LOCKTITE POWER GRAB REALLY SUCKED .... * WORST ADHESIVE ON PLANET EARTH*

I tried a caulk tube of some of this to install beadboard. All it did was inspire a trip back to the big box for some good old toxic, non-water clean up Hansen’s Liquid Nails (likely known to cause three-headed salmanders AND Cancer in California). The stuff didn’t hang on long enough to get finish brads shot through it.

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

Thanks for the tip Dan. Will be wary of that one. Sounds like a very sticky situation.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

-- work from your heart and your spirit will live forever

Nice to know. Sad thing is, that at least Liquid Nails WILL WORK, toxic or not.

-- Respect your shop tools and they will respect you - Ric

I got a tube you can add to your trash pile too. The stuff is useless, but the commercials were funny.

whats sad about Liquid Nails working? I like Liquid Nails. It’s great on pancakes. REALLY sticks to your ribs!!

-- Gary, DeKalb Texas

Did you contact Loctite customer service? If so what did they say?

-- Only the Shadow knows....................

Is that the stuff where they hang a hammer from the ceiling in the commercial?

-- Debt is nothing more than the 21st Century's form of slavery.

Epoxy works for me, liquid nails should do you okay too though.

-- Dan Wiggins

Not sure what I’m doing differently, but I have had good luck with Loctite. I’ve used it in quite a few different situations and never had the bad results you experienced. Maybe it’s a bad batch?

-- Premium firewood created daily.

I have to second Cory – I have been using this stuff for several years with very good results for different applications.

-- When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

Dan,

Did you call the number on the tube? Is the tube freshness dated? I haven’t used PowerGrab, but I have a lot of respect for Loctite products.

That said, I’d be very interesting in hearing what Loctite says if you called and shared your poor experience with them.

Thanks for the detailed, straight shooting review.

-- - Please help keep Lumberjocks an enjoyable escape by refusing to participate in political discussions. Simply spit out the bait and ignore the thread...

I use Loc-tite heavy duty construction adhesive. its equivelent to Liquid nails H D. This tuff is very strong and has tremendous holding power. It comes in 19 oz. tubes. To put tile i’d use that and a trick is:
1. put the beads of glue where needed.
2. Press together
3. pull apart and let set 2 – 3 mins.
4 press back together and viola!

Works like contact adhesive this way. but use enough and don’t be skimpy.

-- Woodshop supplies at bulk discounts. www.getneds.com

I have had problems with epoxy from them and will not buy anything with that name.

-- WOOD/DON (...one has the right to ones opinion but not the right to ones own facts...)

I have no experience with this product but -

If it stuck to the tiles as indicated in the beginning of this thread but did not stick to the plywood maybe, just maybe preparation is part of this problem and NOT the product itself.

It may even be that it is not intended to stick to wood. Loctite is a product line that has been around for a long time and I thought had a pretty good reputation. I suspect we have a premature, knee jerk reaction here.

-- Making Sawdust Safely

I’ve seen Dans work. I really Really doubt that it was preparation. Using construction adhesive is not rocket science.
Many times a “pretty good reputation” comes from advertising.
Is it really that hard to believe that they might be a little misleading in their claims?
I know of many adhesives that would hold the tile just fine.

-- http://www.woodsongsfurniture.com

I LOVE Powergrab!!!!
I have an installation in a public building, a set of large, heavy columns fabricated in MDF, affixed to the existing substrates with no surface prep.
They have been there for a couple of years now with no separation issues.
I also use it in my shop for various quick-stick needs.
But I haven’t stuck a hammer on the ceiling.

Yet.

Best regards,
d

-- If a man says something in the forest and there's no woman to hear it, is he still wrong?

There must be some consistency issues with this product. I tried it to hold some small electrical parts on concrete columns. The failure was 100%.

-- Debt is nothing more than the 21st Century's form of slavery.

The adhesive easily scrapped and peeled off the tiles easily with a chisel. Wonderd myself it was just a bad batch.

After 24 hours of dry time I expected it to setup like a solid rock.

It might have been a little cool in my basement, probably in the 60’s. Also I failed to mention it was on bending plywood … not that it should make a difference. I’m gluing them in with my old tried and true gorilla glue tonight and will post a photo here when completed

-- work from your heart and your spirit will live forever

Wow…interesting…exact opposite results with the same product.

-- David, South Windsor, CT "I love the smell of sawdust in the morning"

something else I remember is the bead of adhesive when squeezed out of the tube didn’t stick real well . When I touched it with my finger it didn’t feel stickey. Kind of dry or chalky. Thinking back I should have stopped right there.

I finished gluing the tiles with gorilla glue last night and hung display up today. Will snap a photo and post

-- work from your heart and your spirit will live forever

Well….they might change the product name to….”Piece of Grab”....

Its worth noting that PowerGrab isn’t just one thing. There are a number of different formulations for specific applications. I have a couple of different ones on my shelf. Just grabbing a tube of PowerGrab without noticing what its intended to do can result in adhesive failure.

I don’t mean to fuel an argument, just offer some information. I know the stuff has been, for me, everything I wanted it to be.

don

-- If a man says something in the forest and there's no woman to hear it, is he still wrong?

Good point, Donbee…

I’ve seen similar confusion with all threadlocker’s referred to as “Locktite”, Kilz products, “Bullseye”, “Goop”, etc…

-- - Please help keep Lumberjocks an enjoyable escape by refusing to participate in political discussions. Simply spit out the bait and ignore the thread...

I thought something was fishy … should never had used it. I recall toughing the stuff, ... right out of the tube and it wasn’t—sticky, ...but,,, had a more chalky surface. Must have been a bad batch, maybe it had been frozen.

-- work from your heart and your spirit will live forever

I have had identical bad experiences with this adhesive. It did not work at all. I now stick to the polyurethane PL.

bad stuff

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Wow, I am surprised… I have had nothing but good luck with it. Even used it to put up a tile back splash on one of my rent house’s a few yeas ago….All still there.

-- Don S.E. OK