Material Recommendations
Your Reference Guice to a Successful Build Using CosBond Adhesives
CosBond works incredibly well with most materials. But like all adhesives, there are certain materials where CosBond is not recommended. Please read on for recommendations of materials where CosBond excels and situations/materials you should avoid. And please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about using CosBond with/on a specific application or material.
L200 Foams
L200 foams are comparable to EVA Y30 and Y40 foam. Accordingly, CosBond works incredibly well and delivers superior adhesion strength with L200 foams.
EVA Foams
CosBond products work well on most densities of EVA foam. Make sure your cuts are clean and that you are not inducing structural stress into the build. Use heat forming to shape your initial foam pieces so that they fit together snuggly without stressing them into shape using the adhesive.
Y20-Y40 EVA Foams
Most costumes and props are made out of Y20-Y40 EVA foam—and CosBond works very well with this type of foam. This includes the cheaper floor mat EVA foam as well. On floor mat foam, make sure to sand down the patterned side smooth before applying the adhesive.
Y60 EVA Foam
CosBond is not recommended for use with the lesser-used Y60 density EVA foam. While CosBond will still work, the strength of this density of EVA foam isn’t optimal compared to the same material of lesser density.
L400 Foams
CosBond has less holding strength with L400 foam. It is not as good as the L200, Y30, or Y40 foam, but its not a bad as the Y60 foam. Our testing lab gave it just an “OK” rating.
Foam Layered On Foam
CosBond works incredibly well when applying foam (e.g. – EVA, Craft Foam, etc.) to another foam. It also works well in mixed media such as XPS to EVA and other comparable applications.
Butt-Joints With Foams
The adhesive power of CosBond is greatly reduced on butt-joints of 1/2” or less. Inducing structural stress (e.g. – forced bending and forming of the materials) on these types of joints will also reduce the holding power of CosBond. Use Attach & Build adhesive with our Reinforcer to ensure a good hold on your joints.
Cloth
CosBond adhesive works well on many types of cloth materials. It works better on synthetics than pure natural materials due to the fiber structure of the cloth. Both Attach & Build and the Reinforcer can be used with cloth.
Cotton
CosBond’s holding power is reduced when used with 100% cotton materials due to the internal structure of the cotton itself. When cotton absorbs moisture (e.g. – washing, sweat, etc.) the fibers expand and break away from adhesive materials.
Synthetic & Mixed fabrics
CosBond works especially well with blended cloth materials. Blended cloth such as a cotton/polyester blend works great and will experience strong holding power.
Thread Count: High vs Low
For all cloth materials, CosBond performs better with lower thread count materials versus higher thread count materials.
Sewing
When sewing your material through CosBond, we recommend using a coated needle in your machine. Several manufacturers make a Teflon or silicon coated needle to use with materials infused with adhesives.
Nylong Straps
When adhering nylon straps with CosBond, first review the materials where CosBond will work well. Then we recommend using CosBond adhesive on the bottom of the strap and sealing the top of the strap with CosBond Reinforcer.
Velcro
CosBond adheres somewhat to Velcro backing. As such, using CosBond to attach velcro strips works well on materials where CosBond adheres well as shown on this page.
Thermoplastic
CosBond works well with most thermoplastics, assuming that the adhered surfaces are smooth and solid. If the material is very nonporous, you may experience less holding power when stress is applied at 90˚. Horizontal stress is fine.
Worbla
CosBond works well with Worbla provided the adhered surfaces are smooth and solid. You can still heat-form the Worbla even after you have applied Cosbond to it.
Kydex
CosBond works well with Kydex provided the adhered surfaces are smooth and solid.
Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)
PET is the most commonly polyester used in fibers for clothing, containers for food, thermoforming (like Worbla), and more. CosBond works well with PET materials or PET infused materials provided the adhered surfaces are smooth and solid.
Acrylics
CosBond works well with acrylics provided the adhered surfaces are smooth and solid. While CosBond adhesive is clear, it is not crystal clear. So while you can see through it, CosBond will fog visibility and somewhat diffuse light through clear acrylic plastics.
Styrene
CosBond works well with Styrene provided the adhered surfaces are smooth and solid.
3D Prints
As most 3D prints are made with a thermoplastics, CosBond works well to adhere 3D prints provided the points of adhesion are smooth and solid. You may experience reduced adhesion and holding power on pieces with a higher overall weight due to the induced vertical stress to the joints.
XPS
CosBond works well with XPS Foam provided the adhered surfaces are smooth and solid.
Vinyl | Latex| Silicone
We do not advise using CosBond on most vinyl, latex, or silicone materials.
Metal
CosBond works well with metals provided the adhered surfaces are smooth and solid.
Glass
CosBond works well with glass if the adhered surfaces are smooth and solid. CosBond adhesive is clear but not crystal clear. So while you can see through it, CosBond will fog visibility and somewhat diffuse light through clear surfaces.
CAUTION: CosBond adhesives will not prevent glass from breaking when pressure is applied.
Wood
CosBond works with wood provided the adhered surfaces are smooth and solid. On wood products, please allow for the full cure time of 24 hours for optimal strength.
Leather
CosBond works well with the smooth side of unfinished leather. The raw side of leather is generally fibrous and will not be able to stick to the body of the leather itself. Dyes and oils in the leather will also have varying effects on the holding power of the CosBond adhesive.
Spandex
As spandex stretches the molecular bond between CosBond and the material starts to break. It holds to some degree but not under continuous pressure. The same goes for attaching elastic straps to costumes. The elastic stretches and thus breaks the bonds. To help counteract this, sew a small strip of nylon strapping onto the end of the elastic and then attach it with both the Attach & build and the Reinforcer. That way it won’t ever come off.
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Backed by over a decade of research and development in adhesive technology, CosBond specialty adhesives are specifically designed to enhance your creative experiences. CosBond incorporates powerful, instant peel and stick adhesion for use on a wide variety of materials without fumes, messy glues, or drying time. CosBond Adhesives help today’s cosplayers build more complex and detailed costumes faster, easier, with less hassle, and more fun!