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! Continue reading →
All posts tagged glue
Repair, Don’t Replace: Broken Chair Legs
If you’ve ever checked out the curb on trash day, you have probably noticed how common it is to see broken wooden chairs awaiting their one-way trip to the local landfill. Too often, wooden chairs are thrown out when all they need is a quick fix. If you have a wooden chair with a broken leg, don’t replace it– learn how to repair it with EcoGlue Premium Wood Adhesive.
Loose Legs
Using chairs frequently can cause legs to become loose. It also happens over time because as wood ages and dries out, it shrinks. As a result, the joints between the parts of a chair can sometimes come loose. This problem can be repaired by forcing glue into the joints. It’s important to choose a high-performance wood glue such as EcoGlue Premium Wood adhesive that will form a strong bond and maintain flex strength, heat resistance and adhesive strength over time. Instead of replacing your favorite chair, follow these steps to repair a chair with loose legs:
- Examine joints to find any loose ones. Repair all joints at the same time.
- Separate each joint as much as possible to make it easily accessible.
- Clean off old glue from the ends of the chair legs and from the inside of the holes. (Use a scraper, chisel or knife if necessary.) Make sure to remove all old glue, because the new glue will not stick to it.
- Apply EcoGlue Premium Wood adhesive to both the tenon (the end of the leg or stretcher) and to the inside of the hole.
- Reassemble the parts using a rubber mallet or clamp if necessary.
- Hold the joint together, and drill a hole from the underside, slightly smaller in diameter than your wood screw at an angle to the joint.
- Drive in a screw longer than the diameter of the tenon part you are repairing. The screw will hold the joint until EcoGlue Premium Wood glue dries (initial bond forms in 30 minutes, 100% strength is reached in 24 hours) and prevent it from becoming loose again.
Check out this post from TLC for instructions to repair broken back rails, spindles, slats and other structural parts.
Creating Sparkly Holiday Garland
A few days ago, my sister and I were browsing through a home decor boutique. The boutique was beautifully decorated for the holidays with garland, trees and ornaments. We spotted a glittery garland hanging by the windows and instantly knew we could make it ourselves. We drove straight to the craft store and picked up the supplies.
All you need is colorful felt, fishing line, EcoGlue and a circle punch.
Step 1: Using the circle punch (or scissors), cut about 60 circles. We used 2″ and 3″ circle punches.
Step 2: Lay out your circles to determine what pattern you’d like. Keep in mind that you’ll use 2 circles back to back.
Step 3: Now that you know you’re pattern, apply EcoGlue to the backside of the circle, lay fishing line through the center and place matching circle on top. Note: make sure to leave about 12″ of fishing line on each end to use for hanging when the garland is finished.
It’s best to let the adhesive set over night and once fully dry, it’s ready to hang!
Here are some other Holiday garlands that I’d like to try:
Snowflake garland from Apartment Therapy
Eucalyptus Garland from Martha Stewart
Fabric Party Garland from Molly’s Sketchbook
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.
eclectic: Thank you! Enjoy your warm fire pit :)...
rebeca: i tried to send an email on your website but for some reason i was not...
Margaret Almon: My green paisley mosaic bowling ball has been traveling around incogni...
Laura: Hey thanks for featuring my sandals!! Love E6000!! My web site is PI...