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Tips: Gutermann glue for your clutches

The miracle that is Gutermann glue.  I cannot say enough about this little worker.  When I first made clutches, I have tried many domestic-brand glues and they either took too long to set/dry, failed to provide adequate adhesion, or too viscous.  It killed me when I had to throw away the clutch in the final stage of gluing it to the metal purse frame.  Oh, the mutiny!  Pirates had nothing on me!

If you’ve never worked with Gutermann glue before, you should know:

*It’s viscosity is similar to cement glue that is new.  In fact, get some excess on your metal purse frame and you can “roll” and “ball” it up/off just like rubber cement.  However, if you have a tiny excess and there’s not enough glue there to “ball up” and roll off, it will appear as a thin film on the metal frame.  Simply use your fingernail to gently scrape it off.  NEVER use an abrasive pad:  you don’t need to and you will scratch your metal purse frame.  *shriek*

*It sets quickly reducing your production time.  I recommend doing only one side at a time and waiting 10 minutes per side for it to set.  But in my own production (since I’ve made many clutches and produce many at a time), I glue the entire frame (both sides) at the same time.  I made a mistake one time and tried to take out the fabric to reposition it after 2 hours, and I could NOT remove it.  (There went that beautiful clutch…)  It’s on for good!

*It doesn’t penetrate your skin.  It will dry and you will peel it off.  Freakily, that is one of my favorite things to do!

*There is no warning about carcinogens in the glue, unlike other industrial glues.  My husband’s mom, dad, and 3 sisters had/have cancer and he works in Oncology so this is very important to me as I work with it daily.

*When you take the cap off, put the cap upside down on the table so that you can quickly reinsert the tube back into the cap and screw the cap back on.  This is especially important on a full tube as the glue just wants out.

*Until you get used to making clutches, start your gluing in the corner of the frame where it’s the widest and needs the most glue.  When you open the glue tube for the first time, a bead will quickly form at the tip and expand as the glue comes out.  So be sure to have your frame at the ready!  The tube has a nicely tapered end that allows you to put the glue in the frame channel nicely.  This tip is especially useful for medium- and smaller-sized frames as their channels are smaller.

*Before you store away your glue, wipe off excess around the tapered tip.  If you forget, no worries, you can just peel it off before your next use!

*Compared to other industrial glues, I feel that this one is much lower in odor. But as a flammable product, it does have that industrial glue aroma, so you can open a window for ventilation if you’re at all bothered by the glue scent.   I work with it daily, in the heat of summer, in the warmth of my workroom during a cold winter and I’ve never even cracked a window open.  For storage, I’ve stored it year-round on my shelves in my regular-temp workroom.  No additional precautions needed but I wouldn’t put it in a hot garage in the middle of a southern summer.

This glue is like liquid gold to me.  It really solved my problem of attaching it to the frame.  However, I also use it for quick fixes like hemming my kids’ clothes when I don’t have the time.  I have also used it around the house for other gluing needs instead of Gorilla glue, Crazy glue, wood glue … I just carry it around everywhere!

Gutermann glue for metal purse frames!

April 27, 2010 Posted by Thy K | Helpful Tips | 13 Comments