4 Crafting Glues Worth Having in Your Bead Studio:
There are are times when a bit of glue can come in really handy when you are working with polymer clay. Knowing which glue to use and when to use them is the trick. Here are my personal favorites:
1) Liquid Polymer Clay: Translucent Liquid Sculpey (TLS) works great when you need to attach unbaked polymer clay either to other raw clay, or to something already baked. It also works for gluing together two pieces of already baked clay. Spread it out on your gluing surfaces and then rub with your finger to make it tacky. TLS bakes to a clear finish in the oven, and is quite strong.
2) Super Glue: Krazy Glue or any other cyanoacrylate instant glue works well for adjoining baked polymer clay to any non-porous material such as metal or glass. It works best with tight fitting pieces where there isn’t a lot of room for glue. I discussed an example of using Krazy glue with polymer clay in this article: Number Jewelry Made with Metal Scrapbook Embellishments and Fimo
3) Silicone Glues: Glues like E6000 or Goop work very well for gluing polymer clay to non-porous items like metal or glass. It smells terrible and is probably not very healthy for your brain. So use it in a well ventilated area. The upsides are that it sets super fast; it’s thick; and very strong.
4) Specialty PVA Glue: Weldbond – One of my favorite products for gluing anything to anything, if you have the time for it to dry. It is thick; strong; has no odor; is waterproof when dry; can handle the heat of baking; and the fluctuating temperatures of outside. I’ve used it for years for glass mosaic projects. Although this glue can set fairly quickly, be sure to let your projects sit over night for proper curing. Weldbond dries clear. It is more expensive than regular white glue, but cheaper than most other specialty glues. Cleans up with water rather than solvents.
Epoxy glues also work well with polymer clay. But they are a pain to mix; they set too quickly; and they smell bad. Proper ventilation is a must.
Another good glue I have used in the past is made by Gorilla Glue. They make a fast drying, super glue type product, but has very little fumes and as the name implies, is super,super strong. They make a product for wood, and I made a cigar humidor where I had to adhere wood to metal. You can use it to stick anything, anywhere.
Rob
Hi Cindy, another great guide here. Thanks for your insights about adhesives!
–Dave
@Rob: Thanks for the info! I’ve seen Gorilla Glue but haven’t tried it yet. Glad to hear it is compatible with polymer clay!
@Dave: You are very welcome! Thanks for commenting!
Hi, I have some metal bracelet blanks I was going to form, put a layer of polymer clay on then use cane slices to finish off bracelet. I thought about using Weldbond (PVA) glue on the metal before putting the first layer of clay on. Any suggestions or does this sound ok?
Thanks, Peggy
That should work fine Peggy, just make sure the glue is not too thick. You don’t want it to bubble when it bakes. You could also use a liquid polymer clay like TLS (Translucent Liquid Sculpey) if you wanted to. Sounds like a lovely project. Let us know how it goes.
Wellbond is an excellent product, and the glue holds for years. Funny how you can stumble on a product in an emergency, only to find it works better than all the stuff you purchased to use.
Credit to my Dad for the find. He was a pvc tubing sort of guy, LOL!
Thanks for this great info ! I’m a huge fan of weldbond-especially when glass is involved but I’d question it being waterproof when dry – it’s wonderful for decorative pieces but will fail if it’s immersed in water on a regular basis… I’d avoid it for functional items like glassware that need washing. (I ended up here in a search for an alternative to welbond because I’m doing a project involving glassware and pc)
best wishes-
gera
Thanks for the comment Gera! I agree, although Weldbond is highly resistant to water (it works great outside, even in rain), that doesn’t mean it can sit in water. Something more silicone or epoxy based would probably be better. My husband says he has a product named Titebond in the shop he thinks is waterproof. I will have to dig it out and test it to see if it is compatible with polymer and whether it really is water proof. If anyone knows for sure, do let us know!
I make pushpins with polymer clay, but glue them on a la: etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27606641
My question is can I bake the thumbtack right in the clay, and will it stay in or am I risking it will fall off and should i just continue to glue?
Thanks so much for your time. Your site is brilliant!
Kindest,
Nancy
Those pushpins are so cute. I have made in the past some eraser tops for pencils out of the eraser clay and then with premo with the same idea put it on the taller tacks they have a hard plastic top that does fine in the oven. I just was careful about making sure the first layer didn’t have any air bubbles under it. Got it smooth then built my bumble bee, sock monkey, fish, turtles, etc from there. I did take and put on a thin layer of liquid sculpey on the tack before putting on the first layer of clay. These are of course taller than the pushpins you make, I haven’t had one break apart on me yet. My grandkids have them on there corkboards in their room and so far they are standing up to the grandkids. So I think if you use a compatible glue or liquid pc on the tack before putting on your clay it should work fine. I hope this helps. The only thing I can see a problem with is you are baking onto something smooth and flat. My tacks have uneven texture to them which allows more for the clay to grab onto. I think I might be making this more difficult sounding than it is. Goodluck and let Cindy an all of us know if you give it a try and how it works.
STOCK UP TIME
Changing the subject Hobby Lobby has Sculpey, Premo and Fimo 2 oz. blocks on sale for 99 cents a bar this week thru September 12th. Great time to stock up. That is over half off on the Premo clay. I’m going tomorrow.
Get busy stocking, Peggy
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@Nancy: Thanks for your comment! I would just keep gluing your pins to the clay unless you want to completely embed the pin in the clay, which would be more work.
@Peggy: Love your idea for making taller push pins. They probably do well with the clay and don’t separate because they are plastic and bond to the liquid clay. Plus the ‘hour glass’ shape would hold on to the clay better than the smooth metal pins would.
Either way is great for making your own unique push pins. Thanks for sharing your ideas girls!
Cindy: How do you do it! I mean you are so busy, blog, twitter, videos and all the great advise. I absolutely love the butterfly pendant. I am even going to try to use the ginko leaf cutter to make some butterfly pins. Your brain must continue working and spinning even when you sleep. Or do you sleep? As I said as long as you continue I will follow. You amaze me every minute.
Thanks again for all your talent. You are a true artist.
Truely inspired, Peggy
@Peggy – Thank you so much for you kind words [blushing]
@Everyone: There is a preview video clip for the butterfly wing pendant tutorial that Peggy referred to above. You can watch by clicking on the link by my name above.
Where can I buy TLS -Translucuent Liquid Sculpey- could not find any at Michael’s in Vancouver – I live in the Kootenays BC… have lot’s of projects half started… Christmas is around…
Hi Danielle, nice to have a local here! I found my TLS in the Makins clay section at Michaels, a couple rows back from the row of regular polymer clay. Weird I know, but it seems that clayers did not plan the store!
Anyway, if you still can’t find it, you can order it online at shadesofclay.com They are a trust worthy Canadian company and have good service so you may want to give them a try.
Thank you so much for your reply Cindy. I have looked further and I might get TLS from OPUS in the future. Anyway, I did put an order at shadesofclay. Waiting for their reply. All the best to you . May we all surf the rainbow of our creativity, Danielle
I am not a PC artist but would like to incorporate PC in my glass art. Is it compatible with silicone adhesives? Also, when I roll a flat sheet on 2 or 3, it comes out uneven with a shiny area in the middle. The pasta machine is a new Amaco. Is it defective or is that too thin for PC? If it is compatible, I will definitely sign up. I have gotten great effects so far. I do not want to bake the glass, so I am baking the PC and applying with silicone adhesive.
Also, is there a cheaper way to but Magic Glos in larger quantities to make it cost effective for my use? I love your blog and all your members. They have helped me immensely already.
Lorrie Adams
@Lorrie: Hi Lorrie, yes, baked polymer clay is compatible with silicone adhesives like E-6000. The article at the top of this post has a list of compatible glues—item #3 is silicone glues.
Sometimes at the thinner settings of a pasta machine, the clay will start to stretch a bit, unevenly, and this could be what is making it look different. Also, lots of pasta machines have the alignment off by a little bit. They’re not defective, necessarily, just a tiny bit off. If it causes an uneven sheet, you can minimize it by turning the sheet each time you put it through (normally, you start at thickest setting, then work down by one or two settings at time until you get to the thickness you want.)
Make sure the pasta machine is clean, too—if the scrapers are dirty, they could make a difference in how your sheet looks (although with a new machine this wouldn’t be your problem.) Wipe down your brand-new machine with a paper towel & then alcohol to remove excess machine oil or anything else that might be on it.
There was talk about Magic Glos on today’s post, and someone said you can buy it a bit cheaper at Artbeads.com (free shipping & the more you buy the cheaper it is.) Cindy did a video on Ultradome resin, which is cheaper than Magic Glos, and you can buy it in large quantities at Ultradome.com or Epoxyjewelry.com (both sites sell a 2 oz. bottle for $12 w/free shipping to try.)
There’s a search box at the top of each page, so you can info on anything you’re looking for. Type in “Ultradome resin” or “resin video” to find posts where this is covered—there are some good discussions about the different resins. You can also use it to find other topics like “baking information” or “pasta machines”, etc. Be sure to read the comments under the articles, as you’ll often find even more info & tips there than in the original article! Also, Cindy has all kinds of videos with information to help you with the different aspects of claying, starting with the Polymer Clay Basics course (link at top of the page.)
Well, I hope that helps, and that we’ll see you around here! Polymer clay is very versatile, and compatible with so many other medias. Good luck to you! ~Kat, Riverside, CA, USA —Where are you from?
@Phaedrakat:
Hey, Kat, I am from Orlando, FL and haven’t found anyone who works in PC around here so this site has been awesome. I have watched the instructional tuts and have come a long way in a few weeks. I also joined so I am looking forward to Friday’s tut on dichroic look. I have successfully incorporated PC into a piece, now I just have to refine the process. I have a feeling that before long I will into making beads and jewelry too. You can see a sample of my work at: lorriesglassart.blogspot.com. Thanks to Bonnie, I just set this blog up. I know you had asked for photos before.Thanks.
@Lorrie: Wow, Lorrie, your glass is gorgeous! I’m so glad you pointed me to your blog (I am “following” you…) That’s amazing how you’re coming along so quickly with polymer clay. Sounds like the tutes have helped you quite a bit! That, and your natural artistic nature, of course. I have the same feeling, that beads & jewelry are in your future—I can’t wait ”til you get there so we can see what you come up with! Especially these PC and glass combo-pieces you’ve been working on. Thanks again for sharing, and have a great weekend! ~Kat
Wow, the tuts have helped. I wanted to do advanced things with PC and had absolutely no knowledge of how to work with the stuff. I had just started experimenting on my own and was trying to watch youtube videos but I have found everything I need in this one location and for a reasonable price. The books aren’t very clear and the videos on youtube are hit and miss. I took the beginner course from Cindy and will now start viewing the library videos as well. Still need to mix colors better. Thanks for all the nice comments. I will update the blog occasionally, haven’t quite mastered that yet but Bonnie has helped a lot.
Thanks!
Hi,
I have joined several small metal tins together using Super Glue and would like to now cover with polymer clay and bake. (I am making a purse.) But I have heard that Super Glue may be toxic when heated. Can you give me some insight? If that’s the case, could I take my little oven outside?
Thanks!
@Valerie Hay: I actually don’t know anything about baking a super glue Valerie. If you have heard it could be toxic, it would be better to be safe than sorry… so contacting the company that makes the glue would be your best bet for getting a proper answer. When you do find out, let us know. This is the kind of information that is helpful for everyone, including me. Good luck on your project!