47
votes
Accepted
Is there a trick to opening a tube of caulk?
Yes! the tool is called a caulk gun. Use the spout cutter for cutting off the tip of the tube; then use the seal punch tool for poking holes in the foil seal.
- 6,174
31
votes
Accepted
Wood glue versus epoxy for doweling stripped screw holes
Wood glue, hands down. Wood glue is designed to penetrate the wood for a tighter bond. Properly done, wood glue is stronger than the surrounding wood. I have chairs I've wood glued and clamped and ...
- 22.6k
31
votes
Gluing two halves of a door together
Slightly contrarian take: start over.
(I know, you've done a bunch of work, etc. They call it the sunk-cost fallacy for a reason. Strong butt joints in the rail are possible but hard and would involve ...
25
votes
Accepted
Wood glue + sawdust filler not drying
If you read the directions on most wood glues, they'll tell you apply liberally and then tightly clamp the parts together so the glue oozes out. Puddles or densely pack glue will take a long time to ...
- 68.7k
22
votes
Accepted
What surface can I work on that super glue will not stick to?
HDPE (high-density polyethylene) is a material that superglue does not stick to at all. You can find sheets of it at hardware stores and online retailers such as Amazon.
- 22.7k
21
votes
Wall shelves, hooks, other wall-mounted things, without drilling? Double-sided tape maybe?
For lighter loads, I've become fond of 3M's "command" adhesive strips. These are designed to both hold well and release easily (though you do need to leave the pull-tab exposed to get that ...
- 21.4k
20
votes
How can I fix this hole I accidentally made with a screw?
Get some glue (make sure to use a glue rated for wood) into the crevices then using a hammer and punch (or drift - a soft one unless you are gentle with a steel one) force the bits back down.
Wipe off ...
- 24.1k
19
votes
How to remove hard adhesive from bathroom wall tile?
A bit late now, but adhesives/tile mastics from the 1960's often imply "check for asbestos before making dust out of them." It's not the "classic black mastic" but still...
Remove ...
- 166k
19
votes
Wall shelves, hooks, other wall-mounted things, without drilling? Double-sided tape maybe?
The simplest solution to "shelves over a desk without drilling the wall" is a freestanding shelf - either supported directly by the desk surface, or from the floor just outside the edges of ...
- 166k
18
votes
Asbestos in old furniture adhesive?
As I've posted before, the risks of asbestos exposure on a very infrequent basis in a residential setting are highly over-blown. The real risks were for construction workers (pipe insulators, HVAC ...
- 20.7k
14
votes
What surface can I work on that super glue will not stick to?
I usually collect in a box the backing of stickers and other adhesive tape stuff (like double sided tape) as they are especially made to not stick to glue.
They have the added advantage that they can ...
- 361
11
votes
What surface can I work on that super glue will not stick to?
Almost all ‘super glue’ brands are an ethyl cyanoacrylate adhesive (ECA), with some form of gelling agent to make it easier to work with and occasionally some rubberizing agent to improve the shear ...
11
votes
Accepted
Anything to watch out for when using circular saw to cut wood sandwich glued with urethane construction adhesive?
Having never worked with urethane glues, I can't say for certain, but I'd have a hard time believing that this will be any more difficult than cutting solid lumber, plywood, MDF or anything else. If ...
- 37.1k
10
votes
Gluing two halves of a door together
If not making new panels, make or purchase an H shaped moulding and set the panel halves into it.
By eyeball (but measuring tape may say otherwise) the top panel parts might be pulled out and rotated ...
- 166k
10
votes
Accepted
Wall shelves, hooks, other wall-mounted things, without drilling? Double-sided tape maybe?
One way around drilling for shelves is to glue a panel and to mount your shelves and other accessories to the panel.
For best load bearing, buy a 1/2 or 3/4in piece of plywood, or alternatively some &...
- 15.2k
9
votes
Can I install heat mat and backer board over cork flooring?
When I am redoing a bathroom and adding the needed backer board to a subfloor assembly, I would remove all existing finish floors no matter how many to get back down to the original subfloor. Then ...
- 32.5k
9
votes
What type of adhesive is recommended for a curved shower curtain rod on ceramic tile?
There are many tension rods on the market that are expandable to fit a regular shower. They don't require any screws or adhesive. A screw mechanism in the rod holds the rod in place after tightening. ...
- 68.7k
9
votes
Accepted
ABS to PVC transition glue: OK for PVC to PVC?
That glue is rated only for non-pressure pipes (drain and vent, not water), so if that is your situation, continue to the next step.
Some locales require the exact type of glue be used and don't play ...
- 6,241
8
votes
Should I remove old wood glue before reinstalling a board on a table, and how?
If you want to use wood glue again, I'd remove the old glue. You'll get a stronger bond if you apply glue to clean wood. A belt sander would do a nice job.
If you're ok using urethane glue or ...
- 115k
8
votes
Trial and error to choose glue for plastic handle on refrigerator?
A "decent surface area" would lead me to drill and pin it using some metal dowels as well as using glue.
That should help spread the stress caused by using it and make the repair last longer.
- 24.1k
8
votes
What glue would you use to glue wood (polyurethane finished) to pvc shower walls for shelving?
Wood and water are a poor mix. There is a really good reason that you do not see show enclosures made out of wood. It is also the reason that you will not find much in the way of wood shelves for use ...
- 62.8k
7
votes
Would painters tape come off without damaging paint years later?
Absolutely not. Painters tape only removes easily (on a good substrate — see below) during a particular period of time. You’ll find the listed time in the product information.
Caveat about substrates: ...
6
votes
Accepted
How can I repair the rust penetration in my air compressor?
I highly recommend against attempting to repair a tank that handles compressed air at over 100 PSI. Failure could be impressive and catastrophic. None of the liquid repairs designed for fuel tanks or ...
- 115k
6
votes
Cleaning Edwardian tiles found under more recent tiles
I did something similar on a smaller area.
I used some plastic tools - scrapers etc and some cement remover product.
The cement remover product has an acid base (stings like xxxx if you have an open ...
- 24.1k
6
votes
Wood glue versus epoxy for doweling stripped screw holes
Wood glue, always. Sandpaper the dowel and hole to give a better surface for the glue to hold.
- 61
6
votes
What type of adhesive is recommended for a curved shower curtain rod on ceramic tile?
For a curved rod, with its substantial torque load (twisting force), not much short of epoxy or urethane will hold reliably. I just wouldn't do it since removing those things from tile would be a ...
- 115k
6
votes
ABS to PVC transition glue: OK for PVC to PVC?
Normal PVC cement is not cement at all, it is solvent. PVC on PVC you are doing solvent welding, the solvent melts the PVC then totally evaporates, leaving 1 continuous piece of PVC plastic and no ...
5
votes
What would be the best temporary adhesive to stick a shower head holder onto a ceramic tile wall?
Silicone caulk or silicone RTV (Room Temperature Vulcanizing) glue (pretty much the same thing with different labels.) Sticks pretty well, moisture helps it cure, and it can be peeled off when you ...
- 166k
5
votes
Is there a trick to opening a tube of caulk?
For UK users there is no separate seal as such, it's part of the tube itself. The top of the threaded part that goes into the nozzle is cut off using a craft knife.
- 3,015
5
votes
Wood glue versus epoxy for doweling stripped screw holes
Wood glue works well; when cured it can flex a little as can wood itself. Epoxies tend to be rather brittle.
Epoxies vary a lot: slower epoxies (e.g. Araldite Precision) are (i) much less exothermic,...
- 4,948
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible