Mending things is a part of human nature. Broken interpersonal matters are usually fixed with a good conversation. Ironically, the simpler task of reconnecting objects and gadgets is something that a man cannot do on his own. He has to rely on a simple item to do the mending for him. That item is called glue.
Types of Glue
Glue is a liquid compound that bonds two surfaces together. It is made from a variety of items, depending on the applications set for the finished product. Here are some of the basic types of glue with the corresponding items that they mend:
paper mache glue – wallpaper, paper mache, simple art projects
edible paste – paper, paper mache, paper crafts
waterproof glue – paper, fabrics, and thin leather
glass glue – fairly light glass objects
dish and pottery cement – dishes, china
plaster of Paris cement – dishes, china
liquid cement – wood, glass, cardboard
Making each type of glue is easy. You just have to mix and heat the ingredients, until the resulting mixture becomes sticky enough to join stuff. Choose which type of glue to make, depending on the items that you need to fix or create.
Paper Mache Glue
Paper mache and other paper-based art projects require an adhesive that is lightweight and can totally harden paper. It does not have to be too sticky, as long as it can join paper to create one solid structure. The amount of each ingredient is critical to produce such an effect, so you have to create the solution carefully.
Materials Used:
1 ½ cups flour
2 cups hot water
1 cup cold water
1 tbsp alum
½ cup sugar
mixing bowl
oven
kettle
saucepan
airtight container (covered jar, ziplock bag, etc)
spoon
Procedure:
Check your cupboard for the availability of ingredients. Purchase any missing items at a convenience store.
Mix the flour and the sugar in a mixing bowl.
Slowly add cold water, while continuing to stir the mixture. Use a spoon to keep the mixture flat.
Once the mixture has been thoroughly mixed, transfer it in a saucepan. Set the oven to the produce a medium flame.
Heat some water in a kettle. When the water boils, get two cups from the kettle and place it in the saucepan.
Stir the solution in the saucepan, until it stiffens.
Remove the solution from the pan and transfer it in a mixing bowl. Add alum to the mixture.
After mixing the solution, store it in an airtight container, if you are not going to use it.
The airtight container will preserve the paper mache glue for several weeks. If ever the glue hardens, just add hot water to loosen its base.
Stronger Paper Mache Glue
If you are planning to make large paper mache structures, you must use sturdier ingredients. Using merely flour and sugar will not hold, four or five-foot paper mache fixtures. You need to add powdered resin glue to the mix. The resin’s components will make the solution more viscous and will further strengthen the glue’s hardening capability.
The only drawback for this strengthened version of the paper mache glue is, it will only last for a few days even when stored in an airtight container. Just make this adhesive right before doing a paper mache project.
Materials Used:
½ cup flour
¼ – ½ cup powdered resin glue
1 ½ cup hot water
½ cup lukewarm water
4 drops of cinnamon oil
mixing bowl
saucepan
spoon
oven
airtight container
Procedure:
Place the flour and the resin glue in a mixing bowl. Stir the two ingredients thoroughly.
Slowly add the lukewarm water, while continuing to mix the solution. Remove lumps with your spoon, to maintain the consistency of the solution.
After mixing the solution, transfer it in a saucepan. Set the oven at low heat.
Add the hot water, then stir the solution vigorously, until it becomes thick and partially stiff.
Return the solution to the mixing bowl, then add the cinnamon oil.
Mix the solution well.
Place it inside an airtight container.
Just like the previous recipe, you can use hot water to soften the glue, once it hardens. You must use it as soon as possible though. Before the week ends, you may need to make another batch.
Edible Paste
Except for the basic paper mache glue, the edible paste may have the lowest holding power among the bunch. The whole purpose of making this weak adhesive is to give kids a chance to make their own works of art (solely paper-based). Kids have a knack of putting things in their mouths, which is why the edible paste is purely made of edible ingredients. You can even add flavorings if you want to turn the adhesive into an unconventional snack.
Materials Used:
1 ½ cups flour
½ cup powdered milk
2 tbsp sugar
½ cup cold water
1 ½ cups hot water
mixing bowl
spoon
saucepan
oven
jar with lid
Procedure:
Put the flour, milk and sugar into a mixing bowl. Mix the ingredients with a spoon.
Add cold water to the mixture. Continue stirring until a thick liquid solution is formed.
Tap the solution with your spoon to prevent the formation of lumps.
Transfer the solution onto a saucepan, then set the oven to produce a low flame.
Add hot water.
Stir the solution until it becomes stiff.
Store the glue in a tightly covered jar.
Whenever the glue hardens, you can add hot water to make the adhesive usable.
Waterproof Glue
Glue normally weakens when it is frequently doused in water. It will still hold objects together but a weak bump can practically separate the things joined by the adhesive. You can work around this dilemma by creating waterproof glue.
Waterproof glue can withstand the loosening properties of water since its main ingredient is gelatin. Water will simply bounce off the gel-based adhesive, without affecting its ability to stick items together. Waterproof glue also has a strong grip, making it a good adhesive for cardboard, paper, plastic.
Materials Used:
at least 6 tbsp water
2 packs gelatin
2 tbsp glycerin
2 tbsp vinegar
bowl
kettle
airtight container
Procedure:
Put water in a kettle, then place the kettle on your stove.
Once the water boils, get six tablespoons and place it on your gelatin.
Stir the jello until it melts.
With the gelatin dissolved, add the glycerin and vinegar onto the mixture.
Stir the solution vigorously so that ingredients will merge.
Store in an airtight container.
Waterproof glue is best used when it is in its liquefied state. You can use it to hold a fairly heavy material like leather.
Glass Glue
Not all adhesives can hold a heavy and slippery material like glass. Regular adhesives are either too weak to carry glass’ weight or too rough to latch on to the glass’ surface. The logical solution is to make an enhanced version of the waterproof glue. The creation procedure is nearly identical to that of the waterproof glue. The only difference is the ingredients used.
Instead of using vinegar, you can use a thicker ingredient to strengthen the glue’s grip. Skim milk or powdered milk is a good candidate. You can also use cold water, in place of hot water when dissolving the gelatin. Cold water will make the adhesive slightly thicker and prevent milk from evaporating, when creating the adhesive. Add a few drops of clove oil to maintain its consistency.
When the glass glue hardens, place it in a covered jar, then submerge the jar in warm water. The glue should return to its gelled state shortly after.
Dish and Pottery Cement
Dish and pottery, being heavy materials, can only be fixed by a strong adhesive. That adhesive comes in the form of a gum arabic-based solution. Surprisingly, such a strong solution is probably the easiest to make among the bunch.
Materials Used:
4 tbsp gum arabic
1 tsp water
2 tbsp glycerin
airtight container
spoon
mixing bowl
Procedure:
Get glycerin and gum arabic from the condiments section of a grocery store.
Place the gum arabic, glycerin and water into a mixing bowl.
Stir the mixture well, until it becomes viscous.
Store the solution in an airtight contaner.
The dish and pottery cement will last for about a year, if you store it properly. Keep it away from extreme temperatures so that its holding power is maintaned.
Plaster of Paris Cement
Due to the varying properties of dishes and porcelain, an enhanced version of the dish and pottery cement was created. This deviation is believed to be more effective on dishes, while the previous recipe is better performer when mending porcelain. You can just make the two recipes, since they are both easy to create.
When making the enhanced version, all you need to do is switch glycerin with plaster of Paris. Follow the same procedure and you’ll create the enhanced adhesive. You can add dye or pigment so that the glue will match the color of your dishes.
Liquid Cement
Liquid cement is a powerful adhesive. It can easily connect heavy materials like wood and glass. Preparing the adhesive is simple. You just have to mix the ingredients and you’ll get a solution may be as powerful as superglue.
Materials Used:
1 gallon waterglass
1 pound shellac resin
2 quarts water
Procedure:
Purchase the waterglass and shellac from a hardware store.
Heat the shellac on your oven. Stir the resin deviation until it completely dissolves.
Mix the waterglass with water. Slowly add the dissolved shellac, while stirring the water and waterglass mixture. When the solution thickens, your liquid cement is ready.
You might be asking, why should you bother making glue when it is available in many stores nationwide. Knowing how to make glue is important. In the event where your stock of glue runs out, you can easily create efficient substitute items. If you noticed, most of the ingredients are readily available in many households. The creation process of each glue variant is also educational for kids.