Gorilla Glue?

[Guest countryfirecracker]

Ok, so i need some thoughts on the Gorilla Glue if it really is the best glue. does it hold good? is it really as tough as they say?

[Guest mosinon]

I'd say it depends on the application. What are you using it for?

[Guest countryfirecracker]

fixing a wood cedar chest i have. A part of it broke and i need to get it back on to where it will hold really well.

[Guest jackdm3]

In the shop I worked in for 5 years, we used it on everything, 'cept we called it Gorilla Snot. My preference is 2-part epoxies from the paint department of hardware stores. They have them formulated for specific needs like bonding plastics, marine (watery applications), general bonding of dissimilar compositions. Either way, surface prep is key.

[Rightwinger]

We used it to put acrylic 8x11 bar scan codes for our dock doors directly on the metal beams and it's held for 4 + years now. That's two really different materials, out doors, not directly exposed to weather but they have been through the heat and cold of TN since we put them there and I know of only one that has fallen off. Good stuff.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

If this is the Gorilla polyurethane glue, and you want to glue wood-- I tried it one time and was not happy.

IMO Titebond or one of the other aliphatic glues is much stronger and easier to use for wood. Polyurethane glue can be strong if used properly, but it is very easy to use it improperly. It is pretty difficult to screw up with aliphatic glues.

Titebond III, I have had very good luck with.

[Guest countryfirecracker]

from my understanding. they have what is called Gorilla wood glue. i just wondered if it worked real good.... this is a pretty old cedar chest and i am trying to salvage it the best i can. but thank you for the info i will have to look into that.

[Guest mosinon]

fixing a wood cedar chest i have. A part of it broke and i need to get it back on to where it will hold really well.

Well, gorilla glue is strong. So if all you are looking for is a good joint you probably can't go wrong. If you want the whole thing to look nice, pay attention to the other posters.

[dats82]

If the surfaces are fresh wood, just go to Lowe's and get some wood glue. Any of the stuff that is that light yellow color seems to alway work well. Do not use wood glue if you are trying to glue a previously glued joint. You will either have to prep the surface back down to fresh wood, or use an epoxy or something.

As for the glue in question, when I was in high school, we had a wooden bridge competition in physics class. Gorilla had just come out, and one of the groups used it on their bridge. That stuff would not let go. It was not ridged, but it held together. The brigde was all sorts of deformed when it finally let go.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

from my understanding. they have what is called Gorilla wood glue. i just wondered if it worked real good.... this is a pretty old cedar chest and i am trying to salvage it the best i can. but thank you for the info i will have to look into that.

Hi

I didn't know if Gorilla maybe makes some other chemistry-based glues. Their wood glue is polyurethane based. Some folks report good success with it, but I didn't like it.

If you just spread out some polyurethane glue on a piece of cardboard out in the air, it will foam up into a big sticky mess before it hardens, and after it hardens it will be about the same stuff as the spray-plastic-foam used for weather proofing.

It hardens better against moisture. If I recall, a good way to use it, is to wet the mating surfaces, apply the glue, then clamp hell out of it till it sets. If it is not clamped tight enough, the glue bubbles up and makes a thin layer of plastic foam in your glue joint, which is weak and will break easily. Also the squeeze-out from the joints makes a gooey sticky bubbly mess to clean up.

Glue like Elmer's carpenters glue or Titebond III (my favorite in that aliphatic family) doesn't need a strong clamping unless it will be a weight-bearing bond. Sometimes just putting the parts together and holding it tight with painters tape will get the job done fine.

The waterproof aliphatic glues, the squeezeout is hard to clean up after it dries. Good to mop up the squeezeout as soon as you clamp the joint. Easier that trying to get it off later.

One excellent thing to do-- put blue painters tape right along the line of all the outside-facing surfaces before you glue. That way the squeezout will get on the painters tape rather than on your wood. But it is good to wipe it off as soon as possible anyway, because it can leak down under the painters tape.

[Guest countryfirecracker]

Hi

I didn't know if Gorilla maybe makes some other chemistry-based glues. Their wood glue is polyurethane based. Some folks report good success with it, but I didn't like it.

If you just spread out some polyurethane glue on a piece of cardboard out in the air, it will foam up into a big sticky mess before it hardens, and after it hardens it will be about the same stuff as the spray-plastic-foam used for weather proofing.

It hardens better against moisture. If I recall, a good way to use it, is to wet the mating surfaces, apply the glue, then clamp hell out of it till it sets. If it is not clamped tight enough, the glue bubbles up and makes a thin layer of plastic foam in your glue joint, which is weak and will break easily. Also the squeeze-out from the joints makes a gooey sticky bubbly mess to clean up.

Glue like Elmer's carpenters glue or Titebond III (my favorite in that aliphatic family) doesn't need a strong clamping unless it will be a weight-bearing bond. Sometimes just putting the parts together and holding it tight with painters tape will get the job done fine.

The waterproof aliphatic glues, the squeezeout is hard to clean up after it dries. Good to mop up the squeezeout as soon as you clamp the joint. Easier that trying to get it off later.

One excellent thing to do-- put blue painters tape right along the line of all the outside-facing surfaces before you glue. That way the squeezout will get on the painters tape rather than on your wood. But it is good to wipe it off as soon as possible anyway, because it can leak down under the painters tape.

Haha well ya see I don't use much glue like this so I don't know what they are based with, but thank you I will have to take your advice. Cause I just refinished this chest to make it look good and I want it to look good. I'm trying to do this without calling my significant other in to take up the slack! Ha ha....other wise he would have fixed it already. I need to learn this stuff! thanks for the help.

[Mike.357]

Gorilla Glue is strong stuff but in the instructions at asks for clamping to be done on the glued pieces. I have not tried it on wood before. For wood I use Elmer's Wood Glue, works great.

[willis68]

I have several Ebony wood carvings of animals that I brought home from Africa, any a few of the Elephants trunks were broken off during my travels and I used Gorilla Glue to mend them, it is awesome stuff and has worked very well for me

[peejman]

The Titebond wood glues are excellent. They'll be stronger than the wood when dry but as stated, surface prep is key. Sand the surfaces down to bare wood and clamp them together while it dries for best joint strength. Painter's tape or a damp paper towel will wipe the (undried) excess away easily.

[Guest countryfirecracker]

thanks everyone! much appreciated.

[Guest jackdm3]

But we're not done yet! We haven't talked about the best brands for huffing!

[Mike.357]

But we're not done yet! We haven't talked about the best brands for huffing!

Testor's Model Plane Cement of course.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Old-style toluene based contact cement. Which is known to the state of california to be hazardous to your health. But the newer water-based contact cement not so much. That is what you use if you really don't care much whether or not it will really hold.

[shaftbass]

Regular old 2 part epoxy is what I'd use in this case.

Pick up some of the 30 minute stuff, clamp it together while the epoxy sets, and never look back.

[G27]

Gorilla wood glue is awesomer, I've built / repaired tons of wood projects over the years with it. Make sure you follow the directions for prep and use it sparingly as it's an expanding 'foam' type adhesive, once it dries the bond will be stronger than the wood around it...

[Chucktshoes]

Testor's Model Plane Cement of course.

Yep. I probably would have gone to college were it not for my love of model airplanes in my youth.

[Desert Rat]

Just give it the "Redneck" look with Duct tape and bailing wire. Drill 1/8 inch holes on each side of the break and wire it back together with the bailing wire then for the finished look cover the seem with duct tape.

Other wise I think you have been given a lot of good advise!

Edited September 8, 2010 by Desert Rat
add disclaimer!

[Guest countryfirecracker]

Ha ha ok.

[Guest countryfirecracker]

Just give it the "Redneck" look with Duct tape and bailing wire. Drill 1/8 inch holes on each side of the break and wire it back together with the bailing wire then for the finished look cover the seem with duct tape.

Other wise I think you have been given a lot of good advise!

Ha ha my dad said something similar

[Guest kirkosaurus]

The Titebond wood glues are excellent. They'll be stronger than the wood when dry but as stated, surface prep is key. .

Yep. If it's good enough to glue Gibson guitars together it should be good enough for your application.