"Goop contact adhesive, WAIT 2 minutes before joining???" Topic

So I've been using the transparent version of industrial adhesives for quite a few years.

Among them were Liquid Nails, E6000, and also "Amazing Goop".

I've used it to assemble resin houses like Tabletop World, etc. I've also used it to attach miniatures to both MDF and plastic bases. More recently I've used it on several 3D printed buildings.

They all look and smell like the exact same stuff, sticky and with a glue-like chemical odor to them. I fully realize there are different types of specific adhesives for specific materials, but all of these are essentially sticky, "contact/industrial" adhesives "with a permanent bond" that as far as I knew were all the same, all usable on metal, wood, ceramic, fabric, MDF, etc.

Well, just today I was checking drying times for Amazing Goop just to see how soon I could move a building downstairs to prime it, and I came across a VERY strange and surprising thing on the instructions:

For Amazing Goop,it says to "wait for 2 minutes" after applying the glue to each surface before actually bonding whatever two surfaces you're gluing. E6000 does not require this yet seems to be the exact same product.

I was NEVER aware of this and I've NEVER ONCE done that, and never even THOUGHT that would be a requirement for the glue to work for hobby-type applications. I used all of the contact adhesive glues the exact same way. But Amazing Goop calls itself a "contact adhesive and sealant" while the others just call themselves "industrial adhesives."

I've never had a single resin building or model fall apart or miniature come loose from a base that I used Amazing Goop on. Stuff I glued 5 years ago is still totally firm. Never waited that weird 2 minutes, just put the glue on one surface and pressed the two things together.

So what is the deal with that "waiting 2 minutes" before joining surfaces thing? Is that for the sealant aspect of the glue? Seems to work if you join the parts immediately!

Any way, I'm switching now to strictly the E6000 as it doesn't say you have to do that before joining parts.

The 2 minutes is so that it starts to dry. The idea is that if you wait the joined pieces won't swim around on each other on liquid glue and will bond exactly as you want them to.

Ah, ok…so it helps with setting the two parts. But the glue ultimately still works if you don't do the 2 minutes? That's what I was wondering. Sounds like it does and it's just for aiding in as you said a stronger set.

Well, the next time you glue some stuff together, do some of it one way, and some stuff the other way, just to see if there is any difference. (When I glue stuff, I usually let it sit 24 hours anyway, I'm in no hurry… ;-)

E6000 Glue comes in three colors: Clear, Black, and White. This is relevant as it is paintable, once cured.

I normally use Clear, but I've used White and Black for specific applications, as well. My favorite, is White, as it takes any color, without darkening it, at all. Unfortunately, the most commonly available color is Clear, locally. Cheers!