PVA Glue
Poly Vinyl Acetate (PVA) Glue is the most common white glue available in the market. It is a popular glue used in the method of mosaic making. It is water based glue and does not contain any solvent. It is toxic when taken inside. However, it is not dangerous to touch. It will not emit harmful gases either. Therefore, inhaling it will not cause any serious problem.
PVA glue sets well when there is good air circulation. Most of the PVA glues are not waterproof. You need to apply slight pressure to adhere this glue. This process is called clamping. Normally there are two varieties in PVA glue. White PVA is the most common glue. Yellow PVA is also available which has high moisturizing capacity. They have shorter shelf life than white PVA.
More soluble PVA is used in doing children, crafts. Diluted PVA glue can be used as a prime in any surface to get it ready for applying mosaic.
PVA glue can be used as a bond in wood, paper, cloth and in porous material. It is the most commonly used wood glue. It is also termed as carpenter's glue or yellow glue. Sometimes white glues are also used in proving bond between wooden surfaces. These glues are well used in surfaces where water resistance is required. Little glue can bind more pieces of wood. However, the carpenter needs to clamp the glue until it dries.
PVA glue is a copolymer in most of the expensive acrylics. You can use it in leather works and paper Mache also.
Uses of PVA glue: PVA glue is used in bookbinding and in art working. It is flexible and tough. It is non-acidic and so it is not harmful to health and skin. PVA white glue is used in more areas than yellow glue. Elmer glue is the best brand selling PVA white glue. It can be used well with paper, paints and in industrial coatings. It can be used to protect cheese from fungi and humidity.
The following are some of the tips to use PVA glues:
Most of the PVA glues are designed to use with porous materials only. They are water based and can be cleaned up with warm soap water. You should not allow them to freeze. Since freezing will break down the polymer and glue will become useless, freezing should be avoided. Some PVA glues are available at expensive rates. You should be aware of them. All the PVA glues are serving the same purpose only.
You may think that PVA can not be used to fill gaps. However, sometimes you can use it to fill gaps by adding sawdust to it. Nowadays PVA white glues are available in tube form so that you can use it easily. This is not at all messy. It can be diluted and used for sealing.
PVA glues are not the plain old glue available in the market. They come in numerous formulae and each one of the formula may be slightly different. However, it serves the gluing purpose effectively.