TOUGH STORIES ARCHIVES

This is where the best of Gorilla stories come to rest. Because they’ve been tackling the toughest jobs on planet Earth.

So get some popcorn, click on a story to read, and enjoy.

For more Tough Stories click here.

Featured Tough Story: 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. 

Thanks, Dale

 

Featured Tough Story: 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.

 

Featured Tough Story: 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.

 

Featured Tough Story: 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.

Thanks, Eric S.

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.

Thanks, Richard M.
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, Ohio.

 

Watch a whale come to life.

In 2006 I built a sculpture of a 26-foot tall, larger than life replica of a whale’s tail rising out of the ground along the Route 250 bypass in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The sculpture was assembled in my backyard with tons of scrap wood destined for a chipper and more than 1,500 ounces of Gorilla Glue.

I really put the glue to the test under all conditions – rain, heat, humidity, and even the cold, sometimes at temps below the recommended 45 degrees F. The pieces held fast.

With a huge amount of glue you can do anything. It allows you to take little pieces of scraps and put it together into something big.

Thomas Givens