Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 22 hours ago
Loooooot of sticky things in the shop, and that’s a good thing. Without sticky, there’s no gluing or finishing.
But every shop full of sticky stuff needs something stubborn.
Lucky enough for us, we have silicone. A material definitely not intended for the woodshop, but ohhh, how it shines.
If you haven't picked up a silicone glue brush and ditched the old metal ones where the bristles fall out, now's the time to change. I've used this same one for almost a decade and it still works.
But let’s really put it to the test today. Seven years ago I raved about how good these silicone pie mats are. I claimed nothing sticks to them. Was I wrong? I have 10 different types of sticky we can test.
We’ve got Lacquer, Oil polyurethane, shellac, danish oil, water polyurethane, wood glue, gorilla glue, super glue, epoxy and hot glue.
I gave it about 8 hours to let it do its thing, and now let’s go back and check it out.
Lacquer came off easily, and so did oil-based polyurethane.
Shellac fought me but I was able to flake it off.
The Danish oil was still wet after eight hours, but it wiped right off without much effort.
Water-based polyurethane came off easily, as did the wood glue...and somehow the Gorilla Glue might have been the easiest one of the bunch.
Then came super glue. This one absolutely destroyed the mat.
Epoxy peeled off cleanly, and hot glue came right up.
Silicone caulking is another one I already know bonds to silicone, so keep that away from these mats too.
So no, I was wrong seven years ago. Not everything releases from silicone. Most of the common shop stuff I tested did, but super glue and silicone caulk are two big exceptions.
Obviously, this makes a silicone mat like this invaluable, because most of it just peels away.
These pie mats absolutely work, and they’re what got me started using silicone in the shop. But after using them for years, I found one weakness.
The pie mats I’ve used have a cloth center, and the thin silicone layer on top has chipped off in the past. These solid silicone mats are better built for what we’re doing, and they’re easier to find in larger sizes.
But let’s not stop there. Hit the kitchen aisle and you can find all sorts of fun devices that translate really well into tools for the shop.
Instead of wasting thin strips of wood for mixing and potentially introducing sawdust into your finish, use a silicone stir stick.
I use these, let the glue, finish, or epoxy cure, and then you get the deeply satisfying part... peeling it all off.
Ohhh, that feels good.
I’ve got a full list of silicone things you can find on Amazon, and I’ll put that in the description. But don’t forget to check your local stores too, because there are always weird little silicone tools hiding in the kitchen aisle that you never knew you needed.
Like step by step projects? Check out the second channel! → @makethingswithrob
Link in the description:
Silicone Glue Brush → amzn.to/2JqoXTe
Silicone Mat (2mm! x 24" x 36") → amzn.to/4gIaLot
Silicone Stir Sticks → amzn.to/4x8V7Hj
Silicone Squeegee (great for large glue ups) → amzn.to/3PZ5IQM
Silicone Cupcake Cups (for glue ups) → amzn.to/2XEo2m6
Silicone Kitchen Brushes (for finishes) → amzn.to/2LJENtB
Silicone Bowls (for mixing resins) -- amzn.to/2LGEJe6
Buy me a beverage! → buymeacoffee.com/makethings ←
Become a patron! → patreon.com/makethings ←
Huge thank you to my patrons that keep this thing going!
As an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
*MAKER TEAM*
Michelle B
Keith Current
Rich Lightfoot
Tutor the Barbarian
Aubrey G.
Nukebert
Sam W.
Aaron Knows DIY
G. Salazar
David B.
Marc B.
Richard B.
Ben. K
Bill Patterson
D. Lundman
Make Things
#MakeThings #mtbitesize
Loooooot of sticky things in the shop, and that’s a good thing. Without sticky, there’s no gluing or finishing.
But every shop full of sticky stuff needs something stubborn.
Lucky enough for us, we have silicone. A material definitely not intended for the woodshop, but ohhh, how it shines.
If you haven't picked up a silicone glue brush and ditched the old metal ones where the bristles fall out, now's the time to change. I've used this same one for almost a decade and it still works.
But let’s really put it to the test today. Seven years ago I raved about how good these silicone pie mats are. I claimed nothing sticks to them. Was I wrong? I have 10 different types of sticky we can test.
We’ve got Lacquer, Oil polyurethane, shellac, danish oil, water polyurethane, wood glue, gorilla glue, super glue, epoxy and hot glue.
I gave it about 8 hours to let it do its thing, and now let’s go back and check it out.
Lacquer came off easily, and so did oil-based polyurethane.
Shellac fought me but I was able to flake it off.
The Danish oil was still wet after eight hours, but it wiped right off without much effort.
Water-based polyurethane came off easily, as did the wood glue...and somehow the Gorilla Glue might have been the easiest one of the bunch.
Then came super glue. This one absolutely destroyed the mat.
Epoxy peeled off cleanly, and hot glue came right up.
Silicone caulking is another one I already know bonds to silicone, so keep that away from these mats too.
So no, I was wrong seven years ago. Not everything releases from silicone. Most of the common shop stuff I tested did, but super glue and silicone caulk are two big exceptions.
Obviously, this makes a silicone mat like this invaluable, because most of it just peels away.
These pie mats absolutely work, and they’re what got me started using silicone in the shop. But after using them for years, I found one weakness.
The pie mats I’ve used have a cloth center, and the thin silicone layer on top has chipped off in the past. These solid silicone mats are better built for what we’re doing, and they’re easier to find in larger sizes.
But let’s not stop there. Hit the kitchen aisle and you can find all sorts of fun devices that translate really well into tools for the shop.
Instead of wasting thin strips of wood for mixing and potentially introducing sawdust into your finish, use a silicone stir stick.
I use these, let the glue, finish, or epoxy cure, and then you get the deeply satisfying part... peeling it all off.
Ohhh, that feels good.
I’ve got a full list of silicone things you can find on Amazon, and I’ll put that in the description. But don’t forget to check your local stores too, because there are always weird little silicone tools hiding in the kitchen aisle that you never knew you needed.
Like step by step projects? Check out the second channel! → @makethingswithrob
Link in the description:
Silicone Glue Brush → amzn.to/2JqoXTe
Silicone Mat (2mm! x 24" x 36") → amzn.to/4gIaLot
Silicone Stir Sticks → amzn.to/4x8V7Hj
Silicone Squeegee (great for large glue ups) → amzn.to/3PZ5IQM
Silicone Cupcake Cups (for glue ups) → amzn.to/2XEo2m6
Silicone Kitchen Brushes (for finishes) → amzn.to/2LJENtB
Silicone Bowls (for mixing resins) -- amzn.to/2LGEJe6
Buy me a beverage! → buymeacoffee.com/makethings ←
Become a patron! → patreon.com/makethings ←
Huge thank you to my patrons that keep this thing going!
As an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
*MAKER TEAM*
Michelle B
Keith Current
Rich Lightfoot
Tutor the Barbarian
Aubrey G.
Nukebert
Sam W.
Aaron Knows DIY
G. Salazar
David B.
Marc B.
Richard B.
Ben. K
Bill Patterson
D. Lundman
Make Things
#MakeThings #mtbitesize
