What is Selleys Fix & Go Adjustable Gel, and where should you use it?

Selleys Fix & Go Adjustable Gel is a gel-consistency super glue that gives you time to line the break up before it sets. It bonds in about 30 seconds, and that half-minute is the whole reason to choose it: a standard liquid super glue grabs almost on contact, which is fine on a simple join and a problem on a break that has to be aligned exactly.

The gel form does a second job as well. Because it does not run, it is ideal for vertical surfaces and slightly porous materials — a liquid glue applied to a vertical break tends to migrate down the face before the parts go together, and on a slightly porous material it soaks in before it can bond.

What "adjustable" actually buys you

Bonding in around 30 seconds means you have that window to seat the parts, check the alignment along the break line, and correct it. It is not a repositionable adhesive in the sense of being able to pull the parts apart and start again — it is a short grace period in which small adjustments are still possible. Use it deliberately: bring the parts together, check the fit, adjust, then hold still until the set time has passed. Fidgeting with the joint after it has set breaks the bond that has just formed.

Maximum strength comes later. Allow up to 24 hours before the repair carries load.

Where to use it

• Breaks that need precise alignment before the glue takes
• Vertical surfaces, where a liquid glue would run
• Slightly porous materials
• Most plastics, except polyethylene and polypropylene

Surfaces must be clean, dry and close fitting. That last requirement is not negotiable with this product — see the limitations below.

How to apply it

1. Pierce the seal and apply a small amount. More glue does not make a stronger super glue joint; a thin film between close-fitting faces does.
2. Bring the surfaces together and adjust as needed. This is the window the gel is designed to give you, so use it to get the alignment right.
3. Hold until set — about 30 seconds. Hold steady rather than squeezing harder; pressure that shifts the parts undoes the alignment you just set.
4. Allow up to 24 hours for maximum strength before putting the item back into real use.
5. Store the tube capped tightly.

Limitations — where Adjustable Gel should not be used

• Not suitable for leather.
• Not suitable for polyethylene, polypropylene or Teflon.
• It will not permanently bond items exposed to water or dishwashers. This rules out most kitchen repairs that go back into regular washing — a mug handle that will be run through a dishwasher is not a candidate.
• No gap-filling capability. The joint has to close properly on its own. If a chip is missing and the faces do not meet, this adhesive cannot bridge that space, and adding more glue will not change it.

Storage

Store the tube capped tightly. Cyanoacrylate-type adhesives cure in response to moisture in the air, so a cap left loose is the usual reason a half-used tube is solid the next time you reach for it.

Safety information

Selleys does not publish a safety data sheet for Fix & Go Adjustable Gel in the sources used to build this page, so no GHS hazard classification, signal word or hazard statements are reproduced here.

That is an absence of published data, not a finding that the product is non-hazardous. It should not be read as an all-clear, and the classification of a similar or neighbouring product should not be assumed to apply — variants within a Selleys range frequently carry genuinely different classifications.

A safety data sheet exists for the Selleys Super Glue Adjustable Gel, which covers different product codes and is a separate item.

To obtain it, request the safety data sheet for this product from Selleys directly: 1300 555 205 in Australia, 0800 735 539 in New Zealand, or contact Selleys. For an emergency involving a Selleys product the emergency line is 1800 220 770 in Australia and 0800 220 770 in New Zealand; for suspected poisoning, the Poisons Information Centre is 131 126 in Australia and 0800 764 766 in New Zealand.

Common questions about Selleys Fix & Go Adjustable Gel

How long do I have to adjust the parts?

It bonds in about 30 seconds, so that is the window in which small adjustments are still possible.

How long do I hold it?

Hold until set — approximately 30 seconds.

When is the repair at full strength?

Allow up to 24 hours for maximum strength.

Why use a gel instead of a liquid super glue?

Two reasons: it gives positioning time, and it does not run, which makes it suitable for vertical surfaces and slightly porous materials.

Will it fill a gap in a broken part?

No. It has no gap-filling capability, so the surfaces must be close fitting.

Can I use it on something that goes in the dishwasher?

No. It will not permanently bond items exposed to water or dishwashers.

Will it stick to plastic?

Most plastics, but not polyethylene, polypropylene or Teflon.

Can I use it on leather?

No. Leather is listed as unsuitable for this product.

Do the surfaces need preparation?

They need to be clean, dry and close fitting.

How much should I apply?

A small amount. The directions call for a small amount applied to the break, not a generous bead.

My tube set solid between jobs — why?

Store it capped tightly. That is the storage instruction Selleys gives, and a loose cap is the common cause.

Can I use it outdoors or somewhere damp?

Selleys states it will not permanently bond items exposed to water, so a permanently damp location is outside what this product is intended for.

Fix & Go Adjustable Gel is part of the super glue range. For help choosing between the formats, see the super glue guide.