TOUGH STORIES

We receive amazing Tough Stories from real Gorilla users every day. Check out their inspiring projects and repairs, and then share yours!

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Broken Oak

“I was building some cabinet frames and glued the frames with Gorilla Glue. When the glue dried, I challenged my daughter to break the bond. The oak frame splintered, but the glued bond never broke. We both were very impressed!” - See more at: http://www.gorillatough.com/inspiration/broken-oak#sthash.mGXnxYvG.dpuf

-David Beaty

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CRAFTING IS SO MUCH BETTER WITH A GORILLA

“I'm a DIY blogger and so many projects call for using hot glue. But it doesn't work. I can't tell you how many home decor projects have fallen apart after using a hot glue gun. I used Gorilla Glue on my jewelry dish project because it's strong and long lasting, I couldn't ask for a better product for gluing on wood, metal, plastic, and ceramic!”

-Enid Gonzalez

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QUICK FIX!

“I work in the oil fields in North Dakota, and at work last year my truck was backed into and the front fender was crushed. Not having the time it fix it, I grabbed my roll of Gorilla Tape and did what I thought would be a quick fix. Well, I just fixed the fender, your tape held together through the harshest weather: snow, ice and sub-zero temperatures! They all had no effect on the bond. My new motto is: ‘when life gets tough, don't monkey around! Grab Gorilla!’”

-WILLIAM HARGIS

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METAL ASSEMBLAGE ARTWORK

“I am an artist in Kansas City, MO, working on a large series of metal assemblage art that will make its Kansas City gallery debut in October 2014. All of the metal pieces are glued down with Gorilla Super Glue Gel. It is a GREAT product, and I trust nothing else. Thanks, Gorilla!”

-JIM RAMIREZ

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DALE EARNHART JR. COLLECTORS FISHING ROD

“A friend of mine found out that her young son had used her collector’s edition Dale Earnhart Jr. Fishing Rod to fish, and he had snapped off the first 4 inches of the rod. She was very upset, so she asked me if I could take a look at the rod. I noticed it was hollow inside, so I bought a stainless steel pin that was 2 inches long, and applied Gorilla Epoxy to the openings in the rod, and then to the stainless steel pin, and put the rod back together with the stainless steel pin. 24 hours later, the rod is just as tough as it was before.”

-SCOTT RONG

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SPLIT SNOW SHOVEL

“One of our 2 snow shovels split in the middle of a scoop and then it cracked across the center. We had recently purchased a roll of Gorilla Tape and decided to give it a try. In the attached photos you can see the shovel after 1 hour of moderate shoveling – the Gorilla Tape still holding firm!” - See more at: http://www.gorillatough.com/inspiration/split-snow-shovel#sthash.XCg3H7Lb.dpuf

-Darcy McFadden

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BLUSTERY HALLOWEEN

“Last year, I decided to make my house into a haunted house for the neighborhood. The weather in our area was terrible – winds and heavy rains. While all the neighborhood men watched and scoffed, I took Halloween plastic and, after bad experiences with other adhesives, wrapped my house using Gorilla Tape. Well, the winds blew and the rains came – but the outside of my home stayed wrapped with ghosts and scary figures. Apparently, the neighbors were taking bets on when it would all blow off, but they were wrong. We had a great Halloween – over 400 kids came to our house! I am going to do it again this year with my friend, Gorilla.”

-Karen Russell

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GUITAR VS. SUV

“Several years ago, my son was learning to play guitar. We were getting ready to leave his Grandparents' house and I had him set his guitar behind my SUV until I could load it in the back. In the distraction of getting ready to leave, I forgot about the guitar and threw the vehicle in reverse. After a sickening realization of what the pop was I heard next, I went back to find his acoustic guitar case crushed and the neck of the guitar broken at about the second fret. After a few frantic ‘what do I do now’ moments, I grabbed a bottle of Gorilla Glue and a clamp. After allowing the glue to cure, I removed the clamp and slowly tightened the strings until it was in tune. To my relief, the neck held. The guitar held tuning perfectly. I still get grief from my family for the incident sometimes, but I didn't have to buy a new guitar. Thanks, Gorilla!”

JEFF CROUSE

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A GLUE THAT’S TOUGH ENOUGH

"Over the last little while I purchased lots of unique collectables. A few of them have broken. It's amazing, I had purchased several different glues to repair them. Nothing seemed to work…except GORILLA SUPER GLUE! These ceramic plates have been soaked in water, and even dropped on the floor. And they still are holding together!”

-Walter Jedyk

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NO WOOD GLUE COMPARES!

“Gorilla Wood Glue is by far the best glue I've ever used. I make furniture for fun with the intent on eventually selling it, and my confidence in this product is unquestioned. I’ve used cheaper and more expensive adhesive products, but there is no competition. It grips fast and tight, and dries super strong. I use it on all my projects and won't ever try any other products again.”

-MATTHEW SAGRAVES

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OLD AWNING? NO PROBLEM.

"A group of us went to Old Forge, NY, to spend the weekend in this quaint old town and also visit the water park there. Around 6 PM on Friday evening, it started to rain - slow at first, but soon it was a steady downpour. My awning is about 12 or 15 years old and has many small holes in it. Consequently, we all got quite wet under it. The next day, my buddy came on our site to show me the radar on his phone - heavy rain was headed our way again! I decided to try and do something with our awning to keep us drier than the night before. I had purchased a roll of Gorilla Tape from the Hardware Store that afternoon to keep in my camper. My nephew and I began to tape up the holes in my 19’ awning using the roll I had plus half a roll my brother in-law had in his camper. We finished just as it started to sprinkle, and within 20 minutes it started to pour. It lasted into the early morning. We stayed up and played cards until 11 pm and never once had a drop of rain come through the awning. The tape is one great product!"

-Steve Gladstone

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GORILLA GOES FISHING

"I wanted to say that Gorilla Glue saved me a bunch of money and time. I'm not sure how it happened, but I was on vacation and the transducer for my graph on the back of my boat broke off. There wasn't a shop that had a replacement transducer, and buying a new graph wasn't in my budget. Musky fishing without a graph is impossible. I took off the transducer and it broke at a section that was less than half an inch. I applied some Gorilla Glue, let it set for a couple hours, and the darn thing held for the entire week! The transducer was in the water for the whole vacation. My boat goes about 35mph, so the water pressure was applying directly to the the transducer. I am absolutely amazed that it held. Gorilla Glue never disappoints! Musky fishing without a graph would have been next to impossible, not to mention dangerous driving on that lake. Excellent product!"

-Jim Lupe

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TOUGH AS TEXAS

I was making a concrete table top with the state of Texas inlay. I was using the Gorilla Glue to hold the river rocks in place while I poured the concrete into the form. After the concrete had cured, I was removing the form piece by piece. When it came time to flip the concrete over to remove the bottom board, it would not come off. I tilted the form onto its side so the weight (400 lbs) would free it from its bond. Not happening. Then, I used a dolly to get between the form and the slab to pry it up. I might add that I used just a drop on each rock to keep them in place! After seeing this with my own eyes, I am definitely a firm believer in the strength of Gorilla Glue.

-David Melnick

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GORILLA TAPES TOPS IT OFF!

Gorilla Tape has replaced my sunroof! I went and got Gorilla Tape and made two layers - one on the top and one on the inside to cover the sticky side. I then added three strips on the top for extra hold. The tape saved me from having to buy a new sunroof! It has been through a tough test, between this winter and all the rain. It doesn't leak and it hasn't even peeled off. I LOVE GORILLA TAPE! -DAVID MELNICK

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GORILLA SAVES A TREE

Approximately 2 years ago, my Bradford Pear tree (40 feet tall, 12 years old) had the tree trunk split down the middle about 3 feet or so. I decided to fill the split with your liquid Gorilla Glue. Today, the tree is healthy, and the split is okay! I shaved off the excess glue and painted it brown to match the bark. I really feel Gorilla Glue saved my tree! It is now about 50-60 feet high and in full bloom! Thanks! - David Melnick

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GORILLA MAKES IT TO THE TOP OF MOUNT KILIMANJARO!!

The Gorilla has climbed to extraordinary heights! It's not everyday that you are able to see the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, but leave it to Gorilla Glue to make it there. The Gorilla reached the summit and was used to work on patches! These pictures are taken from various vantage points from the climb (the High Millenium camp at 12,400 feet, the Lava Tower camp at 14,700 feet, and the summit at 16,000 feet.) Thanks!

-KAPANYA

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GORILLA TAPE LAUNCH WATER ROCKETS TO BREAK WORLD RECORD!

"Remember this story about using Gorilla Tape to launch water rockets for the world record? Well, read on... We got the official World Record! We set the world record for launching the most water rockets simultaneously. Thanks to Gorilla Tape, we were able to make some of the most difficult connections. And we did it, with 213 of them. The entire project was a great success, the amount of press was enormous, and we have been seen by over 1.2 million people on national television! Gorilla Tape was used to connect water rockets to their launch pads. These water rockets are usually made from plastic soft drink bottles, and are used to teach the principles of aeronautics as well as to entertain! The event took place in The Hague, The Netherlands. We are looking forward to working with your products in future projects (which includes a HUMAN launch and the world’s largest water rocket)! And thanks again, Gorilla Tape, for helping making this possible!"

-GOTTA LAUNCH

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SF-8: CREATE SPEED WITH DEDICATION, HARD WORK AND LOTS OF GORILLA GLUE

"My dad and I set out to break the world speed record for an Electric Styrofoam Radio Controlled Airplane. Once we passed the 100 mph mark, strength became a major issue. The glues available at the hobby store were not up to the task. Most of the stronger glues that we tested, either melted Styrofoam, or didn’t adhere one of the many components that we were using for strengthening very thin Styrofoam parts. Our first experience with Gorilla glue was the Dries White polyurethane. We were adding carbon fiber rods to very thin Styrofoam wings in hopes of making them strong enough to withstand 100+ Mph stresses. The amazing glue not only adhered to both mediums, but actually hardened and strengthened the Styrofoam near the glue sight! Soon we found uses for other Gorilla Glue products. We found that painting Gorilla Super Glue on soft plastic parts would make them ridged without becoming brittle. The original Gorilla Glue could bond the wooden motor mount to the plastic body of the plane without the use of screws or any other kind of fastener. We had several flight structural failures before trying Gorilla Glue. They all ended the same way. The powerful engine that was required for these high speeds literally pulled this airplane apart in mid air. We were able to solve this problem and more, thanks to Gorilla Glue, it’s wonderful properties and it's incredible strength. Many tries, and a lot of Gorilla Glue later, we’ve culminated with the SF8. It’s fast, it’s strong and it’s a blast to fly. We refined this scratch built plane for over a years time. We would like to thank Gorilla Glue for its contribution to this beautiful, fast and strong airplane." -David Melnick

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1924 FORD MODEL T - A TWO AND A HALF YEAR PROJECT OF LOVE (AND GORILLA GLUE)!

years ago I finished building a 1924 Ford Model T with a Depot Hack body (i.e. a station wagon). It took two and a half years to complete the project. I researched what type of glue I wanted to use for the wood joints and decided to try Gorilla Glue. Mortise and tenon joints were used through out the body. Some biscuit and lap joints were also used. The glue worked very well on all the joints. I liked how nice and easy it was to sand and remove the glue once the joints dried. It didn't chip out any of the wood unlike other glues. This is the third season of driving it and all the joints look good yet. It's been in the rain a few times so the water hasn't affected the joints. It's a great product and I tell other people about it." -SHAWN G.

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LAS VEGAS ARCHITECT HITS JACKPOT WITH GORILLA GLUE CHAIR!

"I’m an architect in Las Vegas, Nevada and with the current state of the economy have a little extra time on my hands. During a site visit for a construction I noticed a pile of scrap 1-1/8” tongue and grove plywood that was on its way to the dump. I enjoy finding ways to recycle materials and couldn’t let the plywood just get thrown away. With a little bit of creativity, time and a lot of Gorilla Glue a chair was born. The chair had to have structural qualities much like a glue-laminated beam because the back rest cantilevers over the rear leg. Gorilla Glue was the only choice for me on this job. I will be starting the next chair as soon as the design is finalized."

-Michael W.

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WATER ROCKETS AND GORILLA TAPE ATTEMPT WORLD RECORD!

"This story features Gorilla Tape being used to connect water rockets to their launch pads! (These water rockets are usually made from plastic soft drink bottles and are used to teach the principles of aeronautics as well as to entertain!). 250 water rockets were launched simultaneously on June 19th, 2009 in an attempt to win a world record! This took place in The Netherlands and we are eagerly awaiting the results! This is certainly not something we hear about everyday! Now read on... There are some jobs where plain duct tape just isn't enough. In water rocketry it is always difficult to attach the tie-wraps that hold the water rockets securely in place. The connection has to be able to survive the pulling force of around 45 to 175 psi caused by the pressurized rocket. It also has to be able to survive the damage caused by jets of water being propelled from the rockets which normally cause the tape's adhesive to dissolve. The tape keeping the rockets in place has to cope with this pressure and water damage launch after launch. Then we discovered Gorilla Tape, which serves perfectly for the connection. Last year we performed a test using 102 water rockets, and thanks to the toughness of Gorilla Tape, we didn't have any issues with the tie-wrap connection!"

-Boyan S.

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BLACK BEAR TOUGH!

"We live in the foothills of Mount Hood just nine miles from Government Camp in Oregon. As expected, we have always had forest animals like deer, elk, raccoons, skunks, coyotes, and even an occasional black bear passing through our property. I have built several feeders for the smaller animals like squirrels and birds and I have always used Gorilla Glue for these projects to hold up in the outdoor environment. You can imagine our surprise when my wife and I looked out one day and saw this young black bear standing on the feeder. The feeder has held tough and other than a few claw marks, this feeder is as strong as the day I built it, thanks to Gorilla Glue."

-GREG B.

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GORILLA TAPE TRAVELS THROUGH ALASKA

"Our family drives the Alaska Highway every year. This past year, the road was the worst we have seen in twenty years. The travels were rough on our RV and we had to make some repairs along the way. The skin of our door came off, so we got a bit creative and made a design out of the Gorilla Tape-it was functional, and somewhat decorative! On the front, we had to use both Gorilla Glue and Gorilla Tape to patch some holes in the metal. We also used both the glue and the tape on the side seams that had begun to split. While we might have been a site on the road, we were happy to be moving. Without a doubt, Gorilla saved our trip from our home in Oregon to Alaska, all 3200 miles. We would have been out a lot of time and money had we not had Gorilla Glue and Tape with us. So, thank you for your great products. They saved our trip and we’ve told everyone about it. We’ll never travel without a nice stock of both. Thanks again!"

-THE SMITHS

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300 BOTTLES + GORILLA GLUE = 1 AMAZING CLOCK

"My father and I built a clock using 300 beer bottles and Gorilla Glue. The clock was built at Stanley Clockworks, which is a father and son operation that makes fine and unusual clocks. The clock is now on display at the National Association of Watch and Clock Collector's Museum in Columbia, PA. The Bottle Clock took five months to build. It is 20 feet long and its biggest gear is 5 foot in diameter with 300 intermeshing beer bottles. The time is read from left to right: hours (red), minutes (blue), and seconds (yellow). We washed and cleaned the bottles from the local recycling center and fitted them with a bolt we had turned down to fit the neck of the bottle. We attached the bolt to the bottle using epoxy. However, we found that the epoxy set too quickly and I couldn't get many bolts attached on the bottles without constantly remixing. We turned to Gorilla Glue because we didn't have to mix the glue and could do as many bottles as we wanted, put the cap on, then come back and do more when we were ready. The clock is pretty impressive and it wouldn't been so great without Gorilla."

-VINCE STANLEY

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GORILLA WOOD GLUE IN VICTORY LANE

"I live in Manlius, NY, home of Stickley Furniture. Every 4th of July they sponsor a race where you must use a chair with a rider and spring approximately 200 meters. This year I designed a chair made primarily of wood glued together with Gorilla Wood Glue and wheels mounted on the wood. We had a design change 12 hours before the race and I glued a new 'axle' on the chair. My team was concerned the glue would not hold, but after only 5 hours we used the chair in a time trial. The next day we won the race and received a Stickley chair as a gift from the factory. I told everyone about Gorilla Wood Glue--they were impressed! Thanks for a great product. It was the cheapest ""ingredient"" but the most important piece of our design." -DALE

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GORILLA TAPE PROTECTS UNDERWATER RECEIVERS

"I just returned from a dive trip that went out to Cocos Island, located off the Costa Rican Pacific Coast. This expedition was offered by a non-profit organization that is conducting shark research. The research conducted on this trip involved studying shark behavior by anchoring receivers to the ocean floor at several shark cleaning locations and then actually tagging hammerhead sharks with transmitters. The idea is to pick up the transmitter signals from the tagged sharks when they are in the area of the receivers. On this trip we also recovered receivers, downloaded data, and changed out the batteries since they had been under water 6-10 months between servicing. The reason I am writing is because they use Gorilla Tape to protect the receivers from barnacle build up. They wrap the receivers in tape so the barnacles grow on the tape and not the body of the receiver, insuring that the data access port remains clean and they can easily open the unit up. The picture to the left is someone unwrapping the tape from the receivers that had been underwater for eight months! I was amazed the tape held. I wanted you all to know about this application and organization and how Gorilla Tape is helping them out. Thanks."

-RIC L.

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SON REPAIRS FATHER'S REDWOOD CANOE

"In 1989, my father built a canoe out of a redwood log. The canoe was a symbol of life as it was used to fish out of and to ferry people across river, lagoon and ocean. It was also used as a ceremonial canoe in the White Deer Skin Dance. The log that was used was a bit damaged, and soon after completion a crack began to develop. Over the next 17 years, the crack worsened. Eventually, it reached 16 feet, out of 18 feet. At this time, it was deemed a safety hazard. Instead of throwing such a special piece away, several people decided to take on the task of repairing the canoe for others to enjoy for years to come. Originally, we planned to restore the canoe and never actually put it in the water again, but thanks to Gorilla Glue, our whole vision changed. Through an extensive process, we were able to repair the crack with 150 redwood dowels and a lot of Gorilla Glue. Thank you for making such a wonder product. I just can't get over the strength that Gorilla Glue has, it is amazing. We were able to extend the life of a condemned canoe and now it is used every year during the Brush Dance held by the Yurok Tribe at Patrick's Point State Park in Northern California. Thanks."

-AXEL L.

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WOOD GLUE BEATS CHEST

"This curly maple chest was built from scratch, using nothing but Gorilla Glue and ebony nails. This was the first time I have used Gorilla Wood Glue exclusively. It worked great! I think the photo speaks for itself." -ERIC S.

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WOOD GLUE ROCKS

"My wife Debbie brought home new Gorilla Wood Glue for me to try out. It was perfect timing for a project I had in mind – my grandchild's new rocking horse. The glue was easy to work with, and I have to say, it is yet another great addition to the Gorilla brand! We are looking forward to entertaining our grandchildren with this rocking horse for many years to come."

-RICHARD M.

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GORILLA SUPER GLUE PLAYS BASKETBALL

"My kids play with their basketball almost every day. So often, in fact, that the leather was peeling back along one of the seams. I tried Gorilla Super Glue to reattach the leather. I wasn’t sure if this would work, but it is what I had on hand so I gave it a shot. After many seasons, the quick repair still held tight. Unfortunately, the basketball was left in the driveway and run over, meeting its final demise. And still, the loose flap that I secured almost a year ago still held tightly. Thanks for a super product that helps make me a super mom." -EVA

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