Selleys Super Glue Adjustable Gel Single Shot 4x1g Pack

What is Selleys Super Glue Adjustable Gel Single Shot 4x1g Pack, and where should you use it?

This is Selleys Super Glue Adjustable Gel supplied as four single-use 1 gram tubes. The adhesive is a cyanoacrylate gel that sets in 30 seconds, and the extra seconds before it grabs are what let you align a break exactly instead of accepting wherever the pieces first landed.

The single-shot format solves the other problem with super glue, which is not the glue but the tube. A part-used tube tends to be solid the next time you need it. Four sealed 1 gram tubes mean each repair starts with fresh adhesive — and the pack directions are explicit that you discard each tube after opening.

Technical specification

Property	Typical result
Technology	Cyanoacrylate
Colour	Colourless to straw
Specific gravity	1.1
Set time	30 seconds
Cure time	24 to 48 hours

Supplied in this pack as four 1 gram tubes; the same adhesive is also available as a 3g tube. Indicative data only, not intended for the preparation of specifications.

Selleys attaches a qualifier to the set time: set time and cure rate depend on the type, condition and closeness of the surfaces, and on atmospheric conditions. A loose joint in cold, dry air will behave differently from a tight one in a warm room.

What the key numbers mean in practice

Set time 30 seconds. This is your adjustment window. Bring the parts together, check the alignment along the break, correct it, then hold still. Once the 30 seconds have passed, moving the joint breaks the bond that has just formed rather than improving the fit.

Practical use at 30 minutes. The directions state that 30 minutes gives sufficient bond strength for practical use — the point at which the item can be handled and put away.

Cure time 24 to 48 hours. The technical data sheet lists 24 to 48 hours for cure, while its directions state maximum bond strength is reached after 24 hours. Take the longer figure as the safe one: if the repair has to carry load, give it up to 48 hours rather than testing it at the first opportunity.

Gel consistency. The gel does not run, which is what makes it suitable for vertical applications. A liquid super glue applied to an upright break migrates down the face before the parts meet; the gel stays where you put it.

Where to use it

Selleys lists this adhesive for repairs on:

• Ceramics
• China
• Metal
• Wood
• Most plastics

Its stated features are more time to adjust and reposition, no mixing required, and a gel consistency ideal for vertical applications.

How to apply it

Surface preparation first: surfaces to be bonded must be clean, dry, free of dust and close fitting.

1. Pierce the seal at the end of the tube by attaching the nozzle and cap and turning clockwise. On the single-shot tubes this is a twist-on nozzle.
2. Remove the cap and apply a small amount of glue to one surface.
3. Bring the surfaces together and apply slight pressure, adjusting the alignment as needed within the set time.
4. Press and hold for 30 seconds.
5. Allow 30 minutes for sufficient bond strength for practical use, and up to 24–48 hours for full cure.
6. Discard the tube after opening. These are single-use.

Why single shot suits an occasional repairer

A 1 gram tube is a small amount of adhesive, and that is deliberate. Super glue is used in drops, so a gram covers a household repair comfortably — the constraint has never been how much glue is in the tube but whether the tube still works. Cyanoacrylates cure in response to atmospheric moisture, which means an opened tube begins curing from the nozzle inward from the moment the seal is broken, regardless of how tightly it is capped.

Four sealed tubes is therefore four guaranteed working applications spread over time, rather than one tube that works today and may not in three months. If you glue something once or twice a year, this format wastes less adhesive than a larger tube does, even though it looks like the smaller quantity.

It also means each repair gets fresh, full-viscosity gel. A part-used tube that has partially cured dispenses thickened adhesive, which does not spread into a thin film and produces exactly the thick, slow-curing joint you are trying to avoid.

Limitations — where it should not be used

• It will not bond Teflon, polyethylene or polypropylene.
• Not suitable for leather. The product page lists leather as unsuitable; the technical data sheet's guidance is that the adhesive may cause leather to discolour or harden and should be tested on a small hidden area first. Either way, do not use it on visible leather without testing.
• Not recommended for repairing handles of vessels that contain hot liquids. A teapot or mug handle is exactly the repair to avoid here — and it fails in the worst possible way, with a full vessel of hot liquid in someone's hand.
• No gap filling. The faces must meet.
• It will not resist continuous water exposure.

Clean up and storage

Uncured product may be removed with acetone. Cured product can be sanded and scraped. Take care with acetone on the item itself — it is a strong solvent and some plastics and finishes do not tolerate it.

Keep containers closed and store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place, out of direct sunlight. Wipe the tip of the tube after use and replace the cap immediately — though with the single-shot format, the intended approach is to use the tube and discard it.

Hazard classification

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

• Flammable liquids — Category 4. H227: combustible liquid.
• Skin corrosion/irritation — Category 2. H315: causes skin irritation.
• Eye damage/irritation — Category 2A. H319: causes serious eye irritation.
• Specific target organ toxicity, single exposure — Category 3, respiratory tract irritation. H335: may cause respiratory irritation.

Not classified as Dangerous Goods for transport by the Australian Code for the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road & Rail or New Zealand NZS5433. It is classified C1 (combustible liquid) for storage and handling under AS 1940, and is Poison Schedule S5 (Caution).

What is in it

Chemical entity	CAS number	Proportion (w/w)
Ethyl cyanoacrylate	7085-85-0	>60%
Non-hazardous or below reporting limits	—	Balance

This pack is covered directly by the Selleys Super Glue Adjustable Gel safety data sheet, which names product code 103428, Selleys Adjustable Gel Single Shot 4x1g, alongside the 3g bottle and the High Precision 3g — so the classification above is this pack's own rather than a sibling's.

The single-shot format changes the exposure more than it changes the chemistry. Each tube holds one gram and is used once, so there is no part-used tube with adhesive dried around the neck to be handled at the start of the next job, and no clogged nozzle to be worked at with fingers. The classifications are identical to the bottled gel — the same ethyl cyanoacrylate, the same four hazard statements — but the quantity in play at any moment is a gram, and it goes in the bin when the repair is done.

The gel form matters for H319. A liquid super glue can run off a vertical face or wick along a join and travel somewhere you did not intend; a gel largely stays where it is put. That is sold as a positioning benefit, and it is also the difference between adhesive that stays on the workpiece and adhesive that finds a path towards your hand or drips while you are looking down at the join. It does not make eye contact impossible — a tube squeezed at the wrong moment still ejects — but it removes the most common route by which it happens.

The thirty seconds of adjustment time that give this product its name are thirty seconds spent holding the pieces, close to a curing joint. Cyanoacrylate vapour is what H335 is about, and it is released during exactly that window. Work somewhere ventilated, and keep your face out of the direct line of the joint rather than bending over it while you align.

The skin first aid anticipates burns and blistering, which is more than the Category 2 skin irritation classification alone would suggest. That is characteristic of cyanoacrylates rather than specific to this pack: the curing reaction gives off heat, and the class is known to react quickly with cotton and wool, so adhesive soaking into a glove, a sleeve or a cloth is treated more seriously than a smear on a fingertip.

Protection

• Eye protection — chemical goggles.
• Gloves — nitrile rubber, suitable for intermittent contact. The safety data sheet notes that glove construction and local conditions vary and the final assessment is the user's.
• Ventilation — natural ventilation is adequate under normal use. Use outdoors or in a well-ventilated area, and avoid breathing the vapour.
• Storage — cool, dry, well ventilated, out of direct sunlight, container upright and tightly closed, away from food and from sources of heat or ignition, and stored locked up.
• Do not eat, drink or smoke while using it, and wash your hands before you do.

First aid

Exposure	What to do
Eyes	Hold the eyelids apart and flush continuously with running water for at least 15 minutes, or until the Poisons Information Centre or a doctor says to stop, then go to a doctor or hospital.
Skin	Remove contaminated clothing and flush the skin and hair with running water for at least 15 minutes, or until advised to stop. For a skin burn, cover with a clean, dry dressing until medical help is available. If blistering occurs, do not break the blisters. Seek medical assistance if swelling, redness, blistering or irritation develops.
Inhalation	Move the person to fresh air without becoming a casualty yourself. Loosen clothing, let them settle into whichever position is most comfortable, keep them warm and at rest 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. If vomiting occurs, give more water and 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 Super Glue Adjustable Gel Single Shot

How long do I have to adjust the alignment?

The set time is 30 seconds. Set time and cure rate depend on the type, condition and closeness of the surfaces, and on atmospheric conditions.

When can I use the repaired item?

Allow 30 minutes for sufficient bond strength for practical use. Cure time is 24 to 48 hours, with the directions stating maximum bond strength is reached after 24 hours.

Can I keep a tube for the next job?

No — discard each tube after opening. That is the point of the single-shot format: each repair starts with a fresh, sealed 1 gram tube rather than a part-used one that has cured in the nozzle.

Why choose a gel over a liquid super glue?

Two reasons: it gives you time to adjust and reposition the break, and its gel consistency is ideal for vertical applications where a liquid would run.

What will it bond?

Ceramics, china, metal, wood and most plastics.

What won't it bond?

Teflon, polyethylene and polypropylene.

Can I repair a mug handle with it?

Not if the vessel contains hot liquids — Selleys specifically does not recommend it for repairing handles of vessels that contain hot liquids.

Can I use it on leather?

The product page lists leather as unsuitable. The technical data sheet warns it may cause leather to discolour or harden, and directs you to test a small hidden area first.

Will it survive being washed?

It will not resist continuous water exposure.

Will it fill a gap?

No. Surfaces must be clean, dry, free of dust and close fitting.

Does it need mixing?

No. No mixing is required.

Can I use it on a vertical break?

Yes — the gel consistency is stated as ideal for vertical applications, because it does not run out of the joint before the parts go together.

Why did my set take longer than 30 seconds?

Set time and cure rate depend on the type, condition and closeness of the surfaces, and on atmospheric conditions. A loose joint, a cold room or very dry air will all slow it.

What does it look like?

Colourless to straw.

How do I clean up the excess?

Uncured product comes off with acetone; cured product has to be sanded or scraped. Check that the material tolerates acetone before using it.

How should I store the unopened tubes?

Keep the containers closed and store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place, out of direct sunlight.

The same adhesive is available as a single 3g tube. See the full super glue range for other formats.