There are loads of different kinds of glues that the gorilla brand produces, some work best for gluing metals, woods, ceramics, plastic, and some are fast-drying, like the super gorilla glue.
Here we’ll keep this review specific to gorilla wood glue, and talk about how strong it is.
So, let me guess one thing: you have probably seen in the advertisement that this glue can handle the whole weight of a building. Showing the potential strength.
But wait, does this really make sense? Is the gorilla wood glue that strong?
Let’s find out. But first here is the description of the glue on their official website.
Regardless of any joining woodworking project either a small one or a bigger one.
Gorilla Wood Glue is a trusted adhesive and strong glue for all woodworkers, carpenters, and hobbyists.
The time taken for a coat to be dried is between 20-30 minutes maximum. And it takes 24 hours to be cured for maximum bond strength.
That’s one of the reasons it’s getting popular.
Is gorilla wood glue good?
The glue contains some really superior adhesives like PVA and premium formula using gorilla power, which is designed to only work with hardwood or softwood.
Being designed specifically for wood bonding. It contains water-resistant particles which makes it ideal for bonding outdoor furniture as well.
What’s more, It’s strong enough to fix a broken leg of a table, chair, or any wood cracked can be bound by this wood easily.
How to apply gorilla wood glue to get maximum bond strength.
There are some steps to follow if you want to achieve maximum strength.
Or let this video tutorial from Gorilla’s official website will answer this.
Always work under the standard environment, the ideal temperature for the wood is 55F.
Prepared both surfaces, make sure there is no underlying dust, and tilting wooden grains.
Otherwise you can imagine the most of the applied glue will be attached to it. That will reduce the amount of glue that has been put in.
Now join the pieces to create a bond, if you are joining two small pieces like fixing the legs of a table, or a broken wood frame,
Hold tight after applying the glue for a few minutes to let the wood get dried by 30%.
Because the bigger pieces of wood are strongly connected by gorilla wood.
As well, you would like to join two larger pieces. If this is the case, you may require some clamps to provide superior force after using gorilla wood glue.
Glue types: what type of Gorilla glue is it?
You might be confused sometimes thinking there are dozens of different brands, like titebond, Elmer’s glue, and gorilla as well. You ask, are they different? Or what makes them differ in terms of quality or durability.
Basically, any type of wood glue falls under three categories.
- PVA – polyvinyl acetate is one of the popular types of adhesives used in almost every glue. It does not bond well yet make a durable joint that is water-resistant. One of the Most well-known glues of this type is Elmer’s Glue.
- Polyurethane – a glue commonly called Gorilla Glue, because it was the first company to bring the glue to the US market.
- Cyanoacrylate adhesives- it sticks rapidly to a wide variety of surfaces. Upon drying, they form a strong bond and are clear. In order to achieve good bonding, the surfaces must fit well together. There is a variety of viscosities of superglue available for gap-filling. Super gorilla glue is also a component of the Gorilla brand.
The secret to Gorilla glue’s strength?
As the name speaks for a hint, “GORILLA” the glue is actually made of gorillas with some other common adhesives that can be found in other glues, such as urethane prepolymer, diphenylmethane-diisocyanate, isomers, and homologs.
However, to make something that outranks it from its competitor the manufacturers tried something new, and they used gorilla’s body parts as an added mixture to increase the strength.
How did they include gorillas? They boil down the bone, skin, ligaments, tendons, and connective tissues. And Colloid protein glues are brought out by this process which they used as a substance.
Moreover, glues made with protein colloids demonstrate strong molecular bonding with the object to be glued. Following boiling down, the parts are formed into chunks then by grinding them they are turned into a paste.
This is the secret of the strongest glues ever made: with a combination of artificial chemicals and gorilla’s organic substances.
How much weight can Gorilla Wood Glue hold?
30lbs in general.
The gorilla wood glue can withstand 30-40 pounds weight once it is cured completely. It also depends upon the condition of the surfaces, oily surfaces when bonded using gorilla wood glue tend to hold up less weight than dry ones.
Moreover, after applying glue onto a piece of wood, let it dry thoroughly for 24 hours. Note that, in humid environments, the time taken off the drying process might be extended.
The glue may be unable to support a load of more than 10 pounds in some cases. The weak bond does not indicate the inferiority of the glue, instead, there must be a problem with the application.
Can You Thin Gorilla Wood Glue?
At times the glue must be penetrated into small gaps like your table’s legs are damaged, where you need a thin glue to fill gaps. What would be the solution then? No worries it’s simple. You can use water to thin this glue.
Basically, gorilla wood glue is actually dense, and if you were to apply it in an attempt to fill a small gap, it would not reach the exact location where the bond is needed.
Follow this to make it thinner.
the fact is, this glue itself is water-based. Which means it contains water already as the main substance. And the product is allowed to add some additional water. Only add a maximum of 5% anything more than that is not recommended. And it should be enough for the wood glue to make it a little thinner for your bonding project.
There is no weakening of the bond caused by this small amount of water.
Which is better: titebond or Gorilla Glue?
Both are fine and popular these days for wood bonding.
Some prefer Titebond III for being good water-resistant and has a strong bond.
While gorilla wood glue is a decent choice for many because of its transparent look and highly effective substances.
Glues made from polyurethane, like Gorilla Glue, and aliphatic resins, like Titebond III, are acrylic-based.
Is gorilla wood glue waterproof?
Its water resistance ability is excellent, but so far it is not waterproof since which means it can work underwater neither withstand too many watery situations.
When it comes to the best waterproof adhesive of both worlds, you can’t go wrong with Titebond III. It’s good and highly suitable for joining something in the existence of water.
With regards to water resistance, such as for a patio, the only thing to consider is rain, in this case, Gorilla Wood Glue will serve you quite well.
Does gorilla wood glue expand?
It does not expand in hot temperatures neither it stretched in winter.
However, over time, due to direct sunlight impact, there is a chance it gets expanded.
Overall, it offers reliable, waterproof, and thick adhesive that can be applied and spread easily.
