Strength of Glues

Difficulty
Time Required	Average (6-10 days)

*Note: This is an abbreviated Project Idea, without notes to start your background research, a specific list of materials, or a procedure for how to do the experiment. You can identify abbreviated Project Ideas by the asterisk at the end of the title. If you want a Project Idea with full instructions, please pick one without an asterisk.

Abstract

Try gluing wood together with different types of glue, e.g.: regular white glue, yellow wood glue, cyanoacrylate (super glue), and Liquid Nails. Glue a short piece (5-8 cm) to the center of a longer piece (15-30 cm). After the glue has dried for the recommended time, drill a small hole through the center of the joint, big enough to pass through a piece of coat-hanger wire. Cut a length of coat hanger wire, pass it through the hole, and twist the ends together to form a loop. Place the ends of the longer piece of wood on sturdy supports (e.g., between two workbenches), with the shorter piece of wood and coat-hanger loop hanging below. Use an S-hook to attach a bucket to the coat hanger loop. Gradually fill the bucket with weights (e.g., water, sand, or metal weights) until the either the glue joint or the wood itself breaks. Record the weight at which failure occurred. (Hess, 2006) Here are a few ideas for variations (you can probably think of others yourself):

You can see if the type of wood makes a difference.
You could see if the surface finish makes a difference by sanding the wood with different grades of sandpaper before gluing.
You can also see whether clamping the pieces together while the glue is drying makes a difference.

Are you planning to do a project from Science Buddies?

Come back and tell us about your project using the “I Did This Project” link for the project you choose.

You’ll find a link to “I Did This Project” on every project on the Science Buddies website so don’t forget to share your story!

Got it Remind me later

Cite This Page

MLA Style

Science Buddies Staff. "Strength of Glues" Science Buddies. Science Buddies, 28 July 2017. Web. 24 Apr. 2018 <https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/CE_p021/civil-engineering/strength-of-glues>

APA Style

Science Buddies Staff. (2017, July 28). Strength of Glues. Retrieved April 24, 2018 from https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/CE_p021/civil-engineering/strength-of-glues

Last edit date: 2017-07-28

Bibliography

Hess, J.R., 2006, personal communication.

News Feed on This Topic

, ,

Note: A computerized matching algorithm suggests the above articles. It's not as smart as you are, and it may occasionally give humorous, ridiculous, or even annoying results! Learn more about the News Feed

Ask an Expert

The Ask an Expert Forum is intended to be a place where students can go to find answers to science questions that they have been unable to find using other resources. If you have specific questions about your science fair project or science fair, our team of volunteer scientists can help. Our Experts won't do the work for you, but they will make suggestions, offer guidance, and help you troubleshoot.

Ask an Expert

If you like this project, you might enjoy exploring these related careers:

Materials Scientist and Engineer

What makes it possible to create high-technology objects like computers and sports gear? It's the materials inside those products. Materials scientists and engineers develop materials, like metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites, that other engineers need for their designs. Materials scientists and engineers think atomically (meaning they understand things at the nanoscale level), but they design microscopically (at the level of a microscope), and their materials are used macroscopically (at the level the eye can see). From heat shields in space, prosthetic limbs, semiconductors, and sunscreens to snowboards, race cars, hard drives, and baking dishes, materials scientists and engineers make the materials that make life better. Read more

Mechanical Engineer

Mechanical engineers are part of your everyday life, designing the spoon you used to eat your breakfast, your breakfast's packaging, the flip-top cap on your toothpaste tube, the zipper on your jacket, the car, bike, or bus you took to school, the chair you sat in, the door handle you grasped and the hinges it opened on, and the ballpoint pen you used to take your test. Virtually every object that you see around you has passed through the hands of a mechanical engineer. Consequently, their skills are in demand to design millions of different products in almost every type of industry. Read more

News Feed on This Topic

, ,

Note: A computerized matching algorithm suggests the above articles. It's not as smart as you are, and it may occasionally give humorous, ridiculous, or even annoying results! Learn more about the News Feed

Looking for more science fun?

Try one of our science activities for quick, anytime science explorations. The perfect thing to liven up a rainy day, school vacation, or moment of boredom.

Find an Activity

Strength of Glues *

Abstract