Gorilla Glue: your experiences & opinions
For joining wood, I have always used PVA adhesive and have found it to be excellent for that purpose. I am now thinking of trying Gorilla Glue: would anyone care to give me the benefit of their experiences & opinions of that product for joining wood, please?
Thank you, Al. |
Re: Gorilla Glue: your experiences & opinions
It's a proprietary brand of polyurethane glue. Most furniture manufacturers use polyurethane now, but I understand restorers and cabinetmakers dislike it because it's difficult to remove if a joint needs to be remade. I have no personal experience of using it, as I'm not a woodworker.
When making running repairs to (low value) furniture, I use PVA for low stress joints and epoxy where more strength and/or moisture resistance is needed. It's apparently very good for repairing book bindings, but I use PVA for that. |
Re: Gorilla Glue: your experiences & opinions
The trouble is, Al that Gorilla has become a brand rather than a product. You can get Gorilla super-glue, wood glue, sticky tape and goodness knows what else.
The Original Gorilla Glue was/is polyurethane based and it will stick wood, it'll stick it very well and is waterproof. However it (and other polyurethane adhesives) tends to leave viable joint lines so it is generally only used for structural carpentry, where strength matters more than looks, rather than cabinet-making. Basically it depends what you want to use it for as to whether it's suitable or not. |
Re: Gorilla Glue: your experiences & opinions
If you decide to try it, wear gloves! You'll inevitably get some on your fingers otherwise, which will end up black. I'm not sure if there's some sort of reaction between skin and the glue (which usually cures amber-ish), or if it instantly attracts dirt.
In my experience, it's very effective provided one doesn't attempt to bridge a gap, as is true of many other adhesives. Carefully used, it can result in a joint stronger than the timber. Shelf life is a few months, after which it gradually becomes very viscous. |
Re: Gorilla Glue: your experiences & opinions
Gorilla brand superglue is one of the best types I have used over the years, but I haven't any experience of their other glue products. The superglue tube seems pretty good at remaining usable over a period of time, as some other types I have had get stuck together and difficult to reopen after a couple of uses. That may just be me doing something wrong of course.
Alan. |
Re: Gorilla Glue: your experiences & opinions
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If it's a PU glue then it's a great gap filler when gluing up mitres on deep softwood skirting which is usually convex/concave!! No filler or decorators caulk required!!
Ordinary PVA glue is very good also, been using it for years, I made some sawlog ramps from some bits of 3"X2" and 3"X1" and sheathed in 12mm plywood, all glued up with PVA, tested to 3/4 ton between them that I know of, probably take at least a ton between them before failure. Glued (plus a few nails) ramps shown....Chief hillbilly at the helm of the chainsaw mill!8-o Lawrence. |
Re: Gorilla Glue: your experiences & opinions
I have used Gorilla glue, but I find that Titebond 3 works better for me, it seems to provide a stronger joint.
Trevor |
Re: Gorilla Glue: your experiences & opinions
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"Gorilla" is a brand for a *wide range* of adhesive/tape-products, just as "WD40" is a brand for a *range* of spray-on lubricants/water-dispersants/shock-releasing-agents/greases and "Ford" is a brand for a *range* of cars. It always annoys me when someone says "I used WD40 on it" but then when I ask just what WD40-product they used they get aggressive and think *I* am the one with the comprehension-issues. |
Re: Gorilla Glue: your experiences & opinions
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B |
Re: Gorilla Glue: your experiences & opinions
It's the moisture content of wood which causes PU glue (such as original Gorrila glue) to cure. The instructions tell you to dampen the wood. The instructions so say that you need to squeeze the bottle to exclude air after use. It's favoured for repairing loose joints on old furniture as it expands on curing. I've not used it - I generally use Titebond, aliphatic adhesive, colloquially known as 'yeller'. (There are several types of Titebond).
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Re: Gorilla Glue: your experiences & opinions
For antique and vintage equipment and furniture I would only use a reversible adhesive. In my case Titebond Hide Glue.
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Re: Gorilla Glue: your experiences & opinions
Also, PU glues expand by 4 so if you over apply it ends up where you don't want it! Then its almost impossible to remove.
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You can't assume everyone understands what you're referring to when you use a brandname without further qualification. |
Re: Gorilla Glue: your experiences & opinions
No, you are mistaken about this. The polyurethane adhesive is Gorilla Glue - it says it on the packet. The hot melt adhesive is "Gorilla Hot Glue Sticks". The Gorilla brand is new to the UK, but any American will tell you exactly what Gorilla Glue is, even if they use the hot melt stuff or any of the other Gorilla products. It's pretty much become a genericized trademark like Band-Aid over there.
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Re: Gorilla Glue: your experiences & opinions
Evo-stick exterior wood glue will produce a bond that is stronger than the wood itself but it is only suitable where the faces you are bonding are close fitting and are clamped when settings. Polyurethane glue has the benefit it will fill voids but I have not been impressed with adhesion. (I am restoring sash windows at the moment, on my 2nd with only about 25 sashes to go).
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Re: Gorilla Glue: your experiences & opinions
Ditto for their PVA wood glue: "Gorilla"..."Wood Glue"
EDIT: post crossed. Lawrence. |
Re: Gorilla Glue: your experiences & opinions
So, Gorilla may be a new brand to the UK but the people I've worked on-and-off with in the US for a couple of decades [including the prosthetics/costumes-people behind Jim Henson's Creature Factory] invariably mean the hot-melt stuff when they talk generically of Gorilla Glue. Before "Gorilla" became established in the UK I had a friend in California regularly bring me Gorilla-brand hot melt sticks she got free through work and if I asked her to 'bring me some more gorilla-glue on your next visit' I knew what to expect.
I guess we need to agree to disagree on this. [To me, proper wood-glue is "Cascamite" or "Aerolite 306"] |
Re: Gorilla Glue: your experiences & opinions
Aerolite 306...
Lawrence. |
Re: Gorilla Glue: your experiences & opinions
If the surfaces to be joined are flat and you can slide them, a 'rubbed" hide glue joint is unbeatable. If the surfaces are uneven use PU. If using PU damp the surfaces and use masking tape either side of the joint and wear latex gloves!
I am in the process, not for the first time, of restoring a set of 8 antique dining chairs (my wife does the upholstery). From previous experience hide glue is the way to go, and can always be undone by steaming when they need to be restored again in another 100 years. |
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