Question about Gorilla Glue

[FiatFan]

My wife is up to something (won't tell me what yet) and wants to know how strong is Gorilla Glue. I have heard of it and seen it in stores but have no first-hand experience with it.

I would appreciate the pros and cons of this product. What are its strengths and weaknesses.

Any information will be greatly appreciated.

Tom

[MasonJar]

Pros

• Very strong
  
• Bonds just about anything to anything else
  
• Does not require air to cure - needs moisture (if gluing foam, you need to lightly mist one surface
  
• Cleans up easily once cured (sand, cut like foam)

Cons

• Foams as it cures so may push pieces out of alignment (good clamping or heavy weights required)
  
• Sticky and messy
  
• Clean up before cure is almost impossible

Hope that helps.

Andrew

[Herc Driver]

I respectfully add...

- It can be very sticky and messy so make sure you use a small amount - a little dab goes a long way - and lightly add a very small amount of water. I usually use a paper towel to wet the bonding area instead of trying to drip water onto the surface.

- The glue tends to run and follow the water track if there's too much water and will undoubtedly run where you don't need it to be.

- It pours like honey which makes it easy to get a bit too much or have it drip where you don't want it, so you may consider using an applicator like a toothpick or piece of plastic to place the glue where you need it.

- I'd use some blocking or clamps to hold whatever is being glued together while it is drying...the foaming action will open up or move the pieces a bit.

- Whatever it bonds...consider it bonded for life. I've never had a Gorilla Glue bond break...but then again I wouldn't bet my life or yours on it never happening.

[nachoman]

I will see those points and raise a few more:

1) As with all glue, the greater the surface area of the joint, the stronger the bond. Gorilla glue also benefits from some kind of mechanical joint rather than just a butt-joint.

2) Clamping the joint makes it stronger.

[MasonJar]

1) As with all glue, the greater the surface area of the joint, the stronger the bond. Gorilla glue also benefits from some kind of mechanical joint rather than just a butt-joint.

All additional points are good!

I would also add (prompted by Kevin's note above) that you can take advantage of the foaming action as well. For example, the bus wires on my modules are held in place with a blob of glue that foamed up and over the wires. Of course you can only do this if you can turn the benchwork upside down. Trying to affix bus wires under traditional benchwork using this method will result in a blob of glue on your floor...

Andrew

[P5se Camelback]

I believe when cured, it might be water-proof ... I bonded the front of the sole back on a boot/shoe back when I was going through that "terrible time of pennilessness and despair " that happens following a tough divorce, accompanied by unexpected unemployment (the closing of the corpration's southern design office.) The bond lasted a long time ... until I was able to purchase a new pair of Mechanix Wear boots.

[ezdays]

My dismay with this stuff is that somehow, moisture always seems to find its way into the bottle. Now that's pretty hard where I live and the humidity is frequently under 10%, but I've thrown away more bottles of Gorilla Glue because it hardens up in the sealed bottle. I thought maybe I didn't put the cap on tight, but when I tried to use a brand new bottle that had been sitting in my cabinet for a few month and it was solid hard, I just gave up. Moisture acts like a catalyst so just a little moisture creeps in, and the whole bottle goes bad. I've used it on one or two wood projects, but went back to using yellow glue because of this.

It could just be me and not the product, I don't know and at this point, I don't care...

[P5se Camelback]

I've gotta join in and sing some harmony with Don on this one! A new bottle left on a shelf for any length of time will cause the remainder in the squeeze bottle to become as hard as a block of amber acrylic! I, too, have thrown away two bottles in succession that I bought and put on the shelf, only to find them solidly unusable when I needed them!

I have not wasted any more of my limited resources on any more Gorilla Glue, I'll leave it on the store shelf for some unsuspecting monkey!

[Sumpter250]

Having read all the above, I'm sure there are good uses for this adhesive, so long as it is all used quickly.


Oh, and do not try this at home !! It's not the best way to get two Gorillas to bond !

[ezdays]

Having read all the above, I'm sure there are good uses for this adhesive, so long as it is all used quickly.


Oh, and do not try this at home !! It's not the best way to get two Gorillas to bond !

I really think that two gorillas know how to bond already, especially when one is male and the other female. tooges:

[FiatFan]

Thanks to everyone for your advice and information. As mentioned, I don't know what she has in mind just yet but I will forward the info to her.

Thanks again.

Tom