Adhesion seems like a demanding task at a first glance, but it’s anything but that. Once we know the basic properties of adhesives, their purpose and operation, home projects become fun, easy and above all – done quickly.
Do you want to renovate an apartment, install furniture or just new home decorations? Any repair or task is already on today’s schedule – we are here to help you. We have listed 10 useful tips for you that answer the most common dilemmas of home builders.
1. Storing open cartridges of construction adhesives
It is important to seal the cartridge as much as possible. After use, remove the tip from the cartridge, cover the top of the cartridge with aluminum foil, and put the tip onto the cartridge again. Store the glue in a cool, dry place.
2. Trend in the field of construction adhesives
The use of construction adhesives based on polymer and hybrid adhesives is rising sharply. Recently, there has been a trend of elastic adhesion in construction, which means that the adhesive joint is resistant to vibrations and tensions that are the result of different expansion or shrinkage of two different materials. Hybrid adhesives thus combine the properties of the adhesive and the sealant. FIX 11 mounting adhesive also has such properties. It is distinguished by exceptional initial bonding strength and high final adhesive strength (350 kg/10 m²). After hardening, it achieves excellent mechanical properties, it can be painted, it is UV-stable, resistant to weather and aging, and to a wide range of chemicals. It replaces mechanical fastening with nails and screws and it is an ideal solution for adhesion of heavier objects.
3. A thin application of instantaneous adhesive is sufficient
Super glues or cyanoacrylates are one-component adhesives that bond surfaces instantly by means of a chemical reaction with moisture in the air.
For adhesion with super glues, the rule is less is more, as an excessive amount of applied adhesive or uneven application of instantaneous adhesive slows down the drying time and reduces the mechanical strength.
4. Instantaneous adhesive FIX 31 in a convenient package of three tubes of 1 g
After the first use of the instantaneous adhesive, the tip of the adhesive is often clogged, making it difficult to reuse the instantaneous adhesive. In the case of the application of instantaneous adhesive on a small area, it is sufficient to use instantaneous adhesive from a 1-gram tube. Thus, with the FIX 31 (3 x 1 g) instantaneous adhesive, the two tubes of the remaining adhesive always remain fresh and ensure optimal use quality.
5. Removing adhesives from the skin
When the adhesive has not hardened yet, most adhesives can be removed with acetone. Adhesive for wood can also be removed with water. In case of applying instantaneous adhesive on the skin, soak the skin in warm soapy water. Instead of soap, you can also use lemon juice, which you mix in a ratio of 1:1 with warm water. Repeat the process several times.
6. Safe use of the FIX 51 hot melt glue gun
- check that the gun is undamaged or wether the cord is damaged
- check that the gun nozzle is clean and remove any adhesive residue before use
- attach the stand and place the gun on a wooden base
- insert the FIX 52 adhesive insert and heat the gun for 8-10 minutes
- we recommend that you use adhesive inserts from the same manufacturer as the hot melt glue gun, i.e. FIX 52 adhesive inserts
- lightly press the trigger, apply the adhesive to one of the surfaces to be glued and immediately squeeze the surfaces together
- do not touch the applied adhesive, as liquid adhesive can reach 200 ˚C and there is a risk of burns
- the adhesive hardens in less than 2 minutes
- be sure to unplug the gun and cool it after applying the adhesive, before storing it for the next use.
7. Keep the adhesive cartridge in the hot melt glue gun
After using the hot melt glue gun, do not remove the remaining part of the adhesive cartridge from the gun and leave it in the gun until the next use. Trying to remove the adhesive cartridge can damage the gun mechanism.
8. Hot melt glue gun heating
Wait for the hot melt glue gun to heat up completely. This is a condition for a good adhesion result. An underheated hot melt glue gun cannot completely liquefy the adhesive inserts and achieve the right adhesive viscosity. The operating temperature required for melting and application is 190 ˚C with the FIX 51 hot melt glue gun.
9. Chemical composition of adhesive inserts
Adhesive inserts are a mixture of different resins that provide good adhesion properties and resistance to higher temperatures, and with various ingredients we further improve their properties: viscosity, stickiness and elasticity. Adhesive inserts do not contain a dispersant, so in the case of wood adhesion, they also allow thicker coatings, as there is no swelling of the wood. The adhesive hardens physically, by cooling.
10. The importance of accurate dosing of two-component epoxy adhesives
Accurate dosing of both components is very important for efficient bonding and high joint strength when using a two-component epoxy adhesive. The basic raw materials of such adhesives are epoxy resins, with which the hardeners react, with the resin being the first component and the hardener the second component. The packaging of the FIX 61 two-component epoxy adhesive enables extremely precise dosing of both components.
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