How to Buy Glues and Adhesives

When it comes to do-it-yourself projects or crafts, choosing the appropriate glue or adhesive will provide stability and strength. It gets a little sticky: Glues are based on natural polymers, such as starch and protein from flour, milk and animal parts, while adhesives come from synthesized polymers.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. Determine what kind of material you need the glue for. There are a number of glues specific to wood and woodworking, while others specialized in other materials, such plastic or ceramics.

2. Educate yourself on the difference types. Glues for household repair and maintenance typically fall in those two categories: Wood and other materials. Common wood adhesives include: Clear cement, contact cement, epoxy, hide glue, hot-melt glue, plastic resin (urea resin or urea-formaldehyde), waterproof adhesive (resorcinol), white glue (e.g. PVA/Elmer's brand), woodworker's glue and polyurethane glue. Common glues for other materials are: acrylic resin, contact cement, cyanoacrylate (e.g. Super Glue, Krazy Glue brands), epoxy, construction adhesive (e.g. Liquid Nails brand), wall-covering adhesives, glue sticks, adhesive cartridges and spray adhesive. Notice some glues are applicable to different materials, though than can serve somewhat different functions.

3. Understand what you need the glue to do. This is specific, beyond what type of material you're using. If you need something that's waterproof to fill gaps in wood, epoxy might be best. Hide glue is great for assembling and repairing antique furniture. Ceramics and eyeglasses are easily repaired with cyanoacrylate, which is thinner than other glues and clear-drying. Nearly all glues have use-case scenarios on the box, but be sure to grab the best fit. Some simply won't work outside their area of expertise.

Tips & Warnings

• Glues and adhesives are often toxic. Be sure to use in a well-ventilated area, or wear a respirator.

• Keep all adhesives and glues away from children.