Use these handy glue guides to stick (and unstick) almost anything

I don’t even remember what I was trying to fix, but at one point I put together a bunch of glue and adhesive guides from the internet and I find myself referring back to them more and more these days. I figuring sharing them with you might alleviate some of your own frustration about trying to attach one item to another.

This To That – This is a clever little website that simply asks you which two types of materials you’d like to attach together. It then gives you some suggestions on different types of glue or adhesives that can be used to attach “this to that.” The site usually ends up suggesting some fairly specialized glues and epoxies without much of an explanation about where you can actually find them. The site is a lot of fun for the true glue fan with all sorts of links and trivia pieces and lots of little tips for glueing things together.

Lowe’s Guide to Glues and Adhesives – I have to admit that this is one of the more concise and accurate glue and adhesives guides out there. It briefly explains what each type of glue is best used for and runs through the advantages and disadvantages of each. It doesn’t really explain exactly what works best for each job, but it gives you a better understanding of the differences between all the glues available out there. After I have some options from This To That I usually hit this guide to just look things over.

Super Glue Reference Guide – Okay, admit it. You try to use Super Gluefor everything. So do I. It doesn’t always work, but that could be because I wasn’t using the right type of Super Glue. These handy little reference tables (also available in a printable .PDF file) show you exactly which type of Super Glue you should use for each project. It basically does the same thing This To That does, but stays in the Super Glue family of products.

Of course, not all repairs require attaching one item to another. Sometimes you have to actually separate two things. For many glues warm water, rubbing alcohol or some other sort of light solvent can help the process, though glue is generally created to hold things together for a long time. These next few guides may be useful if you have to break two things apart (like removing that cracked “Precious Moments” statue from your Super Glue covered finger).

Removing Super Glue – This page explains how to remove the Super bonds that tie. You might want to read this over BEFORE you work with Super Glue again. My favorite line from this page informs you about what to expect if you get Super Glue on your eyeball: “Periods of weeping and double vision may be experienced until clearance is achieved.” Ouch! None of the scenarios are pretty and this shows how serious Super Glue really is.

General Tips for Removing Glue – This page has some short general tips on how to unglue just about anything. There are a few neat ideas (like freezing paper items that are glued together) that I would have never thought of.

How to Remove Glue Spots – Once you have two items broken apart you’ll likely still have a lot of glue or adhesive residue and stains. This guide explains some of your options for removing those unsightly spots.

I hope these tips and tricks “stick” with you for your next glueing project and I hope you don’t get so “stuck” on the project that you can’t get free!