You’ve been using super glue all wrong

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Clean surfaces with alcohol for the best adhesive bond.
• Apply only a tiny amount of glue to ensure success.
• Fill gaps with baking soda to create maximum joint strength.

Super glue — the chemical name of which is cyanoacrylate, also popularly known as crazy glue — is truly amazing stuff.

First sold as an adhesive by Loctite in the 1960s, super glue can bond a wide range of materials — from plastics to wood, glass, porcelain, metal, and even fabric, and yes, human skin. 

While super glue did not originally start as a way to close wounds, it was used for this purpose during the Vietnam War in the 1970s and is still employed by doctors and veterinarians worldwide (although I’m certain that most of the time super glue comes off people’s skin these days, it’s by accident!).

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It’s great stuff, but most people use it incorrectly. They apply a large splosh of glue to the joint, slam the two pieces together, add a bit more glue over any cracks, and then wonder why the repair fails.

You can achieve better results by following a few simple tips and tricks.

1. How to figure out which super glue to buy

I don’t find that brand matters much. I’ve bought the pricy stuff, and I’ve bought the cheap stuff, and the main difference I see is in the packaging — the cheap stuff comes in metal tubes, the more expensive in packages that make it easier to apply the adhesive.

One thing to look for is the viscosity (how runny the super glue is). Most of the stuff you buy is quite runny, but for certain applications, such as applying it at awkward angles, a gel or “high-viscosity” version might be easier to use.

2. Use the right adhesive for the job

Super glue isn’t the only adhesive out there, and while it’s very versatile, some jobs are better suited to other adhesives.

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• Contact adhesive: Great for fabrics, sheet timber, and plastics.
• Hot glue: Great for a wide array of materials, from fabric and foam to wood, plastic, and metal.
• Strong double-sided mounting tape: If you get the good stuff — 3M’s VHB tape — you can use it instead of rivets, screws, spot welds, and messy liquid adhesives. Works with glass, metal, plastic, tile, wood, marble, and more.
• Flexible multipurpose adhesive: This is the stuff I use for electronic gadgets that rely on adhesives to hold them together and create a water- and dust-resistant seal.
• Epoxy glue: Creates a super-strong repair of a wide range of materials, from wood and plastics to even metal.
• UV-setting adhesive: A good choice for soft plastics and rubbers.

3. Read the instructions

There’s a lot of interesting information on the container. Read it!

Most of this is common sense, but it’s amazing how often I come across failed repair attempts because people have not followed the instructions.

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Here are the basics:

• Make sure the surfaces you want to stick together are clean and dry.
• Apply a small amount of adhesive to only one of the two surfaces you want to adhere together.
• Bring the two surfaces together and hold them together (or use a clamp) for a few minutes.

4. Take safety precautions

Keep children and pets away when working with super glue.

It’s also a good idea to wear nitrile gloves and eye protection just in case a tube bursts. It’s happened to me a few times, but I also squeezed an entire tube into the palm of my hand after I wasn’t sure if I’d opened it. If you get super glue onto your skin, it’s very hard to remove — trust me. 

On the subject of super glue on your skin, it’s always a good idea to have some super glue debonder around the house.

5. Clean the surface before applying the adhesive

This is important. It’s crucial to ensure your surface is free of dirt, dust, and grease.

Here’s what I do to prepare surfaces:

6. Test fit the joint before applying adhesive

Bring the two parts you want to repair together to test the fit before applying the adhesive.

If the break has left a crack or gap that doesn’t close properly, then make sure you have some baking soda handy — I’ll tell you how to use this in a bit.

7. Only use a tiny amount of super glue

It’s definitely not a case of “the bigger the blob, the better the job.” You only need a small amount. A minuscule amount.

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In fact, add too much glue, and the repair will fail.

To help me get the right amount of glue down, I like to use disposable micro-applicator tips that allow me to get the smallest amount of adhesive possible.

8. Fill in any cracks with baking soda

If there’s still a crack after you apply the adhesive and bring the two parts together, sprinkle some baking soda into it to fill it.

For bigger cracks, you can apply a tiny bit more adhesive if needed to hold the baking soda together. The baking soda creates a matrix for the adhesive to stick to, bridging any gaps or imperfections.

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An alternative to using baking soda is to buy Q-Bond, which comes with the super glue and bottles of reinforcing powders for plastic and metal. This kit is specifically designed for repairs where the material has cracked and gaps have formed.

9. Make the super glue set even faster

You can buy activator sprays that will cure super glue almost instantly. This is handy for situations where you can’t hold or clamp the two pieces together.

10. Clamp or hold the surfaces together for a few minutes

Forget all the “instant” or “sets in seconds” stuff; give the glue a few minutes to set. If you mess with the joint before it has set properly, you’ve basically ruined it, and you should start from the beginning. This is why I’m a big fan of holding the pieces together with elastic bands or clamps. I have a selection of big and small clamps.