Which Adhesives Are Used For Art And Craft Work?…
We are all faced with which paste or glue we can buy to stick what? There seems to be an avalanche in our hardware stores. Really I have to say that, personally, I think synthetic resins take some beating. They harden very quickly and there is no question about it, they are long lasting.
So now we go to their uses! The synthetic glues are probably the strongest resin. They seem to wear for ever and a day as they set rock hard without any actual shrinkage. Available in small tubes that can be used on various metals and surfaces, whether they be porous or non porous.
Polyester resins are pretty much the same as epoxies, with no shrinkage. When hardened they are good for glass fibre.
What about silicones you might ask? These glues can withstand high temperatures, are often used for electrical cables and are resistant to water. Whereas animal glues are derived from various parts of animals. Hide and bone go to make up glue cakes, not forgetting gelatine, used for cooking.
What would designers use, for instance, for their work? The answer usually is “Spray Mount”. This can be moved before it sets, it is clear in colour, leaving no stains and the spray itself is a a very fine mist.
Very fine paper, even tissue, can be sprayed, with no risk of it tearing as it is only such a fine mist. You need to be aware of the fumes when using this highly flammable spray. So only do this when you have plenty of air circulating as you do not want to inhale the fumes.
So we have established that we have various types of different purpose glues. As an example “Spray Mount” is usable on all weights of different papers. You will require an animal glue for paper, card and fabrics.
Vegetable glues are used to fix card and basically any strength of paper. Epoxy resin will fix plastic, stone, wood, glass and metal. Cellulose glues paper, card, plastic and polyurethane. Polyester is used to stick plastic glass and metal. Urethanes will do a good job on rubber, leather, plastic, metal and wood alike.
What glues would be safe for use with children? I would opt for Cellulose glues, which are great when used with paper and card, but yet they do not have the strength to stick metal, glass or fabrics.
Superglue – You spread finely on the two surfaces to be fixed together, this liquid has to then be left, to get sort of tacky. The resin will then evaporate.
When you have bonded together the surfaces they will not be moved. So this style of glue is very suitable for metal and wood, but certainly not glass. Simply the best adhesives for porous materials, metal and glass are polyurethanes.
Yes, we have all tried superglue and it does live up to its name! We expect it to bond everything, and it invariably does, and keeps everyone happy. They are so strong, but beware of sticking yourself!
So beware, this can be a pretty nasty experience. Whatever you do, keep these well away from children. So the message is, handle your glues with care. Glues go back to historic times where even beeswax was used and Egyptians used glues from vegetables and animals.
