I hate table tennis glues having VOC which have been banned by ITTF now. As per the new ITTF rule after the Olympics, the glues containing VOC substances should not be used on blades or rubbers. I was looking for an alternative long time back and I came across Joola X-Glue. The Joola X-Glue is like natural rubber milk. I have also used Dr.Neubauer Contact Glue. They are good glues.
The natural rubber glues create a layer on rubber and blade when time goes and is hard to remove. Unless you are careful, it can destroy the sponge while peeling the glue residue from the sponge. Removing the glue takes hours. Many layers of glue can change the characteristics of the rubber and it can affect your stroke.
Because of the above reasons, I have decided to try XIOM I-BOND. The XIOM I-BOND is a regular glue approved by ITTF. It is water based. They are not speed glue and can’t give any boost to the performance of the rubber. It is environmental friendly and can cause no health problems. It comes in a 25 ml bottle and easy to carry around.
I applied XIOM I-SURE before applying the XIOM I-BOND. The XIOM I-SURE is a blade sealant and need to be used before XIOM I-BOND. I applied XIOM I-SURE and kept it for couple of hours to dry. You can use a hair dryer and dry it fast also. The I-SURE creates a shiny layer on the blade. After allowing to dry for few hours, apply I-BOND on blade as well as the rubber. Applying both I-SURE and I-BOND is pretty easy – a 4 year old boy can do it.
The I-BOND has good smell - not like other table tennis glues having foul smell. I allowed 15 minutes for the glue to dry. The rubber does not stick well to the blade if it is pressed on to the blade before the glue gets dried completely.
The glue deposit on the blade is easy to remove – simply wipe off with a cloth soaked with water. You can simply peel the glue layer with your hand also. It is not recommended to wash the blade because in long term, the water can destroy the blade.
Slap me. I’m one of those guys sit for hours removing the glue from the rubber - sure, watching the tv at the same time. I found out an easy way to remove the glue. Simply put another two layers to glue on top the layer, wait for 3 to 4 hours. The glue will come out easily.
I apply the glue every two days for good glue feeling. This is the right glue for new generation table tennis rubbers made with tensor technology. The regular glue that is available in the market like Rubber Cement can destroy the sponge of tensor rubbers.
I have found the I-BOND is very effective on new rubbers. The rubber may not stick well if you have an old rubber which had other glues (not I-BOND) on it. Also, if you have peeled the glue (not I-BOND) out of the rubber few times, and the sponge has lost the protective layer, the I-BOND is not effective. It is okay to remove the layer that I-BOND generates and re-apply I-BOND again. If you have that problem, keep using your old glue until you get a new rubber and start using I-SURE and I-BOND.
As per the new USATT rule, every player is advised to use only water based glue at tournaments. The water based glues like XIOM I-BOND can pass the ENEZ glue tester.
You can use I-BOND and I-SURE on any kind of rubbers and blades. It is made especially for the new generation rubbers. The price is $10 and is available at TableTennisStore.US.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi. I never used but I have to try.
Thanks for article.
Dear Varghese,
Good day. What about the Andro Free Glue? Is this exactly the same as Xiom I-Bond since both with tensor bond logo on it? Is Andro Free glue good in bonding and easy to remove from the blade? Thank you for your advise.
The BIOS glue is the best glue I have used ever. It is very easy to manage for re-gluers. The XIOM I-BOND and Andro Free Glue come from the same factory, so they are both the same I think.
If you are looking for little more strong bond, go for TSP Water Bond. They are stronger than XIOM Glue.
Irrespective of whatever you use, please apply I-SURE, the blade protector.
When it comes to changing the rubber, how do you remove the old one with xiom?? like with chack i used to use white spirit. Thanks.