The super glues here set in seconds with no clamp, but Gorilla Super Glue and Loctite Super Glue Gel Control aren’t rated for gaps or outdoor use. The two-part epoxies here take 5 minutes to 6 hours to set, and Gorilla rates both of its epoxies for gaps and outdoors. Pick by the gap, where the part will live and the surfaces each maker lists.
Side by side
| Product | Sets in | Full cure | Gap filling | Outdoors and water | Rated to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gorilla Super Glue Gel (super glue) | 10 to 45 seconds | 24 hours (Gorilla’s comparison) | No | Not outdoors; the bond weakens over time with water | -65 to 220°F |
| Loctite Super Glue Gel Control (super glue) | 15 to 30 seconds (data sheet); 30 to 45 (page) | 12 to 24 hours (data sheet table); 24 hours (its directions) | No | Not for exterior use; moisture resistant | Up to 180°F |
| Titebond Instant Bond (super glue) | 3 to 20 seconds, by thickness | 8 hours | Not stated | Not for exterior use; softens slightly with water | -65 to 200°F |
| Gorilla Epoxy | 5 minutes | 24 hours | Yes | Outdoors; water resistant, not for continual water | -10 to 180°F |
| Gorilla Epoxy Ultimate | 10 minutes | 24 hours | Yes | Outdoors; sold as waterproof, but bonded wood shouldn’t be soaked | -40 to 300°F |
| Loctite Epoxy Instant Mix 5 Minute | Gels in 5 to 7 minutes | 24 hours | Not stated | Not for continuous immersion or continuously wet areas | -9 to 120°F |
| J-B Weld KwikWeld | 6 minutes | 4 to 6 hours | Not stated | “Some resistance to water” (FAQ) | Up to 250°F |
| J-B Weld Original | 4 to 6 hours | 15 to 24 hours (page); 16 to 24 (FAQ) | Not stated | Resistant to water, chemicals and fuel (FAQ) | Up to 550°F |
From each product’s page, data sheet or FAQ, with Gorilla’s epoxy set times, and Gorilla Epoxy’s 24 hour cure, from its epoxy pro tips, and its super glue’s cure and water lines from its comparison article. “Not stated” means we found no gap-filling line for that product. Titebond’s shared description says Instant Bond sets in 5 to 15 seconds; each viscosity’s spec gives 3, 5, 8 or 20.
Gaps: the clearest split
Gorilla’s spec lines put it plainly: gap filling no for Gorilla Super Glue and Super Glue Gel, yes for Gorilla Epoxy and Epoxy Ultimate. Gorilla says Gorilla Epoxy fills voids and bonds uneven and vertical surfaces, and that gaps and uneven surfaces can delay a Gorilla Super Glue bond.
Loctite’s Super Glue Gel Control data sheet says it isn’t for gap-filling repairs or ones that need high flexibility, and its Glass Glue wants close-fitting parts with no gaps or voids.
WEST SYSTEM gives its epoxy a depth limit: it says not to fill voids or cast layers thicker than 1/2 inch. For a deep fill with another epoxy, we’d check that product’s own limit first.
Surfaces each maker lists
- Gorilla Super Glue Gel: wood, metal, ceramic, rubber, leather, paper, stone and plastic, but not polyethylene or polypropylene. Gorilla says those plastics have little to no moisture for it to cure with.
- Loctite Super Glue Gel Control: leather, cork, paper, wood, fabric, metal, ceramic, rubber and hard plastics such as acrylic, polycarbonate and PVC. Its data sheet rules out glass, glazed surfaces, pure bone china, polyethylene, polypropylene, PTFE, silicone or foam rubber and polystyrene foams.
- Gorilla Epoxy: metal, wood, ceramic, glass and plastic, including PVC sheet but not PVC pipe; not polyethylene, polypropylene or rubber with a lot of oil or plasticizer in it.
- Gorilla Epoxy Ultimate: metal, plastics, concrete, ceramics, PVC and fiberglass; not polyethylene, polypropylene, vinyl or rubber.
- Loctite Epoxy Instant Mix 5 Minute: metal, glass, ceramic, wood, many rigid plastics, china, tile, fiberglass, concrete and stone; not polyethylene, polypropylene, non-stick coatings, nylon or flexible materials.
- J-B Weld Original: wood, ceramic, metal, plastic and PVC, concrete, fiberglass and brick. J-B Weld’s FAQ says most of its products won’t bond well to flexible rubber, canvas, polypropylene, polyethylene, leather or vinyl.
Glass splits inside each type. Loctite’s Gel Control rules glass out, while Gorilla Epoxy and Loctite’s Instant Mix list it. Loctite also sells Glass Glue, an instant glue made for glass, which it says is for indoor use only.
Heat and water
On heat, the figures don’t split neatly by type. Gorilla rates its Super Glue Gel higher than Gorilla Epoxy, Loctite says its Instant Mix 5 Minute epoxy isn’t for heat over 120°F, and J-B Weld rates Original to 550°F once cured. More products are on heat-resistant glue.
On water, Gorilla’s own comparison says a super glue bond weakens over time when exposed to water, and Titebond says Instant Bond isn’t for exterior use because it softens slightly with water. The epoxies draw their own lines: Gorilla Epoxy withstands moderate exposure to water, and Loctite’s Instant Mix isn’t for bonds kept continuously wet. For anything that stays wet, see waterproof glue.
Which we’d pick
- A small, tight-fitting break indoors that you can’t clamp: we’d use a super glue whose maker lists both surfaces. That matches Gorilla’s own advice: super glue for a fast, no-clamp fix on tight-fitting surfaces indoors.
- A gap, an uneven break or a vertical surface: we’d use an epoxy its maker rates for gap filling, such as Gorilla Epoxy, and hold the parts through its set time.
- Outdoors or near heat: we’d use an epoxy whose maker rates it for outdoor use and for the temperature, and check its water line in the table above.
- Polyethylene or polypropylene: none of the products above. See polypropylene for what makers say does stick.
Gorilla also sells a third option, its foaming polyurethane: see Gorilla Glue vs super glue. For mixing ratios and set vs cure, see two-part epoxy, and for every super glue’s times, super glue dry time.
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