How to Pick the Right Glue for Your Project

Glues (or adhesives) are designed to stick two things together. Technically speaking, glues are natural and adhesives are synthetic, but for our purposes, we'll call them both "glue." Because there is no "universal" glue that can stick anything to anything in any condition, there are several "general purpose" glues (they stick a lot of things to a lot of things) and a whole bunch of "special purpose" glues (they stick certain things to certain things).

The best first step when picking glue is to understand:

- what you are sticking to what

- under what conditions do you need it to stick

- how quickly must it reach full strength

- how strong must the glue be

- what properties (clear, able to be sanded, etc.) must the glue have when it is dry

The following are different types of glues:

- White Glue: Non-toxic, odorless, nonflammable and dries clear in under an hour. Good for paper, wood, cloth, pottery and more.

- Yellow Glue: A higher quality derivative of white glue that dries stronger and is more resistant to moisture.

- Plastic Cement: Used to join polystyrene plastic. Works by dissolving the areas it contacts on the two parts of polystyrene being joined together, and in these dissolved areas the molecules from the two parts mix together.

- Instant (Super) Glue: Chemical name is ethyl cyanoacrylate and is an extremely fast bonding adhesive. It works best on smaller surfaces, using a very small amount of glue. It bonds instantly with a colorless and transparent bond that is very strong (except for shear forces).

- Pressure Sensitive: This term is applied to adhesives that bond on initial contact to most surfaces with only a little pressure and without any drying or curing time. The strength of the bond varies with the formulation.

- Rubber Cement: Literally, rubber dissolved in a solvent. The bond develops as the cement dries.

- Epoxy: Extremely tough and durable synthetic resin that is comprised of two parts that when mixed together bond a wide variety of materials in relatively harsh conditions.

So whether you want to create a craft project or repair an everyday item so it's usable again, shop around for the right kind of adhesive and your project will last!

About The Author
Article written by Gary Nave of http://www.just-glues.com.