How many glues can you think of?

With so many different types of glue available, it can be difficult to know which one to choose for a particular purpose. So we’ve put together a handy guide detailing six different types of glue, and what they should be used for.

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Glue Sticks

Popular in schools, as well as in the home, glue sticks are the perfect option for kids’ projects and crafting purposes. They are classified as low-bonding adhesives, but they nonetheless create permanent bonds between paper, foam board, cardboard and poster board.

Yellow Wood Glue

A water-based glue that’s specifically designed to bond pieces of wood together, yellow wood glue takes under an hour to set, making it ideal for craft projects. However, full strength is only reached after around 24 hours, and it’s important to select the right type of wood glue for your purposes. Type I is waterproof, but type II provides the toughest and most weatherproof bond. Type III, on the other hand, is only suitable for interior use.

Fabric adhesives

Fabric adhesives need to be chosen according to the material you’re using. It’s essential to choose a product that won’t interfere with a material’s look, feel and drape. And some varieties stand up to washing and even dry cleaning, but you need to check the label carefully, as solvents are used in dry cleaning fluids. Fabric adhesives come in liquid format, as well as tapes which bond to fabrics when subjected to heat, such as from an iron.

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Superglue

According to an article in Popular Mechanics, Superglue was widely used during the Vietnam War to seal up open wounds – helping to save many lives. It bonds very quickly and can be used on a wide range of materials, including wood, ceramics, glass, leather, metal and some plastics.

Metal bonding adhesives

Bonding metal to metal is notoriously difficult since different metals have different properties. However, Power Grab ‘n’ Bond, from https://www.ct1.com/product-applications/metal-to-metal-adhesive/, is one of the most effective, strong and durable metal-to-metal adhesives available. It also fixes metal to plastic, wood and brick.

Epoxy

Epoxies are strong and durable and are generally formulated in two parts. When mixed together, they create a robust and flexible adhesive that sets extremely hard. Epoxies can be used across a wide range of materials, and are often used in extreme environments, thanks to their durability.