Adhesive types

Every adhesive chemistry we cover. What each one is genuinely good at, where it lets you down, and which materials it suits.

Adhesive	Strength	Flexibility	Water	Gap filling
Two-part epoxy	Structural	Rigid	Water resistant	Medium
Cyanoacrylate	Medium	Rigid	Water resistant	Low
Polyurethane adhesive	High	Unknown	Water resistant	Low
MS polymer	High	Flexible	Water resistant	High
Structural acrylic	Structural	Semi rigid	Water resistant	High
Contact adhesive	Medium	Flexible	Water resistant	None
Silicone sealant	Medium	Very flexible	Waterproof	High
PVA wood glue	High	Semi rigid	Unknown	Low
Solvent cement	High	Rigid	Unknown	Low
Hot melt, hot glue	Medium	Flexible	Unknown	Medium
Epoxy putty	High	Rigid	Water resistant	High
Anaerobic adhesive, threadlocker and retainer	High	Semi rigid	Water resistant	Low
Grab adhesive, no-nails	High	Unknown	Unknown	High
Acrylic foam tape, VHB type	Structural	Flexible	Water resistant	Medium
Spray adhesive	Light	Flexible	Unknown	None
UV cure adhesive	High	Unknown	Unknown	Low
Polyurethane wood glue	High	Semi rigid	Waterproof	Low
Flexible fabric adhesive	Medium	Very flexible	Water resistant	Low

The general purpose structural adhesive: two components mixed to order, strong on almost everything, and genuinely good at filling gaps.

Instant, thin and very convenient, but only on close-fitting joints that will not flex or get hot.

Strong, waterproof and slightly flexible, and it foams as it cures, which is either useful or messy depending on the job.

The modern all-rounder for outdoor and flexible joints: strong, weatherproof, paintable, and it sticks to almost everything without a primer.

Industrial-strength two-part acrylic that bonds difficult plastics and lightly contaminated metals where epoxy struggles.

Coat both surfaces, let them go touch-dry, then press together for an instant bond across the whole area with no clamping.

A sealant first and an adhesive second: unbeatable for waterproofing and heat, but it holds very little weight.

The default for wood to wood: cheap, safe, easy to clean up, and stronger than the timber itself on a well-fitted joint.

Not glue at all: it dissolves both surfaces so they fuse into one piece. Unbeatable on the right plastic, useless on the wrong one.

Fast, cheap and forgiving for craft and temporary work, but it softens in a warm room and peels off smooth surfaces.

Hand-mixable epoxy in stick form for rebuilding missing material, filling large gaps and moulding shapes in place.

Cures only in the absence of air between close-fitting metal parts. Made for threads, bearings and shafts, not for general bonding.

Cartridge adhesive for fixing things to walls: high initial grab, generous gap filling, and no clamping needed.

A double-sided acrylic foam that behaves like a thin flexible adhesive layer: clean, instant, and much stronger than ordinary tape.

An even thin film over a large area, for fabric, foam, paper and photos, from repositionable up to permanent.

Stays liquid until you shine a UV light on it, then sets in seconds. Ideal for clear, precise work you need time to align.

Waterproof wood glue for outdoor joinery, and it will bond wood to materials that PVA cannot touch.

Stays soft and stretchy when dry, so fabric, leather and vinyl still drape and flex. Washable grades exist and matter.