Quick Tip: Which Glues Work Best with Polymer Clay?
Mickey was making compacts with polymer clay on top, and she e-mailed me to ask which glues work best:
"They say E6000 pops off easily and Crafter's Pick Ultimate Glue also pops off. Any suggestions?"
As the good folks over at This to That will tell you, glue choices depend a lot on what you're gluing together. Not every glue works well for every surface. But here are a few of my favorite glues to use with polymer clay:
Loctite Super Glue Control Gel: This is my go-to glue. It works well for many surfaces, including metals, plastics, and more. I recommend rough-sanding both surfaces before gluing to give the glue a better grip.
One thing I like is that the squeezable hard plastic sides really give you good control over how much glue comes out and where it goes. I'm a lot less likely to glue my fingers together with this stuff than with other tube-based super glues. Plus it doesn't harden quickly in the tube like some other super glues.
- Sobo Premium Craft Glue: Sobo is a good choice for gluing polymer clay to paper. It's my favorite way to glue paper panels to the back of my Artist Trading Cards.
- Hot Glue Gun: I've recently started using my hot glue gun when gluing polymer clay to cork for coasters. I've found this works much better on cork's porous surface than Loctite does.
Of course, there are lots of other glues out there. While I haven't tried it, I've heard good things about Lisa Pavelka's heat-resistant Poly Bonder super glue. Glass Attic lists a ton of different options on their Glues page. And if you're looking for the ultimate surface-to-surface glue advice site, check out This To That. I usually select "plastic" for polymer clay, then select whatever other surface I'm using. It's not perfect — polymer clay doesn't always work by plastic's rules. But it might give you some ideas.
And I'm sure some of you have a favorite glue. I'd love to hear what it is and what it's particularly good for.
Comments
I use my glue gun for everything, including polymer clay. I also found that Aleene's clear tacky glue works well too. Especially since it shrinks as it dries and is less visible overall.
Posted by: Elizabeth | August 13, 2008 11:12 AM
Thanks for the tip, Elizabeth. I enjoy your site, by the way -- what a fun collection of glue gun crafts!
Posted by: Angela Mabray | August 13, 2008 2:21 PM
Good advice for all of us. Thanks for all your information.
Posted by: Mickey | August 15, 2008 6:03 AM
I agree, that Loctite Superlue Gel is wonderful. I use TONS of that stuff. And it's cheap, too.
Posted by: Nycteris | August 18, 2008 10:55 AM
I like Fletchtite- made for holding plastic arrow fletching to the shaft, and works really well on most PC products.
Inexpensive, small aperture, and stays good in the tube for a few months if you don't use it.
Posted by: Aryd'ell | September 14, 2008 9:02 PM
Thanks for the tip on the Fletchtite, Aryd'ell. I'm suddenly having trouble finding my beloved Loctite Gel (at least locally). I'll need some good alternatives if the company stops producing it!
Posted by: Angela Mabray | September 23, 2008 1:47 PM