[Title]  [text TOC]  [image TOC]  [Site Search]    [Donation] 

Previous Page Glue Next Page


See the General Chapter for more instructions, hints, tips, and ideas.

The glues most often used are hot glue, super glue, E-6000™, Weldbond™, and Aleene's Tacky Glue™. It helps to roughen up the surfaces before applying the glue.

Glue

Superglue works very well in some special cases. The brand I like best is Jet Instant™. It only takes a very small amount. It dries VERY quickly (a few seconds), so be careful not to glue your fingers to your project. More than a few people have had to go to the hospital to get their fingers unglued. It is good for porous surfaces like wood and the ends of string. Some craft stores carry it, but you may have to look in hobby stores that sell model airplanes. Follow the directions carefully. Keep the spout clear of the liquid glue by squeezing air through it a couple times when you have finished gluing. Keep a safety pin attached to the bottle to unclog the spout.

Hot glue comes in rods and a glue gun is needed to melt it. It sets up hard in about a minute - which is handy when you have a limited amount of time. Glue guns come in low and high temperature. Low temperature is safer because when you get some on you it stings but doesn't cause much damage - and this is important when the boys are working with it. Be careful because it can melt small plastic objects like wobble eyes.

Tacky Glue™ and Weldbond™ are frequently referred to as white glues. They take about 30 minutes to start setting and several hours to dry completely depending on how thickly it is applied.

If none of these glues seem to work well for your project try Goop™ or E-6000™. Both are flexible adhesives that will bond almost anything. They take an hour or so to set up and about a day to dry completely. They can be used instead of hot glue and are stronger and hold up much better over time. If you can let the project sit long enough to set up, this is the way to go. These are so much more durable than hot glue that I have gone to this for all my slides.


Copyright © 2001 Vincent Hale