What is Selleys Power Grip, and where should you use it?

Selleys Power Grip is a high strength household glue that is extremely flexible and shock and impact resistant. It repairs and bonds a wide range of surfaces and is rated to withstand rough conditions in both interior and exterior applications. It is also dishwasher safe, paintable, and works on uneven surfaces.

The characteristic that sets it apart from a conventional super glue is that it bends on impact rather than shattering. A rigid adhesive holds until something drops or flexes and then lets go all at once; Power Grip is built to absorb that. That is why it is the option to reach for on a repair that will be knocked, dropped, flexed or left outdoors.

The number to plan around: it sets in 3 minutes, but the initial bond time is 12 hours.

Technical specification

Property	Typical result
Colour	Transparent with yellow tinge
Setting time	3 minutes
Initial bond time	12 hours
Service temperature	−15°C to +120°C
Packaging	Tube — 4 g, 5 g, 8 g, 10 g and 20 g

Indicative data only, not intended for the preparation of specifications. Note that Selleys' own sources disagree on two points. The product page lists a 3 g bottle while the technical data sheet lists tubes of 4, 5, 8, 10 and 20 g. More importantly, the product page lists glass as unsuitable while the technical data sheet lists glass among the surfaces it bonds. Treat glass as unsuitable until Selleys confirms otherwise, and use a product specified for glass instead — a bond that fails on glass can drop whatever it was holding.

What the key numbers mean in practice

Three minutes to set, twelve hours to bond. Those two figures describe different things and confusing them is the most common way a repair with this product fails. The three minute setting time is roughly how long you have to get the parts where you want them. The twelve hour initial bond time is how long before the joint is genuinely holding — and Selleys is specific that on porous surfaces such as wood and ceramics, practical strength is usually achieved within 12 hours, while non-porous surfaces such as metals and plastics need longer still.

The practical consequence: clamp or tape the repair to support it until the adhesive sets, and then leave it overnight before you put any load on it. A glued mug handle that feels solid after ten minutes is not yet a mug handle you should lift a full mug by.

There is a useful trick for non-porous work. To reduce set times on non-porous surfaces, keep the surfaces apart for 30 seconds before bringing them together. Metals and plastics do not absorb anything, so a short open period before closing the joint is what speeds up the grab on exactly the materials that are otherwise slowest.

A service temperature range of −15°C to +120°C is wide, and it is the technical basis for the dishwasher-safe claim — a dishwasher cycle sits well inside that band. It also covers a car interior in an Australian summer and an outdoor repair through frost.

Where to use it

The technical data sheet lists Power Grip as sticking to:

• Metals
• Wood
• Ceramic
• Stone, brick, concrete and masonry
• Foam
• Leather
• Laminate
• Fibreglass
• Vinyl
• Fabric
• Cardboards
• Most plastics — but not polyethylene or polypropylene

Its technical features are listed as shock proof, high flexibility, high bond strength, water and weatherproof, temperature resistant, and bends on impact.

How to apply it

1. Make sure the surfaces to be bonded are clean and dry.
2. Remove the cap and apply to one surface. Use it sparingly — a thin film works best.
3. Optional, for non-porous surfaces: keep the surfaces apart for 30 seconds before bringing them together, to reduce the set time.
4. Bring the surfaces together and, if necessary, clamp or tape them to support the joint until the adhesive sets.
5. Leave it to bond. On porous surfaces such as wood and ceramics, practical strength is usually achieved within 12 hours. Allow longer for non-porous surfaces such as metals and plastics.
6. Wipe the nozzle clean and replace the cap tightly straight away. The product cures rapidly, and an uncapped nozzle will block.
7. Clean up before the adhesive sets, using turps or acetone.

Limitations — where it should NOT be used

• Not for polyethylene or polypropylene plastics. Selleys directs you to Selleys All Plastics for those — see Selleys All Plastics.
• Not for permanent water immersion. It is water and weatherproof, which is not the same thing as being able to sit underwater indefinitely.
• It will yellow on direct exposure to UV. The cured adhesive already carries a yellow tinge; sustained direct sunlight will deepen it. On a visible outdoor repair, expect the glue line to become more noticeable over time.
• Do not swallow.

Refer to the product Safety Data Sheet for full warnings, first aid and shipping information.

Clean up and storage

Uncured product may be removed with turps or acetone — do this before the adhesive sets, because it cures rapidly. Cured product can be sanded and scraped, which is the only route once it has gone off.

Store the tube upright in a cool, dry place, with the nozzle wiped clean and the cap tightly replaced.

Hazard classification

Classified as hazardous under Safe Work Australia GHS 7, with the signal word Danger.

• Eye damage/irritation — Category 1. H318: causes serious eye damage.
• Sensitisation, skin — Category 1A. H317: may cause an allergic skin reaction.
• Skin corrosion/irritation — Category 2. H315: causes skin irritation.
• Specific target organ toxicity, single exposure — Category 3, respiratory tract irritation. H335: may cause respiratory irritation.

Power Grip is not classified as Dangerous Goods under the Australian Code for the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road & Rail or New Zealand NZS5433 — which is why it ships and stores like any other household glue despite the Danger signal word.

That combination is unusual for something sold in a 3 g to 20 g tube, and it is worth taking apart. The signal word is Danger, and the reason is not flammability or toxicity. It is the eyes.

H318 is serious eye damage, not eye irritation. Category 1 means the effect is not assumed to reverse. Every other consumer adhesive on this site that carries an eye classification carries Category 2A — serious irritation, which resolves. This one does not. A tube this size is squeezed by hand, usually at close range, often with the nozzle pointing towards the user's face while they clear a blockage, and a tube that has warmed up in a pocket or a car will release its contents faster than expected. The precaution that matters is simply not having your face over the nozzle.

The skin sensitisation classification is Category 1A — the more severe of the two sub-categories, meaning the evidence indicates a high potency sensitiser rather than a marginal one. Sensitisation is not irritation. It is the immune system learning to react to a substance; once acquired it is generally permanent, and afterwards far smaller exposures set it off. It develops from repeated casual contact rather than one large exposure, so the person most at risk is not someone who spills a tube but someone who uses a bit of glue most weekends and wipes their fingers on a rag each time.

H335 respiratory irritation completes the picture: this is a fast-setting adhesive used at close quarters, and the vapour rising from a fresh bond line goes straight past the user's face. Working at arm's length with a window open removes most of the exposure for free.

Protection

• Eye protection — safety glasses as a minimum against a Category 1 eye hazard, and never clear a blocked nozzle with the tube pointing towards a face.
• Gloves — nitrile rubber is indicated for intermittent contact; make your own final assessment for your conditions and glove construction.
• Clothing — overalls and safety shoes for larger work. Wash contaminated clothing and protective equipment before storing or reusing.
• Respiratory — where an inhalation risk exists, an organic vapour and particulate respirator to AS/NZS 1715 and AS/NZS 1716.
• Wash hands before eating, drinking, smoking or using the toilet.

First aid

Exposure	What to do
Eyes	Hold the eyelids apart and flush continuously with running water — until told to stop by the Poisons Information Centre or a doctor, or for at least 15 minutes — then go to a doctor or hospital. In all cases of eye contamination it is a sensible precaution to seek medical advice.
Skin	Remove contaminated clothing and flush skin and hair with running water, continuing until told to stop or for at least 15 minutes. For gross contamination, drench with water, remove clothing and keep flushing with plenty of water and soap. Cover any burn with a clean dry dressing; do NOT break blisters. Seek medical assistance if swelling, redness, blistering or irritation occurs.
Inhalation	Move the person to fresh air without becoming a casualty yourself. Loosen tight clothing, let them rest comfortably and keep them warm until fully recovered. Seek medical advice if effects persist.
Swallowed	Rinse the mouth with water. Do NOT induce vomiting. Give a glass of water. Never give anything by mouth to an unconscious person. Seek medical advice.

If poisoning occurs, contact a doctor or the Poisons Information Centre — 131 126 in Australia, 0800 764 766 in New Zealand — with the container to hand. Selleys emergency line: 1800 220 770 in Australia, 0800 220 770 in New Zealand.

Common questions about Selleys Power Grip

How long does it take to set?

3 minutes to set. The initial bond time is 12 hours, so support the joint and leave it before loading it.

How long before I can use the repaired item?

On porous surfaces such as wood and ceramics, practical strength is usually reached within 12 hours. Non-porous surfaces such as metals and plastics need longer.

Is it dishwasher safe?

Yes. Its service temperature range is −15°C to +120°C.

Can I paint over it?

Yes, it is paintable.

Will it stick to plastic?

To most plastics, but not polyethylene or polypropylene. Use Selleys All Plastics for those.

Can I use it outdoors?

Yes — it is water and weatherproof and rated for exterior applications. Bear in mind it will yellow on direct exposure to UV, and it is not for permanent water immersion.

Will it survive being dropped or knocked?

That is what it is built for. It is shock proof, highly flexible, and bends on impact rather than shattering.

How much should I use?

Use it sparingly — a thin film works best. Apply to one surface only.

What sizes does it come in?

Tubes of 4 g, 5 g, 8 g, 10 g and 20 g, according to the technical data sheet.

How do I get it off my hands or the bench?

Clean up before it sets, using turps or acetone. Once cured, it has to be sanded or scraped off.

How do I stop the nozzle blocking?

Wipe the nozzle clean and replace the cap tightly immediately after use. The product cures rapidly. Store the tube upright in a cool dry place.

Can I use it to fill a gap?

It works on uneven surfaces, but it is a glue rather than a gap filler. For genuine gap filling, look at a product designed for it such as the 3-in-1 Adhesive Sealant & Gap Filler.

How do I speed up a metal or plastic repair?

Keep the surfaces apart for 30 seconds after applying, then bring them together. That reduces set times on non-porous surfaces.