Thats's why it is a slow cure. mixing it up with water beforehand decreases the setup time tenfold without any drawback that I've yet found.

Also, Once the glue is opened and exposed to the air it can set up a layer right in the bottle. This can prevent you from squeezing out any the next time you want to use it.

I found that storing the bottle upside down is a great solution. The film can set up due to air in the bottle, but it will actually be at the bottom and does not prevent you from using it next time.

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Tom - great ideas! Helps minimize a couple of the down-sides to this powerful adhesive.

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Paul,

You're more than welcome. I bet you're going to try.
I use a stolen catsup container from McDonalds. I have a friend that I does that, not me.....

I put a two drops of water on top of a tablespoon's worth of glue. mix with popsicle stick. It will appear to be like oil and water at first, but give it a bit more mixing. You will see the frothyness in the glue soon, or shall I say it will appear less translucent. Make it consistent, then pour the excess water off. You'll get a damn good set in about an hour or so.

I'd value to know what you think, or if GG acts the same as my pro-bond brand.

Remember to store bottle upside down

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I have used an exterior construction adhesive called PL Premium in constructing
various parts for canoes and a kayak. It comes in a tube to be used with
a caulking gun. It takes a while to set up, but is rated as waterproof. For
the kayak, I laminated gunwales out of pieces of pine fence boards, and used
a scrap of this to prop the picnic table on over the winter. After spending
most of the last year outside, there is no deterioration in glue joints at
all. It is rated for all sorts of general adhesion.

Some other marine grade glue I got comes as a powder you mix with water.
Once again you clamp it and when it dries it is supposed to be waterproof. I
guess it is, since I have used it to laminate wood to make a paddle, which
is still in one piece.

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Rock,

Thanks for the advice...
I collect glues you know.

By the way, I really love canoeing too. Be fun to meet up one day. You get front though.