Following a recommendation, Langley had turned to the North East glue specialist when he was looking to source a company that could supply a glue that would hold together the thousands of pieces of glass he used to create ‘Just Wave’, a stunning 2.7 metre high ‘frozen in time’ wave sculpture.
‘Just Wave’ was constructed using sea glass (from the now defunct Seaham Glass Factory), considered to be the most sought-after sea glass in the world, as well as glass washed up at Hartlepool, together with donations from local collectors. The local community also helped out, collecting the glass with Langley over a number of weekends.
Prior to the sculptor awarding Advanced Adhesives the contract, the glue specialist set about blending various resins and formulations to determine which one would work best. Once blended, each glue was tested for its strength, clarity, as well as water and sunlight resistance.
Says Langley: "I wanted ‘Just Wave’ to have as strong a North East link to it as possible and therefore only wanted to work with a North East company when it came to sourcing the glue. At first, I wasn’t sure if we would actually be able to find a glue that would not only hold the wave together, but do so without detracting from its beauty by being invisible or discolour in sunlight. Amazingly, Graham Crozier [Advanced Adhesives’ managing director], whom I now know to be a ‘glue guru’, was able to blend a unique adhesive."
