The best glue for the job.
My obsession with gluing stuff to other stuff started at a very young age.
If I wasn't doing decoupage with watered down Elmer's glue, I was gluing stuff to the woodwork, walls, found objects and furniture.
Decades have passed and I'm still gluing. I've even written a book about it. "Making Mosaics with Found Objects" from Stackpole Books.
My collections of broken china, mirrors, chairs, tables, images, marbles, gems, jewelry, ephemera and mismatched shards has grown from one shelf to an entire tile room, studio and basement. It's a happy addiction that I live with!
Once you have the courage to start giving your cherished found objects a chance to be seen, there's only one rule you need to follow .... use the right glue!
In my studio:
WELDBOND - indoor
CLEAR LIQUID NAILS - indoor/outdoor
E6000 - indoor/outdoor
GE CLEAR SILICONE - indoor/outdoor
DOUGLAS & STURGESS EXPOXY
Weldbond Adhesive
The only thing Weldbond won't do is walk your dog.
1. It's non-toxic and has no smell.
2. Great for projects with kids.
3. Weldbond dries clear ... in most circumstances.
4. Easy to remove mistakes.
5. Won't glue your fingers together.
and if you coat glass with Weldbond and let it dry ... before gluing bits and pieces it will help prevent slippage.
Weldbond says this about their amazing product....
A unique product, WELDBOND is more than an adhesive. It's also a powerful universal primer for porous surfaces. It's a weatherproofer, dustproofer, hardener, and bonding agent. Just mix WELDBOND with sawdust, grout, cement or plaster and be amazed at the tremendous strength this product! Non-toxic and dries clear making it a perfect adhesive to use when crafting with kids.Dries to a clear, flexible bond.\
WHAT WELDBOND WON'T DO: Survive Outside
Little Mosaic Tile Ditty
from the book "Mosaic Tile with Found Objects"
Making Mosaics with Found Objects
My Book
Making Mosaics with Found Objects
Amazon Price: $11.33 (as of 06/01/2012)
Make mosaics on any surface--mirrors, tables, chairs, picture frames, bowls, switch plate covers, wooden shoes, and more ... with
Hundreds of photos show project variations and possibilities
Practical information about cutting techniques, choosing an adhesive, and grouting
Advice on using color and designing your project to achieve the effect you want
Using your own unique found objects for one-of-a-kind gifts and home decor
Picking the Right Adhesive for the Job
So Many Adhesives So Little Time
"Perky Woman" glass glued to plastic with Weldbond
E6000 Adhesive
Great for Glass on Glass
Always work in a well ventilated area when using E-6000 and let it cure for 10 minutes before gluing surfaces together.
Children should always be supervised when working with adhesives!
COMMONLY USED SURFACE-TO-SURFACE APPLICATIONS ARE:
Glass to Glass
Rhinestone & Beads to Fabric
You can attach the following to Ceramic with e6000 ...
Rocks
Sea Shells
Beads
Pottery
Wood
Glass
Metal
DIRECTIONS & TIPS FOR USING E-6000®:
Apply E-6000® directly to each surface to be bonded.
Allow E-6000® to partially cure 10 minutes before bringing surfaces together.
Note: E-6000® hardens by solvent evaporation and forms an immediate bond that is difficult to reposition after both adhesive coated surfaces are placed in contact with each other and sufficient pressure is exerted to establish full contact.
SPECIAL TIPS: To extend life of product, be sure cap is secured back to original position. Use a toothpick as a disposable applicator for very small applications such as beading. Remove, recap and allow plastic nozzle to dry. Remove dried product from nozzle by pulling out through threaded end and reuse nozzle.
- E-6000 Clear Adhesive
- Best for glass on glass!
E-6000® comes in a 3.7 oz tube or carded 2.0 oz tube with applicator nozzle that contains thick, permanent bonding adhesive. It's a tough, flexible and highly versatile rubber based compound that exhibits exceptional adhesive, contact adhesive and sealant qualities. It's washer and dryer safe.
e6000 Adhesive
Work in a well ventilated area
Do not suggest this adhesive when working with children.
Glass on Glass
E6000 dries clear but is toxic.
Glass on glass projects can be created using Weldbond and here are a few things you should be aware of:
#1 Excess puddles of Weldbond will not dry clear so you will see it behind the glass. If that wasn't the object then no problem.
#2 Suggest brushing Weldbond onto the glass pieces, carefully with your finger or paintbrush and secure them to the glass with a little wiggle ... then hope for the best. Can take a few days to completely dry clear.
#3 With Weldbond you have a fighting chance of prying pieces off of the glass with the utmost of care. With Lexel and E6000 you don't.
If you want to assure a clear view and deal with vapors, use E6000 or Clear Liquid Nails in a well ventilated area or outside.
SAFETY FIRST: You can never predict what glass will do when you are working with it.
When gluing glass on glass with E6000, LEXEL or Clear Liquid Nails ... when it's stuck ... it's really stuck. NEVER and I mean NEVER try to remove glass from glass, once it has set up with one of these glues.
Clear Liquid Nails
Clear Small Project Silicone Adhesive
Work in a well ventilated area! Children should always be supervised when working with adhesives!
- Clear Small Projects Silicone Adhesive (LN-207) - LIQUID NAILS Adhesive
- A moisture-curing adhesive designed for use in all types of household repairs. The adhesive is non-flammable, cures quickly and has outstanding environmental resistance to heat, cold and moisture. Clear Small Projects Adhesive adheres to a wide range of surfaces, including most plastics, metals, masonry and wood.
Lexel Sealant
Sticks to just about anything!
Glue Guides and Adhesives
Finding the perfect glue.
- Lowe's Guide to Glue and Adhesives
- Adhesives have been around for some time. When a woolly mammoth first stepped into a tar pit, the concept of adhesion became painfully obvious. Early man recognized the possibilities and the rest is history. Ancient civilizations used natural glues that remain bonded thousands of years later.
Today there are a variety of excellent choices. The sticky arsenal now includes a glue or adhesive for practically every need - from home projects to specialized compounds used in surgery or sealing windows on space stations. - 49 different glue options
- Find a huge variety of the best wood glues, titebond, gorilla glue, contact cement, super glue, as well as wood putty, grain filler and west system epoxy.
- Titebond
- From wood glues to specialty adhesives,
- Douglas and Sturgess
- Epoxy Resin is going to create a very sturdy casting, but be aware that you can't stay in the room while it is curing and epoxy has to be kept warm while it sets. We recommend Epoxy Resin 7828 along with the hardener 8140
- This To That
- An old site that has some interesting glue suggestions...not the most accurate but...Because people have a need to glue things to other things it could help in some situations.
Top 5 Adhesives
Not for the kids.
What if you have to remove glue?
Read the directions and hope for the best!
Duck Brand 527263 Adhesive Remover 5-4/9-Ounce Bottle with Scraper Cap
Amazon Price: $3.57 (as of 06/01/2012)
Glue remover and a scraper. Can't pass that up!
Just Glue It!
and make sure to let it dry!!!
and then there's Mastic
available at home improvement & tile shops.
Mastic will keep it from slipping.
@ Home Improvement & Tile Stores
Mastic is a non-slip high performance, smooth spreading mortar formulated for interior installation of all types of ceramic wall & floor tile.
Last and certainly not least ... MOD PODGE
Just Elmers & water but better ...
Blend Mosaic Tile & Decoupage!
LOVE Durwin Rice!
So many pieces..
so little time.
Now that you know which glue to use .... grab a craft book for inspiration!
Happy Gluing!
Making Mosiacs With Found Objects by Mara Wallach
* Make mosaics on any surface--mirrors, tables, chairs, more...1 point
Bent Objects: The Secret Life of Everyday Things by Terry Border
Trained as a photographer, Terry Border left the commercial more...0 points
Making Connections: A Handbook of Cold Joins for Jewelers and Mixed-Media Artists by Susan Lenart Kazmer
Featuring a wide variety of cold-join techniques from more...0 points
Wary Meyers' Tossed & Found: Unconventional Design from Cast-offs by Linda Meyers, John Meyers
What some view as trash, Linda and John Meyers see more...0 points
Secrets of Rusty Things: Transforming Found Objects into Art by Michael de Meng
*Combines two popular topics--assemblage and found more...0 points
This and that and
everything else.
Tile Gypsies
Rogue gluers and attachers of stuff.
Tile Gypsies Women's Long Sleeve T-Shirt
Price: $32.99
Tile Gypsies Value T-shirt
Price: $18.99
Tile Gypsies Tote Bag
Price: $19.99
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There is no cure for curiousity!
Glad you stopped by...
When in doubt...
read the directions.
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C Gavin
May 4, 2012 @ 7:34 pm | delete
- Not only do you share superior artistic design and knowledge, you also demonstrate the ideal use of the Internet! Impressive.
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Jayner
Feb 4, 2012 @ 8:55 pm | delete
- I have a glass totem that glued together with lexel but I need to go around each piece to make sure their is a seal since it will be outside. I have trouble smoothin out lexel. Can I finishe it off with E6000?
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Sugar Feb 5, 2012 @ 9:16 am | delete
- Having never tried to do it this way, I can't say for sure but it seems like it would work if you maintain it with a little touch up every now and then ... a lot depends on a tight seal and climate for success.
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Saundra Clare
Jan 19, 2012 @ 3:23 am | delete
- Great Glue article..!
Question....I'm trying to find a Primer for rubber sandal surface, so that the E6000 will harden and be stronger as well as stay flexible. Primer product needs to stay clear.
TY in advance...and again....loved reading the article!
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- One of the epoxy's from Douglas and Sturgess may work but I would probably do multil layers of the adhesive ... allowing each layer to dry in between.
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Making Mosaics with Found Objects
Our New Book
Making Mosaics with Found Objects
Amazon Price: $11.33 (as of 06/02/2012)
Stackpole Books asked me to write a book on creating Mosaic Tile with Found Objects ... I took them up on the challenge.
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