Stroll into any {hardware}, big-box, or craft retailer, and also you’ll discover an aisle (or no less than a part of an aisle) stuffed with various kinds of adhesives. Having so many choices will be overwhelming, and it might be tempting to make use of tremendous glue for every thing, and hope it really works. And possibly, up to now, it has. However there’s no cause to restrict your self to a single glue.
Although we’re not going to speak about all of them right here, we shall be trying into two widespread adhesives: Contact cement and rubber cement. Listed below are a few of the key variations between the 2, and when to make use of every.
What’s the distinction between contact cement and rubber cement?
Let’s begin with the fundamentals:
Contact cement, often known as contact adhesive, creates a versatile, everlasting, waterproof, heat-reistant bond when it dries, and can be utilized on most supplies. This solvent-based adhesive have to be utilized on each surfaces being bonded collectively.
Rubber cement creates a powerful, versatile, semi-permanent bond between versatile supplies (e.g. vinyl, cloth, rubber), or on extra delicate initiatives involving paper. This water-based adhesive will be utilized on one or each surfaces being bonded collectively.
When to make use of contact cement vs. rubber cement
Undecided which adhesive is the only option for your undertaking? Right here’s when to make use of every:
Contact cement
- Initiatives with a big floor space (e.g. adhering vinyl flooring or linoleum to subfloors)
- Steel-to-metal bonding
- Reattaching a tile to the wall or ground
- Sealing leaks
- Bonding veneer or laminate to wooden surfaces
- Minor shoe repairs
- Leather-based-working
- Bonding glass to different supplies
- Attaching upholstery and trim in automobile interiors
- Adhering laminate, metallic, or strong floor counter tops to base cupboards
- Use it in liquid kind for connecting porous supplies like wooden or cork
- Use it in paste kind for non-porous supplies like plastic or metallic
Rubber cement
- Most arts & crafts initiatives (e.g. attaching two paper objects)
- Minor family repairs involving plastic, metallic, wooden, or rubber
- Working with delicate supplies like foil and cloth
- Bookbinding and ebook restore
- Mounting images
- Constructing small plastic or paper fashions of automobiles, planes, buildings, and many others
When unsure, ask a employees member at a {hardware} or craft retailer what kind of adhesive could be finest on your undertaking.
