{"id":7589,"date":"2022-03-20T18:30:53","date_gmt":"2022-03-21T02:30:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/makeitagarden.com\/?p=7589"},"modified":"2022-03-20T18:43:28","modified_gmt":"2022-03-21T02:43:28","slug":"e6000-when-not-to-use-it-for-garden-art","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/makeitagarden.com\/e6000-when-not-to-use-it-for-garden-art\/","title":{"rendered":"E6000: When Not to use it for Garden Art"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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E6000 glue for garden art<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

As an artist who makes and sells my own garden art…well…let’s just say you learn the ins and outs of various glues. Let me start by saying, that I use E-6000. It’s a good industrial glue and particularly good for glass art or repairing a broken tea cup. But there are some unique circumstances when E-6000 is not the glue to use. This short article addresses this problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This should not be perceived as a criticism about E-6000. It’s not. Rather, what I wish to do, is to point out the limitations of E-6000 when it comes to making dish flowers and other garden art that—in “some” situations–may exceed the limitations of what the glue was intended for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

E-6000 special considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of my readers, Cynthia writes: “What kind of glue do you use? I’ve tried E-6000 and things fall off frequently. I do live in a very hot Western, CA.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you love making re-purposed garden art such as “dish flowers” you have probably encountered the same problem Cynthia did. You spent hours at the thrift store or garage sale-ing scrounging up pretty dishes. After completing your artwork, you proudly set it out in the garden for all to admire. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But at some point, it fell apart. And that’s frustrating. You may have heard through Pinterest or a You Tube video that E-6000 is the glue everyone recommends for glass garden art. No one is wrong to say this!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, if you live in a hot climate where your dish flower is exposed to long hours of sun, E-6000 will likely fail. It’s NOT the fault of the glue, but rather that E-6000 is not intended for this kind of application<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s because of this that there is so much seeming “irregularity” among a crafter’s experience with the product. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

E-6000 and heat<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

E-6000 is a strong bonding glue, but weight is an equally important factor. And let’s face it: dish flowers are kind of a special form of art. Glass and ceramic dishes are heavy. Outside in the garden, they are displayed vertically. How well the glue performs under extreme conditions may vary a lot based on the method of construction. This is why I use and encourage the drill method <\/a>for making dish flowers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the manufacturer, E-6000 is good for temperatures of 180. It doesn’t get that hot on planet earth, so it’s natural to think you’re good to go. But in reality, 180 is not that hot. Think in terms of baking a cake in your oven. 325 degrees is considered a medium heat, while pizza is baked at 405-420 degrees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the subject of baking, there are different temperature settings or bake times for metal or aluminum pans verses glass ones. Why? Because glass absorbs heat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Likewise with dish flowers, those glass and ceramic plates not only absorb heat, but retain heat. When the glue begins to soften mean Mr. Gravity sends plates shattering to the ground. With day after day in direct sunlight, you can see how that glue might be put to the test, especially in one of those notorious California heat waves. And other locations, too, of course. But not ALL locations. In my state, we don’t have any issues at all with E-6000!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other things that cause glue to fail<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Besides heat, there are other factors at play, too, that might contribute to glue failure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n