explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

3194: 16 Part Epoxy

2026-01-14T22:48:33Z

Dwray:

{{comic
| number = 3194
| date = January 14, 2026
| title = 16 Part Epoxy
| image = 16_part_epoxy_2x.png
| imagesize = 511x595px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Some surfaces may seem difficult to glue. But if you research the materials, find tables of what adhesives work on them, and prepare your surfaces carefully, you can fail to glue them in a fun NEW way that fills your house with dangerous vapors.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by a bot covered in various types of glue. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

This comic refers to {{w|Epoxy|epoxy}}, a substance used for attaching other materials. Many types of epoxy are multi-part, where the components, such as resin and a hardener, are stored separately. They are mixed on use, so that the epoxy cures into a solid, binding to whatever surfaces on which it was applied. This comic presents a fictitious 16-part epoxy, with many components that are implausible or make fun of common problems people have when using epoxy in real life.

The title text references how not all epoxies and glues work on every material, and that applying them on some can require special techniques or products. Some industrial or industrial-grade adhesives contain solvents (e.g., {{w|Tetrachloroethylene|tetrachloroethylene}}, which is used in E6000 glue) that release harmful vapors as they cure. If used improperly, this can result in the release of chemical vapors in an enclosed space along other dangerous side effects, while also not working as a glue as intended.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Type
!Real?
!Explanation
|-
|Resin
|{{Yes}}
|A liquid which turns into a polymer when mixed with a hardener.
|-
|Hardener
|{{Yes}}
|A thick liquid which is mixed with resin to create a durable polymer which is commonly used as a glue.
|-
|Filler
|{{Yes}}
|An optional addition to the hardener and resin which changes the properties of the polymer.
|-
|Softener
|{{Yes}}
|A substance which is added to polymer to soften the polymer and increase its impact resistance.
|-
|Rosin
|{{Yes}}
|While this looks like a joke entry, this is actually an alternative to resin which is extracted naturally rather than synthesized from other chemicals. Rosin is frequently applied to the bows of string instruments like violins or fiddles to improve the sound, as immortalized in the famous song "The Devil Flew Down to Georgia".
|-
|Stuff that bonds permanently to skin and nothing else
|{{No}}
|One key annoyance with sticky substances is the difficulty of removing it when it bonds to skin. In this case, the polymer bonds solely to skin instead of anything else, making it more useful for a practical joke. Some epoxies are specifically designed for gluing skin, usually for medical purposes, but none are known to bond to skin exclusively.{{acn}} The most common kinds are moisture-activated, which means they will not easily bond to fully dried surfaces, where often most non-skin surfaces are dry.
|-
|Stuff that will crack and turn white over a few days, for decorative appearance
|{{No|Not effective as epoxy}}
|'Crackle effect' is a real thing for crafters, and can be created by mixing paint and glue, but is not recommended if you want two surfaces to adhere, since most paint is made to be non-adherent in order to be durable {{acn}}.
|-
|Placebo
|{{No|Not in this field}}
|The {{w|placebo effect}} happens when somebody is told that something has a certain effect, when in reality there is no effect. This is commonly used in medical studies to determine whether a medication actually does something as opposed to simply having a {{w|psychosomatic effect}}, but Randall is using this term to describe the type of polymer. This makes no sense, because the polymer would need to make someone believe it is gluing things together without actually doing anything, which is highly unlikely. Alternatively, this could refer to a component or filler that claims to serve a specific purpose while having no true benefit, causing the perception of benefit to the consumer (presumably causing better reviews).
|-
|Minced duct tape
|{{No}}
|Randall is pretending that having very small pieces of sticky duct tape would make a good adhesive. In fact, cutting duct tape into small pieces would weaken it and make it ''less'' effective at sticking things together. In the UK, the word 'minced' can also mean 'made worthless', which would also not augur well for the adhesive.
|-
|Acetone fragrance
|{{No}}
|The fragrance of acetone is very similar to that of nail polish remover and comes from a natural solvent within it. Most people consider this scent incredibly unpleasant. This would also be worthless in an epoxy set, as the fragrance would have no effect on adhesiveness while making it smell worse.
|-
|Powdered bar magnets
|{{No}}
|While this would still work, as each tiny piece of magnet would still become a magnet in its own right, it would be much worse than a normal bar magnet due to the random orientation of each piece.
|-
|Polyethylvinylesteracetate
|{{No}}
|This seems like it would combine the effects of hardener and softener, which would not work.{{cn}}
|-
|2-Polyethylvinylesteracetate
|{{No}}
|This would be exactly the same as the normal one.
|-
|Salt and pepper to taste
|{{No|Not in this field}}
|Salt and pepper are two incredibly popular condiments which are used to enhance a dish's flavor. Using this would have no effect on the polymer.
|-
|Blood sample from the Gorilla Glue gorillas
|{{No}}
|{{w|Gorilla Glue}} is a popular brand of superglue which uses {{w|gorillas}} as its mascot. In this case, the blood of the gorillas would be extracted and placed in the polymer, which would have no effect because they're depicted as just regular gorillas that happen to carry glue everywhere.
|-
|Stuff that bonds to every known material except yours
|{{No}}
|Another common annoyance when using a polymer is that some types do not form an adhesive bond with certain materials. In this case, the polymer would bond with every material except for the one you were using, causing great distress.
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

Standard 16-Part Epoxy

[An epoxy applicator with a single push bar and sixteen differently-colored chambers, each labeled]

Resin

Hardener

Filler

Softener

Rosin

Stuff that bonds permanently to skin and nothing else

Stuff that will turn white and crack over a few days, for decorative appearance

Placebo

Minced duct tape

Acetone Fragrance

Powdered bar magnets

Polyethylvinylesteracetate

2-Polyethylvinylesteracetate

Salt and pepper to taste

Blood sample from the Gorilla Glue gorillas

Stuff that bonds to every known material except yours

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics with color]]

3194: 16 Part Epoxy

2026-01-14T22:46:28Z

Dwray: Crackle effect is a real thing for crafters, and can be created with glue / epoxy, but is not recommended if you want to o hold something together.

{{comic
| number = 3194
| date = January 14, 2026
| title = 16 Part Epoxy
| image = 16_part_epoxy_2x.png
| imagesize = 511x595px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Some surfaces may seem difficult to glue. But if you research the materials, find tables of what adhesives work on them, and prepare your surfaces carefully, you can fail to glue them in a fun NEW way that fills your house with dangerous vapors.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by a bot covered in various types of glue. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

This comic refers to {{w|Epoxy|epoxy}}, a substance used for attaching other materials. Many types of epoxy are multi-part, where the components, such as resin and a hardener, are stored separately. They are mixed on use, so that the epoxy cures into a solid, binding to whatever surfaces on which it was applied. This comic presents a fictitious 16-part epoxy, with many components that are implausible or make fun of common problems people have when using epoxy in real life.

The title text references how not all epoxies and glues work on every material, and that applying them on some can require special techniques or products. Some industrial or industrial-grade adhesives contain solvents (e.g., {{w|Tetrachloroethylene|tetrachloroethylene}}, which is used in E6000 glue) that release harmful vapors as they cure. If used improperly, this can result in the release of chemical vapors in an enclosed space along other dangerous side effects, while also not working as a glue as intended.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Type
!Real?
!Explanation
|-
|Resin
|{{Yes}}
|A liquid which turns into a polymer when mixed with a hardener.
|-
|Hardener
|{{Yes}}
|A thick liquid which is mixed with resin to create a durable polymer which is commonly used as a glue.
|-
|Filler
|{{Yes}}
|An optional addition to the hardener and resin which changes the properties of the polymer.
|-
|Softener
|{{Yes}}
|A substance which is added to polymer to soften the polymer and increase its impact resistance.
|-
|Rosin
|{{Yes}}
|While this looks like a joke entry, this is actually an alternative to resin which is extracted naturally rather than synthesized from other chemicals. Rosin is frequently applied to the bows of string instruments like violins or fiddles to improve the sound, as immortalized in the famous song "The Devil Flew Down to Georgia".
|-
|Stuff that bonds permanently to skin and nothing else
|{{No}}
|One key annoyance with sticky substances is the difficulty of removing it when it bonds to skin. In this case, the polymer bonds solely to skin instead of anything else, making it more useful for a practical joke. Some epoxies are specifically designed for gluing skin, usually for medical purposes, but none are known to bond to skin exclusively.{{acn}} The most common kinds are moisture-activated, which means they will not easily bond to fully dried surfaces, where often most non-skin surfaces are dry.
|-
|Stuff that will crack and turn white over a few days, for decorative appearance
|{{No|Not effective as epoxy}}
|Many older walls have a tendency to crack due to exterior stresses. In this case, Randall claims there is a type of epoxy whose sole purpose is to mimic this effect for 'decorative appearance', which would not make sense as these cracked walls are visually unappealing to many.
'Crackle effect' is a real thing for crafters, and can be created by mixing paint and glue, but is not recommended if you want two surfaces to adhere, since most paint is made to be non-adherent in order to be durable [reference needed].
|-
|Placebo
|{{No|Not in this field}}
|The {{w|placebo effect}} happens when somebody is told that something has a certain effect, when in reality there is no effect. This is commonly used in medical studies to determine whether a medication actually does something as opposed to simply having a {{w|psychosomatic effect}}, but Randall is using this term to describe the type of polymer. This makes no sense, because the polymer would need to make someone believe it is gluing things together without actually doing anything, which is highly unlikely. Alternatively, this could refer to a component or filler that claims to serve a specific purpose while having no true benefit, causing the perception of benefit to the consumer (presumably causing better reviews).
|-
|Minced duct tape
|{{No}}
|Randall is pretending that having very small pieces of sticky duct tape would make a good adhesive. In fact, cutting duct tape into small pieces would weaken it and make it ''less'' effective at sticking things together. In the UK, the word 'minced' can also mean 'made worthless', which would also not augur well for the adhesive.
|-
|Acetone fragrance
|{{No}}
|The fragrance of acetone is very similar to that of nail polish remover and comes from a natural solvent within it. Most people consider this scent incredibly unpleasant. This would also be worthless in an epoxy set, as the fragrance would have no effect on adhesiveness while making it smell worse.
|-
|Powdered bar magnets
|{{No}}
|While this would still work, as each tiny piece of magnet would still become a magnet in its own right, it would be much worse than a normal bar magnet due to the random orientation of each piece.
|-
|Polyethylvinylesteracetate
|{{No}}
|This seems like it would combine the effects of hardener and softener, which would not work.{{cn}}
|-
|2-Polyethylvinylesteracetate
|{{No}}
|This would be exactly the same as the normal one.
|-
|Salt and pepper to taste
|{{No|Not in this field}}
|Salt and pepper are two incredibly popular condiments which are used to enhance a dish's flavor. Using this would have no effect on the polymer.
|-
|Blood sample from the Gorilla Glue gorillas
|{{No}}
|{{w|Gorilla Glue}} is a popular brand of superglue which uses {{w|gorillas}} as its mascot. In this case, the blood of the gorillas would be extracted and placed in the polymer, which would have no effect because they're depicted as just regular gorillas that happen to carry glue everywhere.
|-
|Stuff that bonds to every known material except yours
|{{No}}
|Another common annoyance when using a polymer is that some types do not form an adhesive bond with certain materials. In this case, the polymer would bond with every material except for the one you were using, causing great distress.
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

Standard 16-Part Epoxy

[An epoxy applicator with a single push bar and sixteen differently-colored chambers, each labeled]

Resin

Hardener

Filler

Softener

Rosin

Stuff that bonds permanently to skin and nothing else

Stuff that will turn white and crack over a few days, for decorative appearance

Placebo

Minced duct tape

Acetone Fragrance

Powdered bar magnets

Polyethylvinylesteracetate

2-Polyethylvinylesteracetate

Salt and pepper to taste

Blood sample from the Gorilla Glue gorillas

Stuff that bonds to every known material except yours

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics with color]]