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I went looking for a new tube of "glue" this week and realize I am confused (what's new? ). There is:

GE Silicone II
GE Silicone II Glue
GE Silicone II kitchen & bath
GE Silicone II gutter & flashing
etc. etc. etc.

All say they are "100% silicone". Will any of these work for sticking things together? (in particular, glass to glass & tile to tile), or should I be using only the "glue". I have been using one of the Silicone II/no "glue" in the name products. I tried finding the MSDS sheets to see what the difference in all of these "100% silicones" were, but I quickly realized that matching the myriad products to the proper sheets was futile.

Let me just comment that I also find it odd that my local Lowes no longer carries plasti-dip in a dippable can. You can only buy the "dip" in a spray. Huh...

Dana W.

just to make things more confusing, I prefer CRL Water Clear Silicone Sealant, over the GE.

The kitchen and bath has mold inhibitors built in. The gutter is probably designed for outdoor temperatures. Silicone 2 is the basic stuff. I don't remember the difference between silicone and silicone 2?

but that crl stuff is a sealant and although water clear looks great, it wasn't in my experience a great glue. Plus when I used it, extremely pricy.

I have (somewhere in the files) a GE pamphlet describing different properties of silicon. Some hold better under pressure, some have longer working times and such. But only one actually has the ability to stick to itself - that's called 'silpruf'. It's made for tough outside conditions (uv ray protection), has a 2 hour working time before skinning, very tenacious sticking power - however it takes 7 days to cure and doesn't come in clear. The stuff is fantastic for holding glass inserts in forged metal sculptures and railings. I love how you can focus on one side - let it dry a few days, then turn it around & make the other side look pretty - and the second application sticks to the first!

I have used GE Silicone 2 on outdoor glass to glass and Glass to aluminum with no failures for years. I have 12 year old sculptures in gardens that reach 95F plus in summer sun and are now frozen under snow in sub Zero temps. Never had a joint let go. I always buy a fresh tube for new work.

DonMcClennen wrote:I have used GE Silicone 2 on outdoor glass to glass and Glass to aluminum with no failures for years.

Don, we don't get GE silicone 2 in Australia although there are plently of similar silicones on the market.

Does it have a strong vinegar smell?

Pete

So... I am concluding that most silicone will "glue" stuff even if glue is not in the name.

Good thing

Dana

I have used boat loads of GE Silicone II Window and Door- "Clear" on glass garden totems as well as a mosaiced bowling ball that have lived outside and survived the deep freeze of multiple northern IL winters. The thing I like about this stuff in particular is that for a little extra expense, you can buy 2.8 oz tubes of it for smaller projects. I always end up wasting the larger tubes. The smaller tubes allow for better precision and placement of the silicone, which is definitely helpful on projects like the ones I have mentioned.

Pete, I have noticed an ammonia-like smell when working with it. I definitely keep the windows open and the fan blowing when I use it...

http://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-Silicone- ... /100179996

I just spoke with the tech support person at CR Laurence. The words adhesive and sealant are used interchangeably. While it is not classified as a structural adhesive, it does bond glass to glass, and is used in window glazing as an architectural adhesive/sealant. He told me that it is also used to hold signage on highways. About ten years ago, I was looking for a permanent, clear adhesive for a project. The "clear" GE silicone, looked milky. I used the CRL Water Clear Silicone Sealant in this installation (again it was about 10 years ago). I used it to adhere about forty pieces of light weight, about ¼ pound each, fused glass to a tempered glass backing. I have been back, and it looks just like it did ten years ago, as clear as water and holding firmly. It is more expensive than the GE products, but it is the clearest silicone I have found.

i like the ace hardware crystal clear silicone over ge. it cures a lot clearer. ge seems to get milky as it cures. it is a bit more than ge though. i never seem to finish a large tube, so the smaller ones, although more expensive per oz, is actually cheaper because i don't have to throw away as much.

i've also used vhb tape in various thicknesses. it comes in clear, and i have some outside holding glass to metal in temp ranges of 25-115f for about 10 years now.

Where does E 6000 fit into this lineup?