Glue Guide

Glue Guide

1) Jewelers Cement, is a waterproof , medium duty, clear adhesive that dries in about 10 minutes.  It’s great for most non-porous jewelry applications but also works perfectly for securing knots on silk, ribbon, nylon and leather.  We like G-S Hypo Cement for the precision tip applicator, making it a breeze to get into tight spaces like gluing half drilled pearls onto earring pegs.

2) Instant-Fix Adhesives (Cyanoacrylate), are thin, clear, almost instant drying glues. We like Zap-A-Gap for the gap filling properties, when the edges don’t quite match up. Great for all non-porous surfaces, it works well when gluing different non-porous materials together, such as gluing a bail to a cabochon or memory wire end to memory wire.  Don’t use it for silk, ribbon, nylon, leather and the like as it will make them brittle when dry.

3) All Purpose Contact Adhesives are flexible glues that are good for porous and non-porous surfaces.  These work best when you apply the glue to both pieces and then stick them together.  Our favorite in this category is E6000. It’s thick consistency allows precision placement with a toothpick and it dries clear and flexible making it great for gluing embellishments to jewelry blanks.  Setting time is about 1 hour and full curing is about 24 hours.

4) 2 Part Epoxy is a heavy duty adhesive for permanently bonding non-porous surfaces.  Works well for inlay work and attaching large stones to mountings.  We like Epoxy 330 as it stays clear after drying and does not yellow over time.  Setting time is about 10 minutes.  To use, mix equal parts epoxy and hardener and gently stir.