Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Ohh, Gorilla glue on the arm hair, not much fun there.

I got a chance to visit with a Glidden rep at a "pro appreciation event" at a Big Box Hardware store today. I asked about any reformulation of the Gripper paint and he stated that it was the same as it had been prior to the purchase by PPG, and for the previous several years, with no plans to change it. I recall reading that GPW was worried that the buyout might cause a reformulation / cheapening.

As an example he had on the table a pair of paver bricks that he claimed had been stuck together with a coat of Gripper 2 years prior and sits on his display table at events with contractors trying to pull it apart. They were quite permanently stuck together. He stated that the molecules of the paint are actually "6 times smaller" than other primers, which is what causes the increased adhesion over other products.

One thing I did find interesting was that he stated that Full Cure could take at least 5 days and as long as 30 days. So if you really want to do a test for how well Gripper is working, be sure to let it sit for a good long while. He claimed that it would even stick to glass and not peel off if you let it fully cure.

Gripper is the primer of the line, and "Duo" is the top coat based on the same technology. If you want to be sure that top coat of paint is going to stick, that might be something to check into.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11255798/Glidden%20table.jpg

For the record, the guy is a salesman, so you gotta take what he says with a few grains of salt, but given the results that youse guys have been getting in your tests leads me to think that this is a pretty good product. The information about full cure times may also explain why some of the shorter term tests left Gripper looking a bit shabby.

I bought a quart!

WoodSmith

Wood , Thanks !!! We really like Gripper as a primer !! Given the cure times I’d think for gluing foam together , TB2 would be similar , and cheaper ... and for attaching canvas to foam, the Gripper did NOT work as well as TB2 .... from our experience ...(others results may vary ) so glue is Glue and primer is primer ...

You can glue bricks together , impossible to tear apart , with plain water , as long as you keep the bricks frozen ...

A couple of questions about the glue:
When people talk about gorilla glue, is it the all purpose or wood glue?
When people talk about Great Stuff, is it the foam? Like what I have used to fill in gaps and holes?
How much canvas will a gallon of TB2 attach to my TD? Menards is having their 15% off anything you can put in the paper bG that comes in the Sunday paper sale and I'd like to start getting supplies while I wait for my trailer to come back from my dad's.

Erin

Hi Erin!

For "Gorilla Glue", it's the 'all purpose' one that simply called "Gorilla Glue"

Great Stuff is indeed expanding foam in a can. It's actually polyurethane as well, only with a much higher expansion rate than GG. Great Stuff (GS) works well as glue for foam if you knock it down with a putty knife while it's expanding but before it hardens. It 'pops' all the bubbles and gives you a thick liquid, but you have to work quickly.

FYI, latex foams don't harden the way PU ones do and aren't much good as adhesives. See KC's TPCE thread for more. I've had exactly the same results myself.

I'll leave it to others with more time wetting out canvas.

More long term Gripper testing : .... Using up the last of a gallon , we glued up some 1/4” aircraft (Blu) foam and laminated some pieces together, using the Gripper as the adhesive. This time , we clamped the pieces (Newton clamp) for 24 + hours, and then let it “cure ‘ flat for two weeks ... And I can assure you , the claims are true, those are NOT coming apart ... Naturally the foam fails before the Gripper. And while it may seem a long time to wait for something to dry for a little plane , it would be easily done for a trailer.. Given that trailers take months to build and finish (some even years )

We wouldn’t run out and buy the Gripper (or any other primer) specifically for this task , as TB2 would do the same job given the extended drying time , and for half the price ... But if we “had’ some lying about and didn’t want it to go bad in the can , then that’s just Fine .

“ White Gorilla Glue is a wood glue it does not foam up as much as the brown, and it dries faster. “ Recently read that on a plane forum .... Is that true ? Has anybody tried this ?

Sharing tricks from my build experience while working with foam and Great Stuff glue foam.

I needed to glueup curved panel that was previously kerfed. I decided to use GS for its light weight, same density, lower cost and good adhesion to foam.

As a result of trial and errors on sample (and non-sample ) bent glueups, I came up with these items to make for a better curved foam wall panel:

1. Plywood edges were glued (w.TBII) to make a consistent bent along the panel length and assemble the panels together. They are light, 1/4" thick and contribute to a stronger wall structure.
2. Custom clamps. I premade a batch of plywood brackets like these so they can be screwed on some scrap lenghts of wood to position the curved panel both edges at precise required angle. It is very quick now for glueup clamping or rather "clicking" in place.




3. Packing tape placed on foam. I did it after the kerfs were cut which was a bit of work. Next time I plan to put the tape and then cut kerfs.



4. Great Stuff canister tip *modification* or simplification.
I simply removed the stock plastic tube from the plastic adapter on the can and this simple trick made the placing of GS in the kerfs SO MUCH EASIER, cleaner, quicker, and in a right amount. You'll wear gloves, right? ?




5. The glueup result: no sanding is needed.
Panel is clean off GS, nice and straight.

Wow, cool. Many thanks for the tips

Now lets see if I remember them

Got to love packing tape. I get mine in bulk from Harbor Freight.

You are welcome Wolffarmer. I got many good ideas from you guys, so thank you for being here! George gave me a lot of inspiration ideas, thanks George! This is how clean the second panel just came out.

Looks great. Thanks for the kind comment.

OP, That’s brilliant !!! Nice bent/curved panels with Clean surfaces ... Very Nice !!!

What a simple but great solution to a messy problem.excilent job

GPW wrote:OP, That’s brilliant !!! Nice bent/curved panels with Clean surfaces ... Very Nice !!!

Thank you all guys, and especially GPW, you are most welcome. You all share ideas and experience here to make a better project.