Product Test GORILLA GLUE

Single component, polyurethane, moisture cure adhesive

From my workshop
by John Welsford.
When I started building boats I used Aerolite 300 glue, or if it was a serious job, 305 (the water resistant one!). Later, about the time I built my first ‘big’ boat, a 6-metre trailer yacht, Phenol formaldehyde in the form of Resorcinol glue was the thing to use, and I still use quite a lot of it. But then along came the Epoxy systems with their all singing and all dancing pump dispensers and additives and the other stuff almost vanished off the shelves.
Of late though, other glues have begun to appear in very specialised applications, and are gradually becoming accepted in general woodworking. I was recently offered a sample of GORILLA GLUE from Hamilton manufacturer Holdfast manufacturing, and had it strongly recommended by a joiner specialising in high-grade wooden house joinery. He does quite a lot of marine work and although commenting that it needs a slight change of method in cleaning up is very happy with the product.
I’ve gone through two big bottles so far, and will be buying more! Instead of mixing a batch of glue and working furiously to get it all used before it goes off, I can just squeeze a bead of this moisture curing Polyurethane on, clamp the joint up and carry on. Joints can be wiped off with a wet rag until the cure is fairly well along and it tacks off very quickly, even in winter the clamps can come off unstressed joints in a couple of hours.
It seems totally waterproof. I’ve boiled it, baked it, buried it in a bog, left it out in the rain, soaked it in the horse trough and broken umpteen test joints. I’m impressed! Not intended for large gap filling operations, this convenient, no mixing glue with its clear glue line is great stuff for building interiors, joinery, cabinetwork and those many small repairs that can find their way into a home boat builders workshop (please Daddy, can you fix this?)
Just a hint though, use your gloves, you cannot, and I do mean it, get it off your fingers. Be warned.

If I had a stamp of approval I’d put it on this one.
John Welsford.
A test shot left to its own devices. The excess has 'foamed' out of the joint and can be easily cleaned up.
DIRECTIONS FOR USE OF GORILLA GLUE
Surface must be clean, dust free and tight fitting. Moisten non-glue surface if material is extremely dry. We recommend that you wear disposable gloves and old clothes as Gorilla Glue will stain hands and ruin clothes. If you do get glue on hands, it will wear off within two to three days. Since Gorilla Glue is solvent free, there is no solvent that will cut this adhesive. If a mistake is made on the material you are working on, wipe off glue with a dry cloth immediately. Cured and hardened glue cannot be removed with solvents. Cured glue is easily removed with sandpaper or a sharp tool. Clean up tools and spills with xylene or dibasic ester immediately after use. Keep adhesive tightly sealed and dry when not in use to prevent moisture contamination. For a better bond, clamp surfaces or use heavy objects to hold material in place while glue cures. For lighter objects use masking tape, string or rubber bands to hold material in place, usually two to five hours depending on temperature, humidity and porosity of the materials.
From the Editor.
Lucky for me John convinced Holdfast that I should have some Gorilla Glue to try out too. At first, the mention of the glue foaming brought back memories of the day the chef mixed five kilos of baking powder with 600gm of flour in order to make a huge batch of pikelets. The result took over the building for a few hours. Never the less we boat builders are made of sterner stuff and after reading the instructions for the 30th time (pick a number) I prepared my two surfaces, wiped them over with a slightly damped sponge and squeezed the glue out in a thin stream. It is kind of like the syrup people who don’t mind putting on weight put on their pancakes. About the same colour but a bit less runny. The glue comb that comes with the bottle made a nice job of distributing the glue and clamping up was very simple. Two hours later everything was set and ready for carrying out to the boat.
Bloody wonderful stuff. No two part measuring, no spooning and mixing filler powders and no having twice as much as you need or half as much as you need either.
Providing it also lives up to its technical specifications, and I see no reason why it should not. This glue is a must for the boat builder’s workshop. My friend Grant tells me they use this type of glue extensively in the interior work of commercial fit outs.
Make room for another stamp of approval. Ten planks out of ten.
Dave Robertson
The official line from HOLDFAST.
GORILLA GLUE ALL PURPOSE POLYURETHANE PREMIUM WOOD GLUE
Gorilla Glue is a single component, polyurethane, moisture cure adhesive that will glue almost anything. It requires no mixing, and cures when moisture in the air and in the material reacts with the glue and causes it to cure. As the glue cures a gap-filling foam will appear and self spread.
Gorilla Glue is 100% solids and contains no solvents. Thus, when cured there will be no shrinkage. One of the most important attributes is that it is 100% waterproof and can be used interior or exterior in all types of weather. It is pH neutral so it will not harm furniture finishes, has tremendous chemical resistance and is paintable and stainable. Gorilla Glue will bond all types of building materials including wood, stone, marble, metal, foam and some plastics. Because of the many types of plastics it is recommended that plastic material be tested for adhesion before use.
SPECIFICATIONS
· One part polyurethane adhesive
· 100% solids content
· 100% waterproof and weatherproof
· Appearance - amber liquid, tan when cured
· Paintable, stainable and sandable
· Bonds almost anything
· Shelf life - two years. After opening container for use, keep glue well sealed and dry to help prolong the shelf life past six months
· No special storage required. May be stored below 0¡F
· Flammability - 250¡F flash point
· High heat resistance (cured) 400¡F
· Gap filling
· No drip
· When cured will move with dissimilar materials
· Recommended moisture use range - 8-25%
· Open time - 30-45 minutes. Material can be pulled apart and put together again many times during this period without loss of adhesion
· Coverage - approximately one-half ounce per square foot
· VOC compliant/VOC content None 0.0g.L.
· Proposition 65,No Prop 65 chemicals exist in this product
· High chemical resistance
· Odourless after cure
· Will not attack foam substrates
· Viscosity, centipoise 8,000 +- 1,000
· Density, lbs per gallon 8.65
· Tip -Use less glue than you think you need on your job. Less is best!