Independent UK adhesive guidance
Find the right glue for the job.
Pick what you are sticking and what you are sticking it to. We tell you which adhesive chemistry actually works, how to prepare both surfaces, what to avoid, and only then which products you can buy.
Popular material pairs
The combinations people ask about most, each one researched from manufacturer documentation.
PLA to Glass
A toughened two-part epoxy is the best-supported starting point for PLA to Glass. This exact pair is an evidence-based assessment...
PLA to Glazed ceramic
A toughened two-part epoxy is the best-supported starting point for PLA to Glazed ceramic. This exact pair is an evidence-based...
PLA to MDF
A toughened two-part epoxy is the best-supported starting point for PLA to MDF. This exact pair is an evidence-based assessment...
PLA to Painted metal
A toughened two-part epoxy is the best-supported starting point for PLA to Painted metal. This exact pair is an evidence-based...
PLA to Plywood
A toughened two-part epoxy is the best-supported starting point for PLA to Plywood. This exact pair is an evidence-based...
PETG to Glass
A toughened two-part epoxy is the best-supported starting point for PETG to Glass. This exact pair is an evidence-based...
PETG to Glazed ceramic
A toughened two-part epoxy is the best-supported starting point for PETG to Glazed ceramic. This exact pair is an evidence-based...
PETG to MDF
A toughened two-part epoxy is the best-supported starting point for PETG to MDF. This exact pair is an evidence-based assessment...
PETG to Painted metal
A toughened two-part epoxy is the best-supported starting point for PETG to Painted metal. This exact pair is an evidence-based...
PETG to Plywood
A toughened two-part epoxy is the best-supported starting point for PETG to Plywood. This exact pair is an evidence-based...
ABS to Glass
A toughened two-part epoxy is the best-supported starting point for ABS to Glass. This exact pair is an evidence-based assessment...
ABS to Glazed ceramic
A toughened two-part epoxy is the best-supported starting point for ABS to Glazed ceramic. This exact pair is an evidence-based...
Adhesive types explained
What each chemistry is genuinely good at, and where it lets you down.
Two-part epoxy
The general purpose structural adhesive: two components mixed to order, strong on almost everything, and genuinely good at filling gaps.
Cyanoacrylate
Instant, thin and very convenient, but only on close-fitting joints that will not flex or get hot.
Polyurethane adhesive
Strong, waterproof and slightly flexible, and it foams as it cures, which is either useful or messy depending on the job.
MS polymer
The modern all-rounder for outdoor and flexible joints: strong, weatherproof, paintable, and it sticks to almost everything without a primer.
Structural acrylic
Industrial-strength two-part acrylic that bonds difficult plastics and lightly contaminated metals where epoxy struggles.
Contact adhesive
Coat both surfaces, let them go touch-dry, then press together for an instant bond across the whole area with no clamping.
Silicone sealant
A sealant first and an adhesive second: unbeatable for waterproofing and heat, but it holds very little weight.
PVA wood glue
The default for wood to wood: cheap, safe, easy to clean up, and stronger than the timber itself on a well-fitted joint.
Browse by material
- ABS
- Acrylic
- Aluminium
- Anodised aluminium
- ASA
- Brass
- Brick
- Cast iron
- Chipboard
- Chrome plated metal
- Concrete
- Copper
- Cork
- EPDM
- EPS (polystyrene foam)
- EVA foam
- Fabric
- Galvanised steel
- Glass
- Glazed ceramic
- GRP / fibreglass
- HDPE
- HIPS
- Laminate
- LDPE
- Leather
- MDF
- Melamine faced board
- Mild steel
- Natural rubber
- Natural stone
- Neoprene
- Nitrile rubber
- Nylon
- Oak
- Painted metal
- PET
- PETG
- Pine
- PLA
- PLA+
- Plasterboard
- Plywood
- Polycarbonate
- Polypropylene
- Polystyrene
- Polyurethane foam
- POM (Delrin)
- Porcelain
- Powder coated metal
- PVC
- Resin 3D print
- Silicone rubber
- Stainless steel
- Teak
- TPE
- TPU
- Unglazed ceramic
- uPVC
- Varnished wood
- Vinyl
- XPS foam board
Evidence, not opinion
Technical claims are tied to manufacturer datasheets and graded. If the evidence is weak, we say so instead of guessing.
Chemistry before product
We work out what type of adhesive the job needs first. Only then do we point at something you can buy.
UK first
UK terminology, Celsius, and products you can actually get here.