Rockler Silicone Glue Brush Review
Rockler must have a great team of product researchers in their employment because every year they come out with a few great products that either fill a void, solve a problem, or improve upon a design. This year one of their products is the silicone glue brush. Some of you guys wanted to know how well it worked, and Rockler was kind enough to send me one, so I put it to the test.
Silicone tools are becoming increasingly popular for kitchen use because of their non-stick abilities, and these same non-stick abilities are why Rockler chose to design a glue tool around them. Rockler is selling their silicone brush as a reusable easy to clean alternative to the common disposable acid brush.
I put the Rockler Silicone Brush to the test first with some Gorilla brand wood glue. One of the concerns that was asked was how well the brush would hold glue. The spacing on the bristles on the Rockler brush is tightly grouped together, so the glue holds in well enough. I say that it is pretty even with acid brushes on this.
The next test was to see how easy it would be to clean off dried glue. After using the brush I decided to leave it over night without even trying to clean it. 24 hours later I picked up the brush to see how the cleaning process would go and was surprised at how simple it was to clean. I just ran my fingers over the bristles a few times and all the glue fell off.
The brush passed the wood glue test, now it was time to test it with the original polyurethane Gorilla Glue. This time I squeezed glue directly into the bristles and let the glue cure. The next day I was out to inspect the damage, but this time I had to try a little to get the glue out. I could not just pull the glue off this time, but after a few times pinching the bristles with some pliers to help break the glue apart, I had a successful cleaning with no damage to the bristles. A little work was involved, but if you actually try to wipe the brush clean after use, it is easier to clean after the glue dries.
The brush part of the tool did its job, now what about the other end? Rockler made the other side of the tool into a flat glue spreader that can fit into dados, finger joints and such. It is not made out of silicone like the bristles, so I was not expecting it to clean off as well. I did the same dried glue tests using both glues and was surprised that even the polyurethane Gorilla glue peeled right off. The smooth surface did a good gob of preventing the glue from sticking very well.
Overall the Rockler silicone brush is a good glue spreader that is reusable and is easy enough to clean. But it is not a 5 star tool. The problem I have is that the head of the brush is too big to fit inside my glue bottles. So I can not dip the brush, I can only use it to spread the glue. I still think the brush is a good buy at $3.99, I just wish it was a little bit smaller.
Silicone Glue Brush | 2 Pack - Rockler