Gorilla Wood Glue is a strong PVA wood glue that creates a very strong bond for wood-to-wood applications. It has a few great qualities and is also lacking in a few areas compared to some other wood glues.
Table of Contents
Quick Overview
Gorilla is more often known for their original Gorilla Glue formula, but their entry into the wood glue market has stirred things up!
Gorilla Wood Glue is a PVA-based wood glue, which creates a very strong bond between two wooden surfaces. Often, the bond ends up being stronger than the glue itself.
Basically, if you’re doing any kind of home woodworking project, repairing kitchen shelves or broken wooden furniture, reinforcing flatpack furniture joints, or general DIY this glue won’t let you down.
There are loads of options available, it’s great value especially the larger bottles.
Pros and cons of Gorilla Wood Glue:
Pros
- Incredibly strong bond on wood
- Can be sanded
- Doesn’t foam or expand when used
- Dries Natural Color
- Can be stained or painted
- Good value, especially the multipacks
- Can be used indoors or outdoors
Cons
- Doesn’t work well on other surfaces
- Requires clamping for a strong bond
- Takes a long time to cure
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Product Features
One thing that sets Gorilla apart as a company is the care they put into their product design. There is only so much a company can innovate when it comes to a simple PVA wood glue, but Gorilla takes extra care in not only the glue itself but the container it arrives in and the array of purchasing options they offer.
Creates an incredibly strong bond
Gorilla glue is known the world over for the strength of its glues, and their PVA wood glue is no exception. Between two wooden surfaces, Gorilla Wood Glue will create a bond that is so strong, it’s most likely stronger than the wood itself.
If you’re gluing a surface that will be holding a lot of weight (such as a chair leg) it’s good practice to fasten the joint mechanically as well as chemically. Ask any carpenter and they will tell you – Glue it and Screw it.
A word of caution:
Although Gorilla PVA Wood Glue is extremely good for wood on wood applications, it won’t form a strong bond with certain materials like plastic or metal. If you need to affix some other material to a piece of wood, consider using Gorilla Glue Original instead.
Dries a natural wood color
When Gorilla Wood Glue dries, it dries a light tan color, which can then be sanded, and will accept a stain, oil, or paint just like the surrounding wood.
An old carpenter’s tip:
If you’re using the glue on a dark wood like walnut or mahogany, mix in a little sawdust from your wood with the glue. This will help the glue take on a deeper color more similar to your wood.
Anti-clog cap
Gorilla adds this feature to most of their glue products now, and thankfully it’s now also available on their wood glue.
This is one area where Gorilla really shines and shows up the competition. No more grinding away a hardened mess from the end of the cap, it stays inside and stays fully sealed so it doesn’t harden in the tip of the bottle.
Weather resistant
Gorilla wood glue is suitable for use both indoors and outdoors. Once fully cured, the glue will resist water and help prevent water ingress. The wood around it will rot before the joint fails due to water!
One small thing to note is that you need to make sure the glue is 100% fully cured before you expose it to the elements. If your joint gets wet before it’s had a chance to fully cure, the water will weaken the bond and may cause the adhesion to fail.
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How to use Gorilla Wood Glue
Wood glue has some slightly different requirements than some other glue, but if you’ve used any other wood glue before, Gorilla Wood Glue is just the same.
1: Prepare the surface you are going to bond
Make sure the wood is clean, free from any dust and does not have any varnish or paint on it.
Some woods like Teak or Cedar are quite oily by nature. Sanding the surface before applying the glue will ensure a strong bond in these species.
2: Apply glue to one or both surfaces
You often hear differing advice about whether you should apply to one or both surfaces. In general, it depends on the seal between the two pieces. If you’re gluing two 2x4s together one surface is fine, but if it’s an intricate dovetail joint you’ll want to glue both surfaces to ensure as much surface is covered as possible.
3: Apply any mechanical fastener
If required, apply any mechanical fasteners such as screws or nails at this point while the glue is still wet. This will help keep the pieces together and let the joint harden as one piece instead of letting the wood hardening with the glue and then possibly weakening it by adding a screw afterward.
4: Clamp the piece in place
The great thing about PVA wood glue is how strong the bond is. Unfortunately, to achieve the best possible bond you will need to leave your piece clamped together for several hours.
How long it needs to be clamped is completely dependent on the project, but as a general rule to be safe, I would recommend you clamp any piece for 24 hours to ensure a fully cured bond.
5: Clean excess glue and leave to set
Gorilla wood glue is a little thinner than some other wood glues. This is great for ensuring good coverage, but it does mean there is a bit more mess than usual.
After you’ve clamped your piece tightly together, it’s normal for some glue to be squeezed out from between the two surfaces. This can be sanded down at a later date, but it’s much easier if you catch it now and clean it with a damp cloth.
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What does Gorilla Wood Glue work on?
Wood glue is designed to be used for two pieces of wood.
It won’t form a strong bond with plastic, metal, glass, or anything else (except maybe fabric, paper, and cardboard) so if your project is not wood, you will definitely be better off with another solution depending on what materials you’re using.
Check out the Amazon reviews to get a better idea of what this will/will not work for, but here’s a basic list:
Wood Glue works on…
- Wood
- Paper
- Cardboard
- Fabric
But not on…
- Plastic of ANY kind
- Metal
- Ceramics
- Foam
- Stone
- Acrylic
- Rubber
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FAQs
What are the ingredients?
Gorilla Wood Glue is a water-based PVA glue. The main ingredients are water and PVC (Polyvinyl Acetate)
Once the water evaporates, the PVC is what allows the glue to become sticky and bond your surfaces together.
Safety usage instructions:
Wood glue is pretty safe, if you get it on your skin it will wash off with warm water and soap no problem.
The manufacturer recommends that you wear suitable protective eye/face protection to prevent any glue from getting into your eyes.
Does Gorilla Wood Glue expand?
Gorilla Wood glue doesn’t foam or expand when it hardens.
Gorilla Wood Glue Bulk Options:
As usual, Gorilla has us spoiled for choice when it comes to bulk options.
Gorilla wood glue is available in the following options:
- 4 ounce / 116ml bottle
- 8 ounce / 236ml bottle
- 18 ounce / 500ml bottle
- 36 ounce / 1l bottle
- One Gallon / 3.75l bottle
What color is it when it’s dry?
Gorilla Wood Glue dries a natural, milky tan color. It blends with most wood and can be sanded, painted, and stained for a perfect color match once it’s dry.
Gorilla Wood Glue Clamp Time:
According to the manufacturer, gorilla glue only has to be clamped for 30 minutes. Depending on the application, it may be strongly bonded in as little as 30 minutes, however, it completely depends on your project. (See here for more info)
How long it takes for PVA to dry depends on the stress put on the joint, how much glue you used, whether or not you used a mechanical fastener as well, the humidity and temperature of the environment around you, what type of wood you’re gluing, and how well you prepared the surface before applying.
Depending on your project, you should be able to keep working on it after a short clamping time, however, if there is going to be any stress on the joint it is recommended to leave it clamped for a full 24h to ensure it is fully cured.
Can I use Gorilla Wood Glue on Plastic?
Gorilla Wood Glue is only useful when you have two pieces of wood that need stuck together. It doesn’t form a strong bond with plastic, metal, or almost any other non-wood surface.
Check out some of the reviews on Amazon for more information.
Safety Data Sheet
Also known as SDS, or REACH compliance in the EU. Every manufacturer and distributor of hazardous chemicals have to provide a copy.
If you need the datasheet for Gorilla Wood Glue here’s a link to it from Gorilla’s website:
Gorilla Wood Glue Shelf Life
Gorilla Wood Glue is just like any other PVA glue. It’s PVA suspended in water, so as long as the water doesn’t evaporate, the glue will stay wet and ready to use.
Keep the cap sealed firmly and it will last for years in the cupboard.
