The holidays are upon us, and that means it’s time to pull last year’s decorations out of storage and take inventory. Somewhere between carefully wrapping ornaments and not-so-carefully putting away boxes in the garage, attic or basement, it seems that more than a few ornaments will end up damaged. Continue reading →
All posts tagged adhesive
Sticky Business: Posts We Liked This Week
Here are our favorite craft and DIY links this week. Be sure to follow us @amazinggoop for daily updates on crafts, DIY projects and more! Hope you have a great weekend!
Craft:
Dollar Store Crafts shares an impressive project for making Faux Stained Glass Windows using E-6000.
We love these tips from Apartment Therapy for organizing your craft space before tackling your next project.
Take an old picture frame and turn it into a modern jewelry hanger with this step-by-step guide from Curbly.
Working with felt? Check out these felting tips & techniques on the Martha Stewart Crafts Dept. blog.
DIY Projects:
The Rambling Renovators show you how to make a panelled wall in your master bedroom.
Need a box that won’t take up too much space? Try this “Man Craft” for making a collapsible box from bamboo placemats.
Find out How to Stencil a Border with step-by-step instructions from This Old House.
Add an earthy touch to your home by making Brick Succulent Planters with a tutorial from ReadyMade.
Repair, Don't Replace: Ceramic Tile
In well-appointed homes, tile is a popular choice from earthenware tiles in the foyer to porcelain in the bathroom and ceramics in the kitchen. A cracked or broken tile, even when it appears to be nothing more than a hairline, can cause thousands of dollars in water damage. Don’t delay making this repair.
- Use a hammer and chisel to completely remove the broken tile, taking care not to damage surrounding tile or to break the adhesive seal.
- Clean out the broken tile completely, including all the old grout and adhesive.
- Apply new adhesive. You can use tile adhesive, or for simpler application, try Amazing GOOP. GOOP is also a waterproof sealant and at about $5 a tube, can save even more money than specialty adhesives. Be sure to read the directions for the best results with the adhesive you choose.
- Replace the tile, regrout and leave to dry overnight.
- A quick clean up in the morning and your tile is as good as new.
Bottom line: A standard four-inch tile, plus the supplies will cost you less than $10.
Photo via Flickr by Abmatic
We're Taking Eco to the Extreme
Our new environmentally-friendly adhesives line, EcoGlue Green Solutions, just launched two new products. We’re excited!
Amazing EcoGlue we’ve discussed here before. We’re looking forward to an upcoming guest post about Amazing EcoGlue. We will keep you posted on that.
Now we’re also happy to introduce EcoGlue Extreme. Outstanding results on a variety of surfaces and safe to use indoors because it has no odor. An industrial strength adhesive with no odor!
And EcoGlue Premium Wood. This wood glue is water based with no animal derivatives. It outperforms most other white and wood glues in strength, flexibility, heat resistance, sandability and toughness. We’re particularly excited about this product. It’s being test right now by The Handy Guys of The Handy Guys Podcast and will be reviewed on an upcoming show.
RV Lifestyle: Part 1, Basic Repair for Road Warriors
The reasons for living the RV lifestyle are as varied as the nomadic souls who live it. Life on the open road in North America usually has some surprises in store, and that’s why we love it.
Some surprises are pleasant, like when you come across the World’s Largest Peanut in Ashburn, Georgia. Others, like a nasty tear in your sewer hose, a leak around a window, or a mirror getting knocked off, are not as pleasant.
A few simple tools, tricks and tips will help you repair minor problems on and in your RV without missing a second of your journey.
One of the simplest and least expensive, but probably most useful tools to have aboard is an industrial strength, one-part adhesive, like RV GOOP. (Some other tools to consider: a shovel and axe, hammer, screwdriver, pliers, some duct tape, flashlights and batteries, and leveling blocks.)
You’d be amazed, however, at how many annoying problems can be solved with a tube of contact adhesive and sealant. Look for a product that remains flexible after drying, is great for repairs that will weather a moving vehicle even over bumpy roads, is waterproof and good at permanently adhering two materials together, such as metal to glass.
I’ll take you through how to do three minor, but common RV repairs over three separate posts. Each has broad application, so you can use the same directions to repair a variety of surfaces. We’ll reattach auto trim, specifically a wayward reflector, next we’ll patch a tear in some linoleum, finally, we’ll mend a torn sewer hose.
Match adhesive to material
White glue like Elmer’s works great for paper-to-paper projects, an industrial strength crafters’ glue might be better for glass-to-glass, and no one has developed anything better for wood than carpenter’s wood glues. On your RV you have a variety of surfaces and often a repair will mean adhering two different surfaces together.
An adhesive that remains flexible when dry will provide maximum stick for your buck because it allows each surface to dry at its own rate. This is true when reattaching auto chrome, or a reflector to the exterior of the RV. The bond will hold through extreme variation in temperature and the constant vibration of the road.
Recipe for success: Make sure both surfaces are clean and dry prior to applying the adhesive. Apply a small amount to each surface and allow the glue to partially cure for 2–10 minutes before pressing the pieces together (the less adhesive you use, the less time you need for a partial cure).
Press both pieces together using sufficient pressure to establish complete contact. Immediately clean away excess adhesive with a little acetone on a clean cloth. (Acetone is a paint thinner, so be careful how much you use.) Allow the repair to dry for 24 hours.
Tip: Different materials need different drying times and outside temperature also affects the drying time. The bond cures faster in higher temperatures and slower in lower temperatures.
Stay tuned for part two – patching a linoleum tear.
[parts of this series originally appears in Escapees Magazine, November/December 2003]
A Sticky Situation: Tips for Success with Adhesives
There are many sophisticated products around to make things and stick them back together when they break, but probably the one product that everyone has is the lowly substance called glue! Knowing what kind of glue works best for your project is the key to success. Here are the basic types and what they can (and can’t) do.
General purpose adhesive
It dries clear with superior strength, but stays flexible with a permanent bond. It is usually water resistant and won’t turn brittle. It can even be painted after drying.
Uses: Join two different materials with different drying times (rubber to metal); repair materials where a flexible bond is necessary like a repair to a showerhead hose leak.
Examples: Perfect for everyday repairs, even sealing sinks and countertops; repairing broken or leaking porcelain; repairing tears in canvas or upholstery,
Epoxies
This two-part adhesive is considered the most durable of all adhesives. It’s best suited when water or gas and oil resistance is required. Some can withstand high temperatures. It is not flexible and requires mixing.
Uses: Good for permanent repairs that don’t require flexibility and for repairs that come into contact with solvents
Examples: Connecting copper to plastic pipes
Rubber cement
This brush-on adhesive is made of white crude rubber. It works best for joining paper, both temporarily and permanently.
Uses: Apply paper liner to a drawer
Wood glue
Wood glue has been created especially for woodworking. It sands cleanly, leaves an invisible glue line and cleans up with water.
Uses: Build and fix wood projects such as cabinet doors in a bathroom or kitchen or furniture repairs
Super glue
This adhesive is useful when an immediate hold is needed. Super glue will provide a fast and dry hold without any flexibility.
Uses: Reattach a broken knob or handle
Mastics
Mastics are pre-mixed adhesives used with wood, tile, Formica and ceramic. It will not stick to metal or concrete and it is not waterproof or flexible.
Uses: Attach tiles to various surfaces.
Thin-set adhesives
This mix-it-yourself mortar-based adhesive is the best choice for concrete, terra cotta and backer boards. It will not stick to non-porous surfaces and it is waterproof and flexible.
Uses: Interior or exterior tiling
Paper glue (white glue)
This works well for simple paper and wood projects. It dries quickly, but isn’t flexible or super strong and it dissolves with exposure to water.
Uses: Paper to paper adhesion and repairs to objects where a lot of stress is not involved; not recommended where water is a factor.
More Tips for Success with Adhesives:
- Every junk drawer should be equipped with three types of glue to cover a variety of everyday needs: paper glue such as Elmer’s, general purpose glue such as Amazing GOOP and super glue such as Krazy Glue.
- Use the right glue for the project. Indoor or outdoor project? If the project will be placed outside, the changing temperatures will cause the adhesive to expand and contract.
- Choose a glue that dries to a rubbery, flexible finish, can handle temperature extremes and has UV resistance if the project is exposed to direct sunlight.
- Practice on like materials before committing to a cherished keepsake, for example, and just use a little bit at a time then wipe off the excess.
- Always read the directions to ensure best results.
Good old glue is the DIYer’s best friend. Knowing which kind to use for your project and how to use it properly will ensure a successful result.
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