gorilla glue or wood glue

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alleng

New User
allen
just wondering if anyone has used gorilla glue and how it compares to standard wood glue,it must be good stuff judging by the price.
 

Jim Murphy

New User
Fern HollowMan
I used gorilla glue to attach the UHMW strips to hardboard for sleds. I tested it on pine before putting it on the sled. I also used it to attach plywood and poplar leveling spacers to mel-ah-whatever.

After 24 hours, I could not separate the runner from the pine, even with a sharp rap with a hammer. The sled and spacers are holding up fine. However, it foams up, seeps out, is sticky as all getout when wet, and is best applied very, very sparingly. A little goes a long ways.

My glue of choice remains Titebond for wood to wood.
 

tom hintz

New User
Tom Hintz
I use Gorilla Glue almost exclusively when making exotic wood boxes with dovetail joints because it has a longer open time for assembly and the exterior foam scrapes away very easily and does not leave a "shadow" behind that ruins finishing.
I also use Gorilla Glue frequently for outdoor or moisture-prone projects.
It is pricey by volume but once you learn that far less is needed per joint, that differential is less significant.
 

taandctran

New User
Thanh Tran
I bought the elmer's version of gorilla glue and it works just as good and it was a little cheaper. I dont remember how much cheaper becouse it has been so long. I use it for gluing the brass sleves in the wood when making pens. one drop is enough to glue up the whole pen.
 

Tarhead

Mark
Corporate Member
If you use Gorilla glue use gloves! It will turn any place it touches black for about 4 days until the skin sloughs off. It becomes very thin when it hits skin and spreads out everywhere. BTDT:-(
Also...keep it away from your dogs. I don't know if they are attracted to it or the reports are from dogs who eat anything but it was fatal.

That's the bad news...the good news is the stuff is great for anything that will be exposed to the elements and anything you need to glue with a sloppy fit as it expands into any voids. Don't go crazy with the premoistening with water. Dries a light beige color
 

jglord

New User
John
I agree with Fernhollowman and use Gorilla glue when gluing things like metal to wood - e.g. installing T-track into a sled. It is the only type of glue to handle situations like this. BTW, the general category is polyurethane glue and some brands like Titebond can be less expensive.
The staining of my hands and the foaming make it not woth the trouble for general wood gluing.
Titebond III is waterproof, squeeze-out cleans-up with water, gives 10 minutes work time, and has less creep than other wood glues. My current practice is to use TB III, unless there is a good reason not to - and, IMHO, there are very few reasons not to.
BTW, there have been situations where I needed a glued-up piece of wood quickly, have used biscuits and clamped-up the piece with TB III, and removed the clamps after 30 minutes. I've been able to plane the piece, cut it to size and run it through a panel raising bit to produce a door panel.
I've used TB III for almost three years and rarely find a reason to use anything else.:eusa_danc
 

mike_wood

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User
I have used a fair amount of GG and agree with all the comments & will add one more. It does not store well - or at least I have not figured out a way. I have read about squeezing out all the air, using bloxygen, etc. None have worked well for me. If I feel I need to use it (outdoor projects only) I buy the least amount possible & use it all as soon as I can. If someone has figured out a way to preserve it, please post it.
 

Travis Porter

Travis
Corporate Member
I am with you. Buy as small of a container as you need. I just threw a bottle in the trash as it had gotten hard.
 

Howard Acheson

New User
Howard
First, let me say I am not a fan of the poly glues primarily because I have found no advantage to them over standard PVA glues when gluing wood to wood joints except for gluing oily, exotic woods. "Creep" is much less of a problem but there are other adhesives that are creep resistant such as plastic resin and hide glue. I'm sure there are other opinions however.

That said, like any PVA glue (white or yellow) the poly's are no stronger than the wood itself--and may be weaker if they are not used correctly. They cure by a reaction with moisture but many use too much adhesive and moisture. Excess moisture increases the reaction but shortens open time--one of their claimed benefits--and results in excessive foaming and a weaker joint. If the wood is at a moisture content of 10% or more, additional dampening is probably detrimental, not helpful. There are now PVA glues with extended open time. In fact the white PVA has virtually exactly the same open time as the poly. The yellow PVA was formulated originally to respond to woodworkers who wanted a faster setting adhesive. Strangely, some poly glues are now being marketted that have a shorter open time and faster cure because some wood workers have complained about the longer clamp time required for the original polys.

Some poly adhesives are certified to meet the ANSI Type 1 waterproof standard which means they can be used for totally submerged applications. However, for normal, non-submerged outdoor use, a type II adhesive will work as well.

While "gap filling" they fill gaps with foam which has no strength. The adhesive expands as it cures tending to force glued surfaces apart so tight clamping is required. They also require that the clamp pressure be maintained for much longer than most other adhesives.

It contains hazardous materials and should be used in a ventilated area and kept away from skin if you believe the Material Safety Data Sheet. If it gets on your hands, only time will will remove the stain.

Finally, they cost much more than other glues and IMO, do not offer many advantages over less expensive adhesives.
 

Littlejon

New User
Jon
Used some on a project this morning and I Do like the stuff, but I agree with the others here on the "quirks" with using it. I have a good amount left in the very small bottle I have here, but it won't make it to another project, as it is already starting to harden.

Let me add this about cleanup: you CAN get it off of your hands. You need to use something like Goof-Off, which will take it off, but can burn your hands if not careful. I actually got some on my hands this morning and used the Goof-Off to remove it. You don't want that stuff on your hands long, though!
 

DavidF

New User
David
First, let me say I am not a fan of the poly glues primarily because I have found no advantage to them over standard PVA glues when gluing wood to wood joints except for gluing oily, exotic woods. "Creep" is much less of a problem but there are other adhesives that are creep resistant such as plastic resin and hide glue. I'm sure there are other opinions however.

That said, like any PVA glue (white or yellow) the poly's are no stronger than the wood itself--and may be weaker if they are not used correctly. They cure by a reaction with moisture but many use too much adhesive and moisture. Excess moisture increases the reaction but shortens open time--one of their claimed benefits--and results in excessive foaming and a weaker joint. If the wood is at a moisture content of 10% or more, additional dampening is probably detrimental, not helpful. There are now PVA glues with extended open time. In fact the white PVA has virtually exactly the same open time as the poly. The yellow PVA was formulated originally to respond to woodworkers who wanted a faster setting adhesive. Strangely, some poly glues are now being marketted that have a shorter open time and faster cure because some wood workers have complained about the longer clamp time required for the original polys.

Some poly adhesives are certified to meet the ANSI Type 1 waterproof standard which means they can be used for totally submerged applications. However, for normal, non-submerged outdoor use, a type II adhesive will work as well.

While "gap filling" they fill gaps with foam which has no strength. The adhesive expands as it cures tending to force glued surfaces apart so tight clamping is required. They also require that the clamp pressure be maintained for much longer than most other adhesives.

It contains hazardous materials and should be used in a ventilated area and kept away from skin if you believe the Material Safety Data Sheet. If it gets on your hands, only time will will remove the stain.

Finally, they cost much more than other glues and IMO, do not offer many advantages over less expensive adhesives.

Another good answer Howard:eusa_clap What do you do for a living??
 

Jim Hancock

Jim
Corporate Member
I used to think that plastic resin glue and polyurethane glue was the same thing, but apparently not. Can someone explain the difference?
 

Travis Porter

Travis
Corporate Member
plastic resin glue is Urea Formaldehyde. Comes in a powder you mix with water. Hard to find. I did buy a small container of it at Woodcraft, and I think some Ace hardware stores stock it, but I have not seen it at the BORG in a long time.

Polyurethane glue is just that. A common brand name is Gorrilla glue.
 

DaveO

New User
DaveO
I also think that plastic resin glues include phenolic adhesives like Resorcinol :icon_scra

Dave:)
 

Howard Acheson

New User
Howard
I used to think that plastic resin glue and polyurethane glue was the same thing, but apparently not. Can someone explain the difference?

"Plastic Resin" is a propriatary brand name owned by DAP. The complete name is DAP/Weldwood Plastic Resin. It is a type of adhesive known as urea formaldihyde. UF adhesives come as either powder mixed with water or a two part adhesive and catalyst. There are a number of manufacturers. They are highly water resistant and form a rigid bond not subject to shear force failure.

Polyurethane adhesives are a one or a two part adhesive (consumer brands like Gorilla and Excell are one part) that activate and cure in the presence of moisture. Poly adhesives bond many different types of materials and are highly water resistant.
 

coastal1

New User
Ben
I had a few bad experiences about 6 years ago with Gorilla glue when I first found it. I didn't care for the foam or the price. I only use Titebond for general woodworking. For other purposes where strength is needed as in the boats I build I strictly use West System Epoxy. It is hazardous but very high quality stuff. It is a little costly but it goes a very long way. It's been said that its wetter than water. You can add fillers to achieve any consistancy you need though. It costs me about 100$ per gallon that includes the resin and hardner. Thats just my 2 cents worth.
 

Toddler

New User
Todd
Hi Ben,

West System looks like great stuff. Do you thicken it?

I liked the look of System Three's T88 Epoxy for smaller scale stuff. It doesn't need thickeners.

Curious if you've used both?

Todd
 

Howard Acheson

New User
Howard
First, let me say I am not a fan of the poly glues primarily because I have found no advantage to them over standard PVA glues when gluing wood to wood joints except for gluing oily, exotic woods. "Creep" is much less of a problem but there are other adhesives that are creep resistant such as plastic resin and hide glue. I'm sure there are other opinions however.

That said, like any PVA glue (white or yellow) the poly's are no stronger than the wood itself--and may be weaker if they are not used correctly. They cure by a reaction with moisture but many use too much adhesive and moisture. Excess moisture increases the reaction but shortens open time--one of their claimed benefits--and results in excessive foaming and a weaker joint. If the wood is at a moisture content of 10% or more, additional dampening is probably detrimental, not helpful. There are now PVA glues with extended open time. In fact the white PVA has virtually exactly the same open time as the poly. The yellow PVA was formulated originally to respond to woodworkers who wanted a faster setting adhesive. Strangely, some poly glues are now being marketted that have a shorter open time and faster cure because some wood workers have complained about the longer clamp time required for the original polys.

Some poly adhesives are certified to meet the ANSI Type 1 waterproof standard which means they can be used for totally submerged applications. However, for normal, non-submerged outdoor use, a type II adhesive will work as well.

While "gap filling" they fill gaps with foam which has no strength. The adhesive expands as it cures tending to force glued surfaces apart so tight clamping is required. They also require that the clamp pressure be maintained for much longer than most other adhesives. Many find poly adhesive unsuitable for laminations as the agressive expansion pushes surfaces apart.

It contains hazardous materials and should be used in a ventilated area and kept away from skin if you believe the Material Safety Data Sheet. If it gets on your hands, only time will will remove the stain.

Finally, they cost much more than other glues and IMO, do not offer many advantages over less expensive adhesives.
 

coastal1

New User
Ben
Hi Todd,
I've personally used West System brand. It is a little more expensive...but I have access to it...hence no shipping charges. The thickners make it alot more versatile. You can go from peanut butter to wetter than water if you want. There are differnt thickners available...some stronger...some smoother..etc. Always keep your mix ratios correct and you wont have any problems....
 
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