A good super glue?

[Deleted]

Thought this topic was most relevant here.. can anyone recommend a decent super glue?  The last 2 brands  (Gorilla Glue and Elmer's Gel Super Glue) I have purchased were awful, they didn't bond well. 

[zoesam]

Not a good one to give opinions, since our glue all dries out here almost immediately. There's almost no point to buying it. I will say though that different glues are made for different surfaces & be sure the one you are buying is intended for the surface you want to use. I don't have a go to, b/c seriously, the bottles go totally dry in 6 months. I'm lucky to get 2 uses out of any glue we buy LOL.

[Deleted]

Mine dry out pretty quick-- so I go for the cheap ones. I see them as a one time use purchase. The Elmer's gel super glue has surprisingly lasted past the initial use. The first time I used it, it was on a clay Yoda that my son made, and the head had snapped off. Porous, but perhaps too porous, and it took forever to set. Tonight I am trying to glue the wing back onto a puppet-- it is a dense plastic. The glue gets gummy, and is taking a long time to set. I guess I have always thought of super glue as drying and setting quickly-- I mean, it sure does glue my fingers together quickly. haha

[Deleted]

In addition to purchasing the correct product you also have to have patience. This is why any item that has to be super glued is assigned to DH.

[Deleted]

Honestly the true super glue...it's a one shot deal the second you pierce the tube. I have found even the cheapest of super glues work awesome. You can get a two little tube pack at big lots for like a 1.00.

You want to put on the glue then let it get slightly tacky before you try to bond the two pieces. Do not use too much or it will never bond like you want. Depending on how smooth the surface you're trying to bond you might have to rough it up with a little sandpaper. Put the glue in the center of whatever you're trying to glue and put the two pieces together to spread it then separate it and then let it get tacky as I said.

There is also locktite...which is the BEST imho especially for metals. It's not cheap but dayum it works.

[betabutton]

I agree, Loctite is terrific and they also make a gel super glue which is thicker/less runny. 
Roughing surfaces can also aid in better adhesion. The one thing that really helps on non porous surfaces is to clean thoroughly before applying glue. I then do a second cleaning with a little alcohol to be certain there is no cleaning residue or oil from my handling the items to be glued. 

[Deleted]

It really does depend on what you're trying to glue. Where I work, we go through a lot of the Dollar Tree super glue gel (the two small tubes for $1), but I wouldn't recommend it for fabric. We use it for ceramic, porcelain, resin and the like. And it's not instant, it will take a while to cure.

For more heavy duty gluing, we use a 5 minute 2 part epoxy. This has never failed us, but again, even though it says 5 minutes - it usually takes a bit longer. But once it's set, it pretty much stays put.

For fabric, Tacky glue works great, but it does take a long time to dry.

Those are my three recommendations. Oh and one glue I would never recommend are the glue gun/glue sticks. Won't hold worth a damn.

[Deleted]

Thanks everyone-- I will try again. The wing didn't stay glued on. It is really heavy, I may need the epoxy.

[RetroMonde]

When I was making jewelry I discovered E-6000, some kind of one-step epoxy-type glue, I think. It works really well on many surfaces and holds different types of materials together too.

[Deleted]

I still haven't glued this dang puppet. I am headed to Target tonight, and am going to look for the epoxy. I need to get it listed in the next day or so, time is running out for Christmas sales.

[sunsetpainter]

In my experience, any of the 'super glues' are really only good the first time you open the tube. After that, the sticking power seems to diminish. I have bought single use Crazy Glue tubes with fair to good results.