Archive for the ‘DIY’ Category

Teachers Rock!

August 18th, 2010

[Photo Credit:  A Small Fox In A Big World blog]

It still seems like summer to us, but we know of several schools (here in California and elsewhere, too) that have already started the new school year.

We just want to say “TEACHERS ROCK”!  So many hours are spent by teachers every year decorating classrooms and preparing lesson plans, usually on shoestring budgets.  It is awe-inspiring how much love and time is dedicated to making learning fun, rewarding, motivating, and enjoyable for our young people.

While perusing clever blogs we came across this nifty summertime theme for a school library:  “Make A Splash READ“.  In it the author describes making these hanging fish:  

“All you need to do is cut out a triangle from the edge of the plate to serve as the mouth and then glue or tape that triangle to the back of the fish for a tail.”

White glue or The Original Super Glue’s Accutool would work great for this project.  We also suggest the whole line of sticky tape and dots we have in our Front Porch Treasures(R) line of scrapbooking products.

For more specifics on creating the scene for this great reading program go directly to this article to see pictures and descriptions of the entire fun reading theme.  Thanks for sharing your ideas on-line Small_Fox!  Teachers Rock!

Amazing Mini-Kites!

August 18th, 2010

[Photo Credit:  Webb Taylor]

These amazing miniature kites are replicas of exotic Oriental art used on kites, and measure no larger than 6 inches!  The craftsman wrote in to tell us his story about how he uses our product, Fix-All adhesive, to construct these treasures.  Here’s what Webb Taylor told us about these gorgeous works of art:

“I am a retired aero-space engineer and have taken up the hobby of making miniatures of oriental kites.  My daughter is rather artistic and she replicates the exotic paintings which the Oriental artists put on their kites.  I have made about 100 miniatures (no larger than 6″) and have used your adhesive for all of them.  I obtain the glue at Dollar Tree.  The glue is fantastic for these kites; I have had some crash on the concrete sidewalk, the side of the house and into a telephone pole–and not one glue joint broke!  When constructing a kite I use an ample supply on a joint and during the final trimming and sanding of the structure I clean each joint till the adhesive is almost removed.  This takes place after several hours of curing the joint.  Thanks for such a great product.”

Check out all of the joints, involved in making these miniature kites, where Webb uses The Original Super Glue(R) – Amazing!:

[Photo Credit:  Webb Taylor]

Thank you, Webb, for sharing your story with us so that we can share it  here with our readers!  We are impressed with your engineering talents (and your daughter’s art work) and we’re thrilled to hear our product is measuring up to your high standards!

Geocaching … Show us your cache & you may win!

August 7th, 2010

Have you heard about geocaching? It is a new, hike and seek, game being played by adventurous kids, of all ages, throughout the world.   Using GPS devices, and clues posted on the Geocaching website, treasure hunters go walking and hiking in hopes of locating unique caches (containers holding log books, stamps, and sometimes even items free for the taking as long as they’re replaced for something of equal or greater value).

[Video Credit: Splinterheads via Geocaching Website]

So, what we want to know is:  What does your cache container look like?  Did you use any of  The Original Super Glue(R) products to make, or fill, it?  If so, send us a picture and tell us which of our super glue products you used and you may win some free samples (and of course, recognition in our blog).

Apparently, according to the official geocaching website,  there are over 4-5 million geocachers worldwide and approximately 1,149,624 active geocaches waiting to be found!  Some of you may have already created a cache using super glue products so send us your stories and pictures now!  If you haven’t done it already, get on board this fun adventure now!  Good luck and happy treasure hunting …. we’ll let you know when we’ve placed our cache asap!

Reuse/Recycle: Bird Feeder Project

April 6th, 2010

square bird feeder[PHOTO CREDIT:  Earth911.com]

How great is this (especially in light of the fact that Earth Day is April 22nd)?  The website Earth911.com is hosting an “Ultimate Reuse Challenge” over the next 3 weeks.  The specifics for the contest entries are stated on their website:

“Because plastics are one of the most abundant materials in the waste stream, our task was to create and reuse a specific type of plastic in an original, funny or creative manner.”

Matt Saling’s two projects, made from old cd cases and super glue, were among the first entries!  We think they are adorable … what great birdfeeders!!  There’s a square version and a triangle version!!

triangular bird feeder

We love creative people and the clever ways they use our products!!  Fixing, repairing, and reusing old items by turning them into something new, are just some of the amazing things that can be done with our instant adhesives.

I don’t know about you, but I (your Super Glue blogger) have always wondered if birds really like going into those tiny holes in regular bird houses …. these CD structures look much more open and free :) … Our only recommendation would be to use our Plastic-Fuse(R) product any time you are trying to bond plastics (the primer will help ensure an excellent bond with almost all plastics – including previously recycled plastics, often challenging to regular super glues).

Check out the Ultimate Reuse Challenge blog post for more information about this contest!

Check out the EPA website for more information about Earth Day 2010!

[Photo Credit:  Earth911.com]

RC Modelers Use Threadlockers To Reinforce Screws, Nuts, and Bolts

February 24th, 2010

Plane Threadlockers

[PHOTO CREDIT:  RC Universe Greg Covey article]

Threadlockers are very helpful anaerobic adhesives.  They come in a wide range of strengths, and varieties that work best on specific substrates (non-metal, plastic, and metal), but the most common are blue (removeable) and red (permanent) threadlockers. 

Threadlockers are very handy.  They prevent threaded metal fasteners, nuts, bolts, and screws from loosening.  It only takes a second to squeeze a drop of threadlocker into any screw, nut or bolt and the reinforcement it provides is incredible.  Nothing is more frustrating than when fasteners are the cause of breaks and lost parts.  Using threadlockers is a great, simple, preventative measure that really pays off in the end.

Check out this article by Greg Covey, in RC Universe.  He uses Pacer Technology’s product Pacer Z-42 several different times to keep nuts, bolts, and screws locked in place while building this awesome Filton Inspire Mini!

2010 Winter Olympics Musings

February 24th, 2010

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[PHOTO CREDIT:  www.vancouver2010.com]

What would this month have been without the Winter Olympics to watch on tv each evening?  All of the gifted, committed athletes gathering together, in Vancouver, from around the globe, hoping to achieve their personal best and maybe even bring home a medal!  Each event is exciting and each personal story so inspiring.  All of the daily effort, hard work, drive and support it takes to reach this pinnacle of excellence is truly motivational.  The side story to all of this is what impacts everyone who watches even just one of the events or hears just one of the personal stories.  Events like the Olympics remind us that passion and focus are critical to success!

So many of the athletes talk about how, when they were youngsters starting out in the sport, they followed their Olympic heroes and  dreamt of the day when they, too, might participate in the games.  Suddenly, around town we witness increases in attendance at the local skating rinks.  Four year olds know the names of Shaun White,  Shani Davis, Apolo Anton Ono, Lindsey Vonn,  Bode Miller and so many others.  They begin to emulate their style; climbing the hillsides pretending to snowboard down on a sheet of plywood or plastic sheeting like them; dressing like them; reading about them; following them.  And suddenly a new batch of heroes emerge.

The new heroes might not be athletes though.  They may end up being teachers, doctors, engineers, inventors, parents, writers, landscapers, scientists, electricians, or artists.  But the same sticktoitiveness, passion and focus, that takes an athlete to the Olympics, fuels all of the creative producers in the world.  It’s exciting to witness all kinds of passion and focus and we, as consumer product manufacturers and distributors, get to see lots of it in action ourselves. 

Many of the consumers of our products here at Super Glue Corporation are extreme hobbyists, crafters, artists, engineers, and technicians who, each in their own way, model the same characteristics as Olympic athletes.  They are focused achievers who are driven by passion to create, invent, design and improve.  They are risk takers who use their imagination to envision things that they then set out to bring to fruition.  It’s quite impressive.

One interesting fact (also connected to the Winter Olympics – I warned you there were musings in this post:)) is that snowboarders use epoxies and super glues to build and repair their boards.  This makes perfect sense.  Epoxies and super glues are super strong and work really well with substates, involved in building snowboards; like woods, metals, fiberglass, kevlar, etc.  We even have a waterproof epoxy that will hold up under the most extreme wet, winter conditions.  Chips, dings, and other repairs can be fixed in minutes using these inexpensive, readily available products.

For fun, check out the The Adventures of John blog for some details on how to make your own snowboard. 

Through research for this blog, and from the consumers who write in to us at info@supergluecorp.com, we get to see passion, focus and creativity in action.  We get to connect and link into how real, talented people are using our products to meet specific challenges which, in turn, helps motivate us to improve, advance, and deliver more choices and better products.  We all share a kind of  Olympic spirit. Our motto is “Adhering to Excellence”.  What about you?  Do you have a passion and focus in your work or career that you feel is similar to an Olympian’s desire to be at the top of their game?  Tell us about it.

We love hearing from you, and we love working with consumers to ensure that you have the right products for all of your adhesive needs!

Gotta go now …. need to finish up with my work so I can catch some USA hockey in a few … SCORE!

Magnets Make Super Glue A Temporary Solution

February 17th, 2010

UBS port and Zap[Photo Credit:  IdShed blog]

As many people know, or find out, super glue is an awesome problem solver, but it involves good news and bad news.  Good news = it’s a pretty permanent solution, and sometimes, bad news = it’s a pretty permanent solution.  We recently came across a great, creative blog post by Id where he combined magnets and super glue to design a temporary, permanent fix for adding extra USB ports to his desktop PC while enabling the ports to also be easily transfered to his laptop as well.

The blog post is titled, “Home Office – Pimp Your Rig“  and the post begins:

“I wanted to add some extra USB ports to my desktop PC, so I bought a cheap, generic 4 port USB hub. Excellent value, works perfectly, but – it’s another piece of clutter on my already busy desk.

I didn’t want to glue the hub to my PC, it felt too permanent a solution, I may want to use the hub with my laptop. Fortunately my PC has a pressed steel case- the perfect subject for magnets …”

By using Zap-A-Gap super glue to attach the magnets to the USB port, Id was able to increase the number of USB ports on either his PC or laptop making for a very clever temporary permanent solution!  We can think of several other situations where super glue combined with magnets might be a great way to benefit from the great strength and holding power of super glue while also maintaining some flexibility for easy removal.  Great idea!

Note:  Debonders can also be helpful for removing unwanted super glue, but be sure to test the substrate to make sure that the powerful debonder won’t cause unwanted damage to whatever it is you are gluing/un-gluing.

Recycle Neckties Into Decorative Switch Plates!

January 13th, 2010

craftvol1_0040_fg[Photo & Project Idea Credit:  Matt Marananian via Quick Craft]

Looking for a way to recycle and reuse those old “70′s style” neckties?  Here’s a great Quick Craft project idea:

Supplies Needed:  Wide 70′s necktie, plastic light switch plate, scissors, pencil, contact cement, X-Acto blade and needlenose pliers or tweezers.

Cut, Glue and Finish by following the specific directions in this picture or go to the original source Quick Craft for more details.

This is a great idea and something that will add a creative decorator’s touch to any home while also putting out-of-date, but still treasured ties, to good use!

Happy Crafting!  Thanks, Matt Maranian for the great idea!

Practical Holiday Gift Basket Ideas

November 30th, 2009

2009 is a great year to come up with some creative, fun, PRACTICAL, inexpensive, thoughtful gift ideas for your loved ones! Here are just a few ideas we came up with for the gardener, the fashionista, the car detailer, the one who likes to “Be Prepared” and the crafter! … There are many more ideas out there! We challenge you to come up with some super ideas incorporating any of The Original Super Glue products, send us pictures and you may win free samples. We wish you and yours a happy December filled with love and lots of holiday creativity and spirit!!

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DSCN0015 Remember send us your practical holiday gift ideas using The Original Super Glue Products and you may win free samples!

Great Holiday “Good Deed” Project Ideas!

November 30th, 2009

Super Good Deed Cars Img1314 Awhile ago teacher, Robert Hazard, from Kennedy High School in Granada Hills, California sent us these super pictures. Robert’s Industrial Arts Classes made these amazing wooden cars and trucks using The Original Super Glue epoxies, wood and some hard labor! The class then donated the wooden toys to disadvantaged children in the Los Angeles area. We thought this was a super idea! Our hats are off to Robert Hazard and his students for their holiday spirit!!Super Good Deed Trucks Img1313