Gorilla Glue Experiences?

Griffworks · Post by **Griffworks** » Sat Jul 27, 2013 11:16 pm

I did a search in this forum and didn't see anything in the way of subject title and the first couple of threads that did pop up didn't have any mention of Gorilla Glue specifically, so I thought that I'd start a thread....

A couple of weeks back while at WallyWorld, I bought some Gorilla Glue on a lark. I had heard about it a while back from folks here at Starship Modeler - I'm pretty sure it was Robb / Kylwell who had first mentioned it there - , but don't recall specifics other than I seem to recall him mentioning that it was a "gap filling" sort of CA.

Anyhow, I ran out of regular CA tonight and was wanting to put these two main hull pieces together on my Battlestar Atlantia build. I read the directions, wet the two parts and then put the GG on the join lines, going just a bit heavy on the glue. So far, it seems good, tho I used a bit too much and had it squirting out the seams to excess in several areas. I used a standard paper towel to wipe up the excess.

I put rubber bands on the model to get a nice, tight pressure on the parts. Thus far, it seems to have sealed up what little bit of seam line was initially appearing, filling in some of those spaces where a gap looks to still exist, as I seem to recall Robb mentioning.

So, my questions are these:

* My hands are a bit sticky, does that wear off over time, I guess? Is there anything in the way of common household items that I can use to clean this off my hands? It's only annoying, nothing beyond that. And yes, I know it says to use gloves and I know why it's got my hands feeling sticky. I'm a modeler, so don't follow directions....

* Will this bond resin to resin? Will it bond plastic to resin? Is there any medium on which it doesn't work?

* Once it fully cures, is there anything in particular I can use to clean up the excess? I mean, other than an Xacto to trim up any gobs and/or sanding or filing, of course.

* Does it take a putty on top of it well? I generally use Tamiya Putty, Basic Type for filling seams and the like. Has anyone had negative experiences filling on top of the Gorilla Glue?

I appreciate any and all experiences you care to share. Thanks muchly in advance!

.

Rogviler · Post by **Rogviler** » Sat Jul 27, 2013 11:56 pm

It sounds like you're using regular Gorilla Glue, which is actually urethane that expands much like the insulation foam that comes in a can (Great Stuff I think it's called). It has its place (resin kits do well with in in my experience), but the buzz in modeling circles is about the CA that Gorilla Glue makes.

This is the stuff:

http://www.amazon.com/Gorilla-Glue-7805 ... B001IY82FM

Works just like regular super glue, but with some kind of rubber particles that make it extra strong and able to span gaps.

-Rog

Griffworks · Post by **Griffworks** » Sun Jul 28, 2013 12:04 am

Yes, I'm using the Regular version if their product. So far, no issues.

I'll definitely look to get some of the Super Glue version next time. It works well on Resin to resin? Resin to styrene?

Thanks, Rogviler! I appreciate the input!

Rogviler · Post by **Rogviler** » Sun Jul 28, 2013 12:23 am

On the urethane stuff, I've never used it on styrene, but it should work just fine if you don't mind the mess it makes. It will certainly glue things solidly though.

The stuff Kylwell and others are talking about is the blue-capped super glue. Same company, completely different products.

BTW, the original is tough to get off skin, but you might have luck with Goo Gone/Goof Off type products. I usually just let it dry and it'll come off without much fanfare. I definitely wear gloves when I can.

-Rog

E-Dub · Post by **E-Dub** » Sun Jul 28, 2013 11:08 am

I imagine it does well in gluing gorillas to resin styrene or other primates.

kerick · Post by **kerick** » Sun Jul 28, 2013 11:35 am

Never leave Gorilla Glue on the nightstand...

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Sun Jul 28, 2013 11:50 am

While regular Gorilla Glue is awesome stuff it requires water to activate. Generally spread a very thin coat on one side, dampen the other and clamp together. It's also normally a wood glue tho' you can also glue foam together with it.

Gorilla Glue's CA formula is what I talk about for gap filling & PE attachment. It's got all the tricks the Wave Black had but without the appallingly short shelf life.

eeun · Post by **eeun** » Sun Jul 28, 2013 1:05 pm

The polyurethane GG is basically spray foam in a bottle. It does expand, but not too aggressively, and sticks to just about every known substance in the universe, especially fingers.
I've cleaned seepage with acetone, but once it's dried, cutting, scraping and sanding was the only way I could remove it.

Griffworks · Post by **Griffworks** » Sun Jul 28, 2013 1:39 pm

Thanks for all the responses, fellas! I appreciate it. Always great to get first-hand experience information on a product you're not sure about.

And a special thanks to Robb for turning me on to this product! I'm just sort of ashamed to say that it took me all these years to actually buy it - even if this is the Regular stuff.

OK, so I cross-posted this across three other forums - Hobby Talk, Resin Illuminati and All Scale Trek <--- click on the links and it'll take you directly to those threads. I've got lots of responses from here and the first two forums, not a single from AST, tho.

In summary, so that you don't have to go to each and every post on the other forums, here's what I've learned from the posts:

* The stuff I'm using is "regular" Gorilla Glue and that there's a Gorilla Super Glue, which is what Robb / Kylwell was on about, but I clearly didn't remember. Packaging says it's water proof, so when I take my models into the bathtub with me, that means I shouldn't have to worry about them falling apart.

* The Super Glue version can be used on darned near anything, to include wood, apparently. Per the packaging, the Regular stuff can also be used on darned near anything. My main interests, obviously, are with styrene and resin, with possible brass to plastic or resin needs for adding PE to model parts.

* Isopropyl alcohol will help to clean the Regular stuff off your hands.

* Do not leave it on the night stand. :wtf: (That's such a rookie move! Everybody knows that you triple check to make sure it's the motion lotion on the night stand before you turn the lights out.

Or so I've been told....)

From my own experiences with the Gorilla Glue Tubes (i.e. "Regular" Gorilla Glue):

* This stuff works great! As it says on the packaging, it's Incredibly Strong! I've used it to do a near perfect seam on both sides of my Battlestar Atlantia main hull, as well as adhered the Gator head to the main hull. Just follow the directions - wet both surfaces, apply the glue from the tube, get a good seal with some sort of clamps (I used standard green newspaper rubber bands as we have an ample supply) and let it set for an hour.

* Comes up pretty easily after it fully cures with an Xacto blade and didn't require a whole lot of pressure on the Xacto. As someone mentioned in one of the other threads, it's a urethane type of medium, so doesn't dry hard-as-a-rock like most CA's will. It's good and solid, but not brittle-hard. More like some of the two-part epoxies that I've used, I guess. Just not as messy 'cause it's already mixed for you, nor as rock hard and brittle as one or two brands I've used.

* If you get some of the Regular stuff on your hands, it leaves the skin a bit tacky feeling, but doesn't seem to actually leave the surface tacky. For instance, I got it in the web of my left hand and when I closed my hand up, it felt tacky, but when I used a finger from my right hand, the right finger didn't feel at all tacky (maybe because the right hand behaves better in company than the left hand?).

I'll eventually buy some of the Gorilla Super Glue and post about it once I've used it. So far, tho, this stuff works just fine for my needs. I'm not usually in too big of a hurry, as I tend to work on multiple projects at one time, so allowing for cure time on glue isn't generally too big of a deal.

.

Liquid Electron · Post by **Liquid Electron** » Sun Jul 28, 2013 1:48 pm

I only know a few basic awesome things about Gorilla Glue.

1) The guys that installed the furnace in our house a few years ago Gorilla Glued the pipes together. They do not move.

2) The same guys did the same thing with a water heater.

I used Gorilla Tape (not glue, obviously but still awesome) (looks like brown duct tape) to tape plastic up over windows at the beginning of winter last year. (Around here that's a must-do.) It took two of us to remove it this spring.

I have never applied it to plastic or resin so this post is basically useless, apologies.

Griffworks · Post by **Griffworks** » Sun Jul 28, 2013 2:10 pm

No worries! Any input is appreciated. And you've told me of a related product I'd never heard of - Gorilla Tape! Sounds like you don't want to have someone use it on your posterior to tape those two halves together!

jafo · Post by **jafo** » Sun Jul 28, 2013 8:05 pm

I used it on a split seam on a rotocast Colonial one kit. Had to drill from the rear and let it slide down in there on the inside. worked like a charm. About 2 years now and it does not seem to be brittle and is holding fast.

Pengbuzz · Post by **Pengbuzz** » Sun Jul 28, 2013 9:42 pm

I used it on my hands once....

...just now is the skin on my palms starting to grow back.

Lt. Z0mBe · Post by **Lt. Z0mBe** » Sun Jul 28, 2013 11:24 pm

Kylwell wrote:While regular Gorilla Glue is awesome stuff it requires water to activate. Generally spread a very thin coat on one side, dampen the other and clamp together. It's also normally a wood glue tho' you can also glue foam together with it.

Gorilla Glue's CA formula is what I talk about for gap filling & PE attachment. It's got all the tricks the Wave Black had but without the appallingly short shelf life.

I have made the switch from Wave to Gorilla after reading Robb's comments in the other sections. I am using for the first time during the course of this build for gap filling, sticking with regular CA for those times when I need to actually CA glue something.

It is almost as exciting as when I discovered Aves. Sands just as smooth as the rubberized Wave, is strong and is a great value.

I give it five out of a possible five decaying corpses on the Romero scale.

Kenny

Griffworks · Post by **Griffworks** » Mon Jul 29, 2013 12:14 am

Werd!

kerick · Post by **kerick** » Mon Jul 29, 2013 10:32 am

This GG Ca sounds awesome and its easy to find. Has anyone used it on different plastics? I have a project or two that would require glueing PVC, ABS, poly carbonate, acrylic, POM and any other parts I can scrounge from computers and printers. I've read that POM is just about unglueable.

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Mon Jul 29, 2013 11:56 am

kerick wrote:This GG Ca sounds awesome and its easy to find. Has anyone used it on different plastics? I have a project or two that would require glueing PVC, ABS, poly carbonate, acrylic, POM and any other parts I can scrounge from computers and printers. I've read that POM is just about unglueable.

POM, HDPE, PETE, etc are all largely unglueable. There are glues that will adhere to them and even primers that will enable one to paint them but they can be costly and hazardous to use. Best left for the recyclers.

As to the rest, it glues fine to pvc, abs, polystyrene, polycarb, arcylic and some types of polyvinyl.

kerick · Post by **kerick** » Mon Jul 29, 2013 4:53 pm

Kylwell wrote:
kerick wrote:This GG Ca sounds awesome and its easy to find. Has anyone used it on different plastics? I have a project or two that would require glueing PVC, ABS, poly carbonate, acrylic, POM and any other parts I can scrounge from computers and printers. I've read that POM is just about unglueable.
POM, HDPE, PETE, etc are all largely unglueable. There are glues that will adhere to them and even primers that will enable one to paint them but they can be costly and hazardous to use. Best left for the recyclers.

As to the rest, it glues fine to pvc, abs, polystyrene, polycarb, arcylic and some types of polyvinyl.

Thanks, I don't know why I never thought of trying this stuff be for.

Dave R · Post by **Dave R** » Mon Jul 29, 2013 5:49 pm

The shop where I work has just had a delivery of Gorilla Glue, various types.
I'm going to have to try out the CA after reading this.

Owen E Oulton · Post by **Owen E Oulton** » Mon Jul 29, 2013 6:46 pm

I just wandered over to my neighbourhood hardware store this afternoon and asked if they have Gorilla Glue. They pointed me at a rack with various types, including the CA. Surprise, surprise, it was the same price and size as the Bob Smith stuff I get at the Hobby store, so I'm picking up a bottle when I get my stipend tomorrow or Wednesday. If it's half as good as you guys indicate...

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Mon Jul 29, 2013 9:37 pm

One of the best things I love about the Gorilla CA, and Mercury & Wave Black, is the cap. Clogs so rarely I forget the last time I had issues with it. Seals tighter so it lasts longer, I usually empty the bottle before it dries out.

Post by **TER-OR** » Mon Jul 29, 2013 10:02 pm

Polyurethane glue is my first choice when woodworking, and it does bond pretty much anything. It's great stuff. Clean up quickly, though. I've used it on models occasionally.

I have found their CA to be of better than average quality, too.

Splatcat · Post by **Splatcat** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 1:20 am

Gorilla glue worked great on many projects and applications for me. I used it once on a base and the expansion accidentally gave me a cool lava effect that I decided to use after looking at it. It also fills in holloe structures thart mioght feel a little soft. You have to be careful how you clamp those up first. once your glue drys out you are pretty much stuck with whsat you got.
Loctite super glue is very effective for glueing cats to the floor. My son discovered that one many years ago.

73chargr · Post by **73chargr** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 12:23 pm

Rogviler,

Thank you for the memory refresh on the blue cap Gorilla CA.

I've got a few resin projects I've been thinking about starting and ran out of the Wave black CA a long time ago.

73

naoto · Post by **naoto** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 12:35 pm

On a totally unrelated direction (based on a misreading of subject title)... What would be the distinguishing properties of a glue that would be sold under the "Gojira/Godzilla glue" name? Initial thought would be that one of its distinguishing features is that it would be radioactive, and it would trounce 'Zilla glue (which apparently is made from tuna).

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 1:28 pm

naoto wrote:On a totally unrelated direction (based on a misreading of subject title)... What would be the distinguishing properties of a glue that would be sold under the "Gojira/Godzilla glue" name? Initial thought would be that one of its distinguishing features is that it would be radioactive, and it would trounce 'Zilla glue (which apparently is made from tuna).

Well other than it would regularly destroy Tokyo I have no idea.

roadrunner · Post by **roadrunner** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 1:58 pm

Playing in the bathtub with your models? Yikes! Abandon ship! I thought I was the only one who did that.

Griffworks · Post by **Griffworks** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 2:01 pm

Phshaw! I don't play with my models in the bathtub!

It's just what I've heard. Y'know. From a friend....

Kylwell wrote:
naoto wrote:On a totally unrelated direction (based on a misreading of subject title)... What would be the distinguishing properties of a glue that would be sold under the "Gojira/Godzilla glue" name? Initial thought would be that one of its distinguishing features is that it would be radioactive, and it would trounce 'Zilla glue (which apparently is made from tuna).
Well other than it would regularly destroy Tokyo I have no idea.

Oooh! How 'bout it would be irradiated and glow in the dark so easy to find if you drop it on the floor...?

Griffworks · Post by **Griffworks** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 2:03 pm

BTW, here's the version of Gorilla Glue that I've been using.

http://i763.photobucket.com/albums/xx27 ... 6839fb.jpg

http://i763.photobucket.com/albums/xx27 ... e69c1b.jpg

Owen E Oulton · Post by **Owen E Oulton** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 3:07 pm

Kylwell wrote:One of the best things I love about the Gorilla CA, and Mercury & Wave Black, is the cap. Clogs so rarely I forget the last time I had issues with it. Seals tighter so it lasts longer, I usually empty the bottle before it dries out.

Yeah, I absolutely hate the caps on the Bob Smith CA, which eventually will glue itself to the bottle.

I'm glad to hear the Gorilla Glue cap won't do that.