Fabri Tac-How to Basics

Mike the Beacon Glue Guy's Glue Tips

Mike the Beacon Glue Guy has been writing a glue tip every day. There are so many misconceptions about glue and how to use it. When glue doesn't do the job, there is usually a reason. Here are the first 30 tips.


1. Glue is like a hammer, we all know how to use one, but we’ll still bend a few nails. Always test the glue before you use it, even if it’s just to get the hang of it.

2. Pressing down on TAPE, may help the bond; pressing down with GLUE, may hurt the bond! Why? Tape does not move, Glue does.

Example: Glue between two pieces of wood, press down and it comes out the sides, between two pieces of fabric, press down it soaks through to stain and stiffen.

3. Choosing a glue? First, it’s all about the surfaces!
What type of surface are you bonding together? Is it Porous, Non Porous, or Semi Porous or a combination of these?

Example, Finding a glue that says it works great on fabric and you use it to bond rhinestones to fabric, wash it and all you have is glue on the fabric!
Yup, worked great on fabric, but not on the rhinestone. Fabric is porous, rhinestones are non porous, Better to find a glue that works on both.

4.Once you have found the the correct glue for your surfaces, then it becomes about what you want the glue to be: permanent, acid free, non yellowing, removable, re-positionable, super strong etc.

5. Read the instructions!

6. Opening a brand new glue bottle? Puncture the tip with a large paper clip. Don’t cut it with a scissor. You can always make a larger hole if you need to.

7. When applying glue to a surface, always hold the bottle at a 45 degree angle. When you hold it upside down, the glue goes to the tip and a big air bubble goes to the bottom. When you turn the bottle right side up, the air flows back up to the tip and forces the glue out the top… Very messy!

8. To avoid strings when pulling the bottle away from the surface, lightly coat the tip with Vaseline. Notice I said LIGHTLY. 2. When pulling the bottle from the surface, press the tip down and snap the bottle away. This takes practice… so practice!

9. Keep glue covered when not in use. Simple but effective-it keeps the glue from drying out.

10. We get a lot of calls about whether our glue will stand up to microwave ovens, dishwashing, cooking etc. The average glue you buy in a store will stand up to about 140-150 degrees. Some of ours will stand up to 300, but consider a microwave gets up to the equivalent of 500 degrees.

11. Why wash a fabric before gluing it? To remove sizing. Sizing is generally starch. Starch prevents the glue from seeing the fibers. The glue sticks to the starch. Starch gets washed away, guess what happens to the glue… yup, you’re right!

12. Never, ever use a varnished surface as a work surface. Most glues dry because of the liquid evaporating.The liquid in the glue is called the solvent. When a solvent evaporates, it usually goes down as they are heavier than air. Most solvents, including water, have negative effects on varnished surfaces, even if you have it covered with news paper cloth etc.

13. Keep glued projects off varnished surfaces for at least 48 hours just in case the glue is still in the drying process.

14. Use Vaseline to keep glue caps un-stuck. Glue always seems to build up around the threads of a metal tube. Before using the glue, apply a little Vaseline to the threads. The glue won’t stick to it and it makes the cap easy to get on and off.

15. Applying Rhinestones? Do a few at a time. You can’t put down 100 dots of glue and not expect them to start to dry. Drying Glue = weak bond. A weak bond means some will come off in the wash.

16. Speaking of Rhinestones, ALWAYS wipe the back clean before applying glue. Cover the back with glue and GENTLY place it where you want it. Gem-Tac is the best of its kind. It’s great to bond small stones to cell phones and other items that need bling.

17. Got your fingers stuck together with Super Glue? Drip a little nail polish remover on the area and gently move your fingers. Next time use Beacon's Quick Grip Glue!

18. Roughing up some surfaces creates a stronger bond. This happens because the process of roughening up a surface gives the glue more surface area to bond to. More surface area, Stronger bond.

19. How come glue doesn’t stick to the plastic bottles? Generally all plastics have a component called plasticizer. This eventually leaches out of plastics and creates an “Oil Slick” . The glue on labels eventually comes off too.

20. Glue Bonds and temperature changes: Heat expands, Cold contracts. Heat also softens. Unless the glue is a high temp version, a typical glue can’t stand more that 130-140 degrees F without softening. Be careful where you put bonded items.

21. Lost your glue cap? Cover the opening with several layers of plastic wrap and wrap a rubberband around the bottle’s neck.

22. Please give good glue a chance! All glue needs time to dry, some more than others. There is a difference between a glue’s "grab" and its dry time. Grab is how well glue immediately holds onto a surface, while dry time is actually how long it takes to permanently bond surfaces together. Even though a glue may grab quickly,it may need many more hours to dry thoroughly.

23. Most of the glues on the shelf today are either water-based,acrylic-based, or solvent-based.
SOLVENT-BASED glues are by far the strongest, have a noticeable odor, are flammable, permanent and can be used for both indoor and outdoor applications.
ACRYLIC-BASED glues contain acrylic polymers, are pretty flexible, dry clear, are rarely affected by heat or humidity,but are not suitable for outdoor use.
WATER-BASED glues are popular crafting staples but are limited in strength, can be removed with water while wet,and cannot hold heavy objects.

24. Watch out for old glue! Glue that has been sitting around for a while can easily lose its potency. Most glues have a limited shelf life—the period of time during which they will remain strong.

25. Humidity greatly affects drying time of adhesives. What takes 2 hours to dry in Arizona might take 12 hours in Mississippi.

26. Think about where your project is going to go during the drying and curing period. Plan ahead so you don't have to disturb it and weaken the bond.

27. Why do some glues wrinkle paper? Water based glues will wrinkle paper because the paper absorbs the water and becomes soggy, making it weaker and subject to pressures the chemical make-up of water can exert on it. That can re-shape or wrinkle the paper.

28. If you don’t know, ask! Better for you if you call or email me a question before using the glue than for you to call and get mad at me. Hey I’m a nice guy! I’m happy to help you out! (800) 865-7238 or mikethebeaconglueguy@gmail.com

29. Old Glue, New Glue, Bad Glue, Good Glue! When buying glue, if you can see into the bottle, avoid the ones that appear separated. No matter how much you mix or shake, they will keep separating. If the bottle is not clear but appears sucked in, that’s another sign that the glue could be past it’s prime.

30.What glues are safe for kids? That’s a loaded question, because it depends upon the child’s age, the project they are undertaking, the maturity level of the child and whether or not parental supervision is present.
For younger children, water based are often best as they are typically non- toxic. Older kids can use more sophisticated solvent based glues, but parental supervision is always recommended so misuse does not occur. Preventative, protective measures like rubber gloves are a good idea when using super glues so fingers can’t get stuck together.

Martha and Me

I have always been a Martha Stewart fan. I first came across the Great Martha on PBS in the late 80s-she had a holiday special that was so over the top ambitious. It made my future husband and I howl with laughter at the absurdity of the meal. On some level, though, I wanted to live in Marthaville.

Martha didn't just make the Thanksgiving turkey-she wrapped it in puff pastry. She stuck her whole arm in another bird to separate the meat from the skin, and then shoved sage leaves in so the leaf patterns would be visible when roasted.Of course, the sage served the dual purpose of seasoning the bird as well.

The pastry leaves on top of the pie were, as she put it, "botanically correct". The pheasant was smoked in a smokehouse built by her brother somewhere on the grounds of Turkey Hill. Her extensive collection of glass turkeys served as table decorations.

I could never be like Martha, but I wanted to take some small piece of her and apply it to my world. When I started to plan my wedding in the 90s, I purchased the huge "Martha Stewart Weddings" book and pored over every photograph, invitation, menu and flower arrangement, attempting to construct a wedding befitting a Marthaphile.

I took the book to my florist, Joseph, when it came time to pick centerpieces and my bouquet. He immediately announced, "Martha Stewart should be slain!". Joseph tried to explain to me that the beautiful bouquets featured would never withstand the hours they would sit out at a wedding. He showed me how I would end up swinging my flowers as I walked if they were hand-wrapped in ribbon the Martha way.

My wedding was beautiful-the Joseph way. My favorite memory was walking up to his shop the day before, and seeing all of my hydrangeas, lining his windows. A few still survive in gardens to this day, almost 20 years later.

Now back to Martha. I am still in awe of her, and her ability to spot trends, embellish, craft, create, cook, and reinvent. But yet, she is still "so Martha".

Martha loves Beacon's glues. If you read her tutorials, we are all over them. Fabri Tac is a biggie. Sometimes she will refer to it as just "fabric glue", but it's our bottle that is sitting on Martha's crafting table. She has her own line of everything, yet uses our stuff. You can only imagine how happy that makes me.

So last week, a Facebook friend alerted me to a recent Martha television show where Martha and Kathie Lee Gifford made animal party hats, using Beacon's Fabri Tac. Cool! I figured I would post the wonderful party hat tutorial to our Facebook page. If I waited a few days, the video would be up and I could add a link. Well I have finally arrived at the point of my story.

1. Measure the child's head, and choose a honeydew melon that has the same circumference. Place melon in a shallow bowl to keep it steady, and lightly coat with petroleum jelly.

In order to make a hat, I have to purchase honeydew melons?? Let me get this straight-first I have to measure my kid's head. Then I have to take a trip to the grocery store with my trusty tape measure, and start checking the circumference of the melons? AND find one that is the same as my kid's melon head?

Perhaps a ball-or a big bowl-or a balloon-might work? Oh no-honeydew melon is the only way to go. And then I have to grease the thing up with vaseline. I can just picture the slippery melon flying out of my hands and sailing across the room, shattering Grandma's prized vase in the process. Will people actually do that? Do Martha lovers make a shopping list and run right out to the market to do her craft specifically as written? Or do they do the quickie version, like me?

That's what I love about Martha. I like to watch her, listen to her, and then take her ideas and dumb them down for the less ambitious like me. I could never be Martha, but I respect the heck out of her. I hope when her legion of fans get down to the Fabri Tac on her tutorials, they head on over to their local sewing or craft store and buy our glue. They can skip the melon.

Work at Beacon Adhesives

Dear Blog,
Please forgive me for neglecting you. Unfortunately, you are currently last on my list of priorities. I'm still a bit intimidated by blogging. I don't know what to say, or how to say it. I'm great at stream of consciousness writing but sometimes not so good at getting a point across. It takes me two weeks to tell a story. At this point, I don't have much to worry about-this blog is close to invisible in cyberworld. That makes me feel a little bit better about content. I will treat this as a journal and just write what comes into my head.

We have been incredibly busy at work. I love it because each day is different. I never know what I will be doing until I get there. I might be glittering Christmas balls, Facebooking, testing a new product, or talking to a physician at the FDA about chemical classifications for various classes of adhesives.It's never boring.

We have been building a set for filming these past couple of weeks. Our fearless leader, Mike, is the glue authority. When people call our 800 number, they will usually end up talking to Mike-the President. How many presidents of companies would take the time to talk to a customer about a product?

So now we want to take it to the next level. Mike the Beacon Glue Guy is going to be out there on video imparting his wisdom and knowledge of all things that stick. He will offer tips, tricks, how to-s, and whatever else pops into his head. It's pretty exciting for us.

Contest Advice

Beacon Adhesives decided to run a contest-a simple thing. Just use a Beacon product, send me a pic and a bit about how you put it together. It could be a card, a craft, a costume, an ornament-if you can glue it, send it in. We packed this beautiful basket chock full of Beacon products,glitter and other goodies. I prettied it up with a bow that I was quite proud of. I have never been very good when it came to bows, but I googled and found a simple bow tutorial that turned me into an expert in nothing flat. Took a picture, started facebooking and tweeting about this wonderful basket. Win a prize, y'all! It's easy! Take this opportunity to show even more people your work, or your hobby.

I figured I would get so many submissions that I would have a hard time picking a winner. There are a gazillion crafty creative people out there, and from what I have heard, free ANYTHING is a great draw. Here's a basket waiting to be claimed. Lots of great product inside to create even more wondrous things.

Thud. Not one entry. I tweeted. I facebooked. Nary a word, a message, an attempt at entering the contest. Where did I go wrong? Are the project links on our Facebook too intimidating? Even though I have tons of Facebook friends, do people ignore my posts? Do they even know we have this contest? Are crafters shy? Does it feel like Beacon Adhesives is just a Facebook page with nobody real behind it?
Baby, where did I go wrong? I need advice. I can take criticism. I would love to know how to improve my interactions.

How to Start a Blog

I have no idea how to start a blog. I have spent hours looking through blogs I love, going back into the archives to find that first post. Some are serious, some are witty, some are simply a "test" posting.

The common thread seems to be the introduction. Who am I? What am I trying to accomplish? Why was it necessary to start this blog?

I will start with the simple stuff. This blog is the Beacon Adhesives blog. Got glue? We do. Tons and tons of glue. Glue for scrapbooking, glue for craft projects with kids, glue for jewelry, glue for foam, glue for metal, glue for fabric, glue glue glue.

We have been making adhesives since 1926. It's not like we just picked up some glue from China and decided to knock it off. There are real people behind Beacon Adhesives. Beacon got its start as a manufacturer and distributor of hatmaking supplies in the twenties. When Mickey, the son of the owner, graduated college with a degree in chemistry, he returned to Beacon to head up research and development. Mickey is still there, researching and developing, as well as heading Beacon as its CEO. I won't say how old he is, but I can tell you that he graduated Columbia University over 50 years ago. Mickey is still envisioning new products for an ever changing market, and his extensive background and complete understanding of chemistry is what makes the difference. Mickey's son David, named after his grandfather, is Beacon's president. David grew up in the business as well, and is ensuring that the company moves forward and stays current. He keeps the ship righted while his father experiments.

Then there is Mike. Mike is the president of Signature Crafts, the group that dreams up all of Beacon's consumer products.Mike is the consummate glue guy. Mike seems to work in his sleep. Is there anything new that can be done with glue? Mike is going to figure it out. He is into a million projects at once, and he is excited about all of them. He will answer his phone and explain to any customer exactly how to use a product, and encourages all of us who work for him to maintain that same level of contact. Without the consumer, we don't have a business. Mike is also incredibly funny, and if you have ever met him or seen him in a video, highly entertaining.

Then there is me. That will require a whole other post. My name is Karen. Enough for today.