Did you know that glues and adhesives are not the same thing?
Glues are natural and adhesives are synthetic.
Examples of Glues
- tree sap
- beeswax
- tar
- glue made from hooves or animal hides
Examples of Adhesives
- Elmer’s glue
- rubber cement
- super glue
- tape
So for notebooking, we definitely use adhesives. My favorite is rubber cement because it is not lumpy like white glue and the excess can be simply rubbed away. We don’t like glue sticks because after a few weeks, the stuck papers tend to come apart. What is your favorite adhesive for notebooking?
Did you ever wonder why white glue sticks better than a glue stick?
The answer lies in the science. White glue permeates the tiny pores of the paper’s surface. When the water in the glue evaporates, the sticky molecules are left behind, clinging all over the paper an lots of anchor points. Glue sticks merely slide over the pores and attach to the tiny bumps on the paper. Thus there are fewer anchor points and a weaker bond.
(I learned these interesting facts in a free Kindle book– Curious Folks Ask: 162 Real Answers on Amazing Inventions, Fascinating Products, and Medical Mysteries.)
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I had no idea… Thanks for clearing that up!
I have been using a spray adhesives for lapbooking, but it is very hard to control and gets sticky everywhere.
Interesting! We have been using glue sticks, but it kinda gets expensive. Does rubber cement last longer than glue sticks? Is it cheaper?
I wish you could get unscented rubber cement lol. My dd7 has a sensitivity to strong scents and she can’t tolerate the strong smell of rubber cement. I usually use the sticky scrapbook adhesive rollers- and that can get expensive!