Multiple Uses for Super Glue

As World War II raged in 1942, scientists in the United States were attempting to develop materials with which to create clear plastic gun sights. The accidental results were cyanoacrylates (the chemical name for the glue that eventually became known as Super Glue).

Partly because this substance was not what they were trying to develop, and also because this glue stuck to everything and therefore was not practical to use, they set it aside and continued their research.

Nine years later, these cyanoacrylates were “rediscovered” by researchers at the Eastman Chemical Company. They figured out how to turn them into a practical – and very powerful – glue product.

Word started to get around in the early Sixties about a variety of “magical adhesives” that were being developed. A radio station decided to create a promotion to test them. The makers of these glues were challenged to hold a car in the air from a crane, using their products.

Capturing first place was Eastman with its Eastman 910 product, now known as Super Glue. To this day, the Super Glue Corporation’s official logo features an image of a hanging car.

In recent years, people interested in preparing for an uncertain future – as well as others – have discovered a variety of uses for Super Glue that were never intended by the original developers.

Below are a number of those uses for this inexpensive item. Hope some of them come in handy for you now or during a crisis.

• Fix a broken knife grip.
• Seal cracks in a water bottle or canteen. Allow the container to dry out as much as possible before pouring water back into it.
• Seal a rip in a shoe. You can also reconnect a loose sole to the base of your shoe or boot.
• Seal a tear in a tent, fishing equipment or clothing.
• Repair skin after suffering a small, open wound. First, clean and close the wound, using stiches or a bandage. Then seal it with the glue. Avoid pouring the glue directly into a wound.
• Protect finger blisters or other abrasions from infection. Whenever you use this product on any part of your body, be careful not to touch your eyes or mouth until you have washed your hands.
• Seal mosquito, tick and other bug bites.
• Construct a weapon. After gluing a spearhead to a pole or feathers to an arrow, you’ve got yourself a homemade weapon that might come in handy.
• Secure two pieces of wood or connect rock to wood.
• Repair a broken strap on your bug-out bag or backpack.
• Tighten loose mirrors. If you’re fortunate enough to have a working vehicle following a disaster, indoor and outdoor mirrors are bound to loosen over time. It can also work on taillights.
• Strengthen cordage. Paracord and other cordage could fray eventually, but Super Glue will keep them together longer.
• Fortify your shelter. Gluing bark, twigs and branches together could help keep moisture out of your temporary home. It also works on cracked tent poles.
• Repair eyeglasses. It’s certainly more visually appealing than tape.

Because Super Glue has so many uses, pack several tubes among your survival stash. Unlike survival food, this product does not have an exceptionally long shelf life. Once a tube is open, you should probably use it all within a month or two.