Choose The Right Glue

An easy-to-read chart tells you which kind of glues to use for which situation.

June/July 2003
 
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by Joe Hurst-Wajszczuk

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Is your kitchen counter curling up at the edges? Are you ever going to fix that broken handle on your favorite coffee cup? Are your most comfortable running shoes falling apart? Here's how to pick the right glue for every repair job!

Four thousand years ago, ancient Egyptians made glue by boiling animal hides and used the substance as a binder in paint and for woodworking. This early glue technology didn't change much until the middle of the 20th century, when different organic and synthetic glues began to be developed.

Today, dozens of glues designed to stick virtually anything to anything else are on the market. Favorite "anythings" include ceramics, fabric, glass, leather, metal, paper, plastic, rubber, Styrofoam, vinyl and wood; mix and match as needed. Despite the advances, no miracle glue has yet been invented; what works well with some materials may not work at all with others.

To help you make the right choices, a glue "vocabulary" and a handy chart that lists the different types, their uses, properties and other facts follow. All glues are about the same strength as long as you use them according to the directions. Remember, some are toxic or contain irritants, so try to use the least-toxic glue available for your job.

THE VOCABULARY OF GLUE

Open-assembly time: This is the period of time you have between when you spread the glue on the surface and when it starts to set. If you're fixing the handle on a broken mug, you want a glue with a short "open-assembly time"—in other words, a "quick-set" glue. If you're working on a more complex job, such as repairing an antique chair, use a glue with a long open-assembly time so you have time to fit all the pieces together.

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