Glues, Adhesives and Epoxies

The glue wall at WBC is long, and the trick is to ignore most of it. Start with what you’re joining and what the joint has to survive, and the right bottle is usually one of a handful. Wood joints you can clamp take wood glue. Small parts you can line up in one go take super glue. Metal, gaps and anything carrying a load take epoxy. A loose bolt takes threadlocker, a torn jacket takes fabric cement, and a laminate top takes contact adhesive.

Wood glue: Titebond and Gorilla Wood Glue

For wood joints that fit well and can be clamped, use a PVA wood glue. WBC stocks the Titebond line in sizes from 4 ounces to a gallon, plus Gorilla Wood Glue. Pick by where the project will live:

Wood glue	Label says	Use it for
Titebond Original	Interior wood glue	Furniture, cabinets and indoor projects
Titebond II	Water resistant	Projects that see some moisture
Titebond III	Waterproof	Outdoor projects and anything that gets wet
Titebond liquid hide glue	Ready to use, reversible	Furniture repair you may want to take apart again
Gorilla Wood Glue	Wood glue	Everyday clamped wood joints

Wood glue isn’t a gap filler: the joint has to fit, and it has to be clamped. Use bar, pipe or F-style clamps (spring clamps won’t give you the pressure), one near each end and every 8 to 10 inches between, and dry-fit the whole assembly before you open the bottle. Leave it clamped longer than you think; plenty of woodworkers leave a glue-up overnight.

Even Titebond III’s waterproof label doesn’t mean a joint can sit in standing water. In one side-by-side outdoor test, PVA glues, Titebond included, held up poorly, so design an outdoor joint to shed water.

Keep wood glue from freezing. In a Montana winter that means not leaving the bottle in the truck or an unheated shop.

Gorilla Glue and construction adhesive

Original Gorilla Glue foams as it cures, so expect squeeze-out and clamp the joint firmly. Don’t count on the foam to fill a gap; give it a tight joint. For attaching building materials, use Gorilla construction adhesive.

Super glue for small, fast repairs

Super glue sets by reacting with moisture in the air, so there’s nothing to mix, and it grabs almost instantly. That makes it right for small parts you can line up in one move, and wrong for anything that needs time to position. WBC carries Gorilla Super Glue and its gel, Krazy Glue brush-on, Duro and others. Use the gel on gaps and vertical surfaces; thicker formulas bond better in gaps than the water-thin kind.

Keep the cap on tight and the tube upright in a cool, dry place, because moisture clogs the nozzle and hardens the glue in the tube. Use it with air moving; the fumes irritate eyes and lungs in a closed room.

Epoxy for metal, gaps and loads

For metal, a gap to fill or a joint that carries weight, use a two-part epoxy. WBC’s range covers the jobs:

• Gorilla 5-minute epoxy syringe for quick general repairs.
• J-B Weld original for metal and heavy-duty repairs.
• J-B Weld KwikPlastic for plastic.
• J-B Weld marine epoxy for parts that live wet.
• Plumbing epoxy putty and Water Weld for patching pipes and fittings.

Repair epoxy is for repairs, not for structural or safety-critical connections; a deck ledger, a ladder or a load overhead gets the fasteners or hardware rated for it.

Epoxy starts curing the moment the two parts meet, and the reaction gives off heat, so clean, rough up and dry-fit the parts before you mix. Mix by the package’s ratio, not by eye. Check the label for what it won’t bond: some epoxies don’t stick to polyethylene, soft PVC or waxy plastics.

Set the joint up so the load slides along the glue line instead of peeling an edge up. Glue holds best in shear and compression and worst when it’s being pried open. For outdoor repairs, a flexible adhesive handles expansion and temperature swings better than a rigid one, which matters around Great Falls, where chinooks swing the temperature fast.

Threadlocker for bolts that shake loose

For a nut or bolt that vibrates loose, use threadlocker, not glue. WBC’s blue 243 is a medium-strength threadlocker you can still take apart with hand tools, which is what you want on anything you’ll service. Red threadlocker is permanent and may need heat to remove.

Fabric, shoes and flexible repairs

For torn clothing, canvas and gear, use Tear Mender fabric cement, made for fabric. For boot soles and rubber, Shoe Goo II is the repair glue on the shelf. The usual fabric-glue advice holds for both: clean the material, test on a scrap first, and give the repair its full label cure time before you wash or wear it hard.

Contact cement and spray adhesive for laminating

Contact adhesive bonds on contact, which is how laminate goes onto a countertop. Coat both surfaces, let them dry until a clean finger comes away without strings (typically 5 to 10 minutes; follow the label), line the pieces up, then press them together and roll them hard. Once they touch, they don’t move. WBC carries 3M 90 multi-surface contact adhesive in a spray can and contact cement in a tube. Cold and humidity slow the drying, so give it longer in a winter shop.

For general spray work, 3M Super 77 multi-surface spray adhesive and Gorilla Heavy Duty spray adhesive are the aerosols.

The Pick

For wood, use Titebond Original indoors, Titebond II where it sees moisture and Titebond III outdoors, clamped tight. Use super glue for small parts you can line up fast, Gorilla 5-minute epoxy or J-B Weld for metal and loads, and blue 243 threadlocker for bolts that shake loose. Use Tear Mender for fabric, Shoe Goo for boots, and 3M 90 contact adhesive for laminate.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between Titebond Original, II and III?

Titebond Original is an interior wood glue. Titebond II’s label says water resistant, for projects that see some moisture. Titebond III’s label says waterproof, for outdoor projects. All three need a well-fitted joint and firm clamping.

What glue should you use for metal on metal?

A two-part epoxy such as J-B Weld or Gorilla 5-minute epoxy. Clean and rough up both surfaces, dry-fit, then mix by the package’s ratio and hold the parts still through the cure. Arrange the joint so the load runs along the glue line rather than prying it open.

What glue should you use for fabric?

A fabric cement such as Tear Mender. Clean the fabric, test on a scrap, and let the repair cure fully before washing. Hot-melt glue isn’t made for clothes that go through the washing machine.

How do you get super glue off your skin?

Soak the area in warm, soapy water for several minutes and gently work the bonded skin back and forth so the water reaches the bond. Thicker bonds take longer. Don’t pull bonded fingers apart, because that can tear skin.

Is wood glue waterproof?

Not ordinary interior wood glue. Titebond II is labeled water resistant and Titebond III waterproof. Even a waterproof glue does best in a joint built to shed water rather than hold it.