# Gorilla Glue



## Bill4373 (Jan 3, 2008)

I emailed Gorilla Glue and this is the answer I received. Very informative.


Gorilla Glue is a polyurethane adhesive, and like all polyurethane glues, reacts to moisture to cure; that is, moisture is what causes the chemical reaction in polyurethane adhesives to harden. In reply to your concerns, it sounds like the glue bottle may have been closed with the air trapped inside. *When the bottle is opened and the glue is exposed to the moisture in the air, it starts to cure (harden). For this reason, properly storing the glue is critical. We advise customers to squeeze out any excess air before recapping the bottle tightly. You will need to make sure the glue is at the tip of the bottle before capping – otherwise air can be sucked back in. The bottle should be a bit misshapen if all the air has been removed. This must be done after each application of the glue. Some customers even store the glue up-side-down to keep the glue in the tip so that the glue will be ready for their next application*. Once the glue has cured, there is no way to return it to liquid form, so please do not attempt to heat the glue in any way. Shelf life of completely unopened bottles would be about 3 years; however, once opened and not closed properly (that is, all air squeezed out), the shelf life would be very short.

Any glue that is still in liquid form is reliable and usable. Take the bottle apart (be careful not to spill any glue) and clean the nozzle using a dry cloth or a toothpick to remove hardened glue. If you have a crust on top of the liquid, we recommend poking down through the crust (with a stick, screw driver, etc.) to remove the top dry layer. If your glue is thick, you might try placing it in a bowl of warm water to thin it. However, never microwave Gorilla Glue as it can explode and cause damage. We recommend wearing protective gloves and old clothing when working with our glue.

*We do list storage directions on all sized bottles of our Gorilla Glue. On the larger bottles the storage information is listed on the side of the bottle underneath the directions. On the 2 oz bottle, it is listed both on the packaging and also on the back of the bottle, where you’ll find an “open here” tab in the upper right hand corner*. We have additional product information including storage and application tips, videos and more on our website – www.gorillaglue.com.


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

tried gorilla glue, and didn't like it. As it cured it expanded just enough to totally screw up the alignment of the parts. Then, since I couldn't get them apart I had to start all over... give me Welder for most jobs anymore.


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## jbwilcox (Jan 2, 2008)

I bought a 16 ounce bottle of gorilla glue. I used it once and when i tried to use it again, it had solidified. I broke the bottle apart and made a heck of a mess. 

Because the glue was quite expensive, I was rather upset. 

I packaged the broken bottle up and sent it back to the company, asking for my money back. 

They called me and said they would not refund my money but would supply some additional products at no cost.

About a week later a box arrived with a variety of gorilla glue products. 

I probably will not use their glue again.

John


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## Larry Green (Jan 2, 2008)

I also tried it, with unsatisfactory results due to amount of expansion. I don't consider it suitable for modeling. 

Larry


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

It works well if you can clamp it securely, or put a couple screws in it. The fizzing reaction drives it into the grain, but if not securely clamped, will push the parts apart. 

Buy it in small bottles as it can harden in the bottle. 

Be sure to wipe up any excess before it starts to fizz!


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Also, it glues solidly to paint, but paint doesn't hold tight to the material, resulting in a weak joint.


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## cjwalas (Jan 2, 2008)

I've used it before. The problem I had with it is that it has no strength over time and the glue itself deteriorates outdoors eventually. Pieces glued with it literally fell apart. Will not use again. 
Chris


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## DennisB (Jan 2, 2008)

Product names can be very deceptive. Using the term Gorilla in a product name implies strength. This product has been mentioned in the past as a less than reliable product and its habit of drying out prematurely is well known. It's sad that this product is still available on the market.
Dennis


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## George Schreyer (Jan 16, 2009)

it does well in SOME applications, such as where a gap needs to be filled, and poorly in most applications. It has lots of squeeze out and the stuff isn't very hard. Shelf life after opening is poor. If you buy the stuff, buy the SMALLEST bottle that you can find.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I have experienced all the negative comments shown above, and it's also an ugly color! 

It's off my "buy" list when stuff I glued with it fell apart. (rubber bumpers to stucco) 

Regards, Greg


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

I've used their super glue, it works fine.


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## wildbill001 (Feb 28, 2008)

The "super glue" they make seems to have a long shelf life and holds quite well. I too won't use the original because of failed joints and expansion. FWIW, the original is supposed to be quite good for "oily" woods such as teak that other glues won't hold. No first hand experience with that however.

Bill


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## Les (Feb 11, 2008)

I found your post interesting--and funny. My bottle of Gorilla Glue came in a GLASS bottle. I'd like to see someone sqeeze the air out of it.

Youse guys what don't like the stuff are not using it in the right spirit. It is meant to fizz and fill holes, cracks, etc. I reglued the shattered wrist of a Dixie Springfield with it, using hardwood dowels running with the grain of the wrist. They were deliberately left undersized. I aligned everything, slobbered in the glue and finished final clamping on some shards that had to be added.

Result: after cleaning off the excess hardened bubbly, I now have a useable stock. It remains to refinish and do some minor filling/refinish, and back together it goes. The glue's been curing about five or ten years now, I mean to get on project one of these days.

Les


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

I used Gorilla Glue on my raised layout along with deck screws. It lasted through several winters with no problems. The glue did turn dark and brittle where the sun shines on it but deep in the joints it is quite strong. 

Then the winter before last and last winter water got into some of the joints between glue stripes and froze. The glue held quite well, but the deck screws either broke or pulled out of the wood and the wood on either side of the glue joint tore apart! Some of the wood now has big gullies where the glue was and the mating piece has corresponding mounds of wood fiber. 

I am in the process of figuring out how to dissassemble the rest of it in a way that will allow some salvaging of the wood for a rebuild.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

I found a good whack with a large rubber mallet could separate it.


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## rkapuaala (Jan 3, 2008)

I use different glues for different applications. Gorilla glue is used rarely, but I do like it for wood as long as it is well clamped. You might try a razor knife to break the joint and then a scraper to remove the remaining glue.


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## RimfireJim (Mar 25, 2009)

I see that I'm in fine company. I tried it years ago to glue some wood dowels into cedar boards for a knockdown canoe duckboard/camp table, not having any other waterproof glue on hand at the time. Disliked the foaming, the remainder cured in the bottle before I had a use for it, and the dowels all came loose. Haven't bought another bottle since. I'll stick to Titebond products for wood joints, thank you very much, or epoxy if I need a gap-filling adhesive.


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## Les (Feb 11, 2008)

Torb,

Did the glue still have material on it? Then the material failed, as with Semp's, not the glue.

I too rely on Titebond, but the gunstock was a special case. It's still intact after perhaps ten years sitting in my gun cabinet.

I think most 'hard-setting' epoxies/glues will tend to make the wood break under stress. That's why you want to drill channels into the wood, as I did with the gunstock--not to mention the screw holes left from the last guy who tried to fix it. All those places filled up with the glue, giving it a multi-dimensional look, maybe something like an x-ray of a termite's nest.

Les


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

I don't remember. I was having to quickly clear out, so I just disassembled and stacked them in a pickup.


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