Super Glue: How to Use Selleys Super Adhesives

How does super glue work, and what can you actually use it on?

Super glue is the fastest adhesive in the house. Selleys' super glues are cyanoacrylates: they begin bonding within seconds of application, and a little goes a very long way. That speed is their strength and also their main limitation — you get one attempt at the alignment, unless you use one of the gel versions designed to give you longer.

The short version of what they suit: small, close-fitting, rigid repairs on clean dry surfaces. A cracked ceramic, a broken figurine, a loose fitting, a drawer runner. Where the parts do not meet cleanly, or the joint carries real load, or the material flexes, a different family of adhesive is the better answer.

What materials can you use super glue on?

The Selleys super glue range is designed to form strong, secure adhesion between metals, rubber and leather, tiles and ceramics, some plastics, china, wood, glass, fabric and other surfaces. The Super Glue Adjustable Gel, for example, lists ceramics, china, metal, wood and most plastics.

For optimal adhesion, make sure the surfaces you are gluing are clean, dry, free of dust and close fitting. That last requirement is not decorative: super glue has almost no gap-filling ability, so a joint with a visible gap in it will not develop meaningful strength.

What super glue will not bond: Teflon (PTFE), polyethylene and polypropylene. These are consistently excluded across the range. For those plastics, use Selleys All Plastics instead.

How long does super glue take to dry?

This is where the marketing figure and the working figure differ, and both are useful.

Fix & Go Super Glue	Sets in 10 seconds
Fix & Go No More Mess Super Glue	Sets in 10 seconds; full cure approximately 12 hours
Super Glue Adjustable Gel	Sets in 30 seconds; sufficient bond strength for practical use after 30 minutes; cure time 24 to 48 hours; maximum bond strength after 24 hours

Indicative data only, not intended for the preparation of specifications. Set time and cure rate depend on the type, condition and closeness of the surfaces, and on atmospheric conditions.

What that means in practice: the seconds figure is when the bond takes hold and you can let go. The hours figure is when it reaches full strength. For the best result, leave whatever you are fixing to cure for at least a few hours before moving it, and overnight before putting it back into service. For larger fixes, clamp or hold the join in place with weights or tape overnight.

The Adjustable Gel exists precisely because 10 seconds is not always enough time to line up a break. Its 30-second set gives you a window to adjust and align, and its gel consistency suits vertical applications where a liquid would run.

Is super glue heat resistant?

This is worth answering honestly rather than reassuringly. Selleys' published technical data for its cyanoacrylate super glues does not give a temperature resistance figure. If a repair will be exposed to significant heat, do not assume the glue will cope — check the labelling and application instructions on the specific pack you have bought.

There is one explicit exclusion that follows from this: super glue is not recommended for repairing the handles of vessels that contain hot liquids. A teapot or coffee pot handle is exactly the repair people reach for super glue to make, and it is the one the technical data sheet warns against.

Where a repair genuinely needs heat tolerance, an epoxy is the better family. Araldite Super Strong is rated to 60°C, above which the bond softens — though strength is restored when the temperature returns to normal. For ovens, cars and pipes, a purpose-made high-temperature product is the right answer rather than a household glue.

When to step up to an epoxy

For larger repairs around the house, the Selleys Araldite range is the heavier-duty option. These are two-part epoxies: you dispense equal parts of both liquids onto a clean disposable surface, mix them thoroughly, and apply the mixed glue to both surfaces before bringing them together.

Araldite 5 Minute holds up to 75 kg/cm² when fully cured on steel. Araldite Super Strong 5 Minute holds up to 150 kg/cm² when fully cured on a clean, abraded copper surface. Both set in five minutes, need 30 minutes before you apply any strain, and reach maximum strength after 16 hours.

Those holding figures are per square centimetre of properly prepared bond area, not a total weight the glue will hold. Which is why the surface preparation instruction — abrade, clean and dry the surfaces — is not optional: doubling the effective bond area does more for the result than any product choice.

The mixed epoxy stays usable for two to three minutes at 20°C, so mix small amounts and work promptly.

The Selleys super glue range

• Fix & Go Super Glue — sets in 10 seconds, for small repairs around the home.
• Fix & Go High Precision Bottle and Super Glue High Precision — for fine detail work on ceramics and jewellery.
• Fix & Go No More Mess and Super Glue Stand-up — dispense precisely with less mess.
• Fix & Go Brush On — a brush applicator for spreading glue over an area rather than a point.
• Fix & Go Adjustable Gel and Super Glue Adjustable Gel — extra time to align the break.
• Super Glue Single Shot 5×1mL and Adjustable Gel Single Shot 4×1g — single-use packs that avoid waste from a tube that cures in the drawer.

Limitations and handling

• Will not bond Teflon, polyethylene or polypropylene.
• Not recommended for repairing handles of vessels containing hot liquids.
• May cause leather to discolour or harden. If in doubt, test a small hidden area first.
• Needs close-fitting surfaces. Clean, dry, dust-free and close fitting — super glue does not fill gaps.
• Wipe the tip and replace the cap immediately after use, and store containers closed in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place out of direct sunlight. A cyanoacrylate left open cures itself.
• Clean up: uncured product with acetone; cured product can be sanded and scraped.

Common questions about super glue

How fast does Selleys super glue set?

Fix & Go Super Glue sets in 10 seconds. The Adjustable Gel sets in 30 seconds, deliberately, to give you time to align the break.

How long until it reaches full strength?

Longer than the set time. Fix & Go No More Mess gives a full cure of approximately 12 hours; the Super Glue Adjustable Gel gives a cure time of 24 to 48 hours, with sufficient strength for practical use after 30 minutes.

Should I clamp it?

For small repairs, holding for the set time is enough. For larger fixes, clamp or hold the join in place with weights or tape overnight.

What will super glue not stick to?

Teflon, polyethylene and polypropylene. Use Selleys All Plastics for those.

Can I use super glue on a teapot handle?

No. It is specifically not recommended for repairing handles of vessels that contain hot liquids.

Is super glue heat resistant?

Selleys does not publish a temperature resistance figure for its cyanoacrylate super glues, so do not assume one. Check the pack for the product you have. For a repair that will get hot, use an epoxy or a purpose-made high-temperature product.

Can I use it on a cracked vase?

Yes — ceramics and china are among its listed surfaces, and a clean break in a rigid material is what super glue does best. Make sure both faces are clean, dry and close fitting.

Will it work on a shoe sole?

It will bond, but it cures rigid and a sole flexes with every step. For footwear, use a purpose-made flexible product — see shoe glue.

How much should I use?

Very little. Apply a small amount to one surface, bring the surfaces together and apply slight pressure. Excess does not make the bond stronger; it makes it messier and slower to cure.

How do I remove super glue?

Uncured product comes off with acetone. Cured product can be sanded and scraped.

Why did my tube go hard in the drawer?

Cyanoacrylates cure on exposure to moisture in the air. Wipe the tip after use, replace the cap immediately, and store the tube closed in a cool, dry place. The single-shot packs exist for people whose tubes never survive to a second use.

Super glue or epoxy?

Super glue for small, close-fitting, rigid repairs you want done in seconds. Epoxy for larger repairs, load-bearing joints, gaps that need filling, or anything that gets warm — accepting that you mix it, get two to three minutes of working time, and wait 16 hours for maximum strength.