Ok, so I’m sick and tired of having my CA bottles dry up and not being able to get them open again, so I’m asking the experts how they do it!?
Also how do you apply CA to small parts? Do you use a brush? I’ve seen what look like little needles (only not as sharp), but wouldn’t they just dry up and clog???
Help!
I use the long, plastic tips (needles) and have not had any significant problem with the CA drying out. I thought like you that it would dry up quickly but for some reason it doesn’t seem too. The tips are long enough that on the few occaisions when it does become clogged, you just clip off the end and keep going.
My only complaint with the plastic tips is they they are very flexible and sometimes wander from where I am trying to apply the CA. (more due to unsteadiness on my part than anything else)
Cliff
After using the CA,I let the bottle stand for a few moments,then LIGHTLY squeeze it.When you release the pressure,air will be drawn into the bottle and mostly clear the tip.I usually get a couple of months out of a bottle before it begins to gel up.Also wipe the tip before tightly replacing the cap.
If I do have some driend CA in the tip, I can always run a needle through it and push it out. The biggest problem is that if you buy a bottle that is too big the entire bottle will set up after several months. I generally buy only what I know I can use (or can affort to throw away) in 6 months time. It may last longer than this, but don’t count on it.
As to applying it to small parts, I put a small pool of CA on a paper plate, then apply it with a toothpick to the parts. Very small parts i hold in tweezers and apply a very small amount, them quickly apply the part.
Ron
First of all, don’t bother with anything but the cheap little bottles of superglue, found almost anywhere for $1.95 for four. The thin, cheap stuff is actually BETTER than the expensive crud we get conned into buying at hobby shops. Any superglue that’s “thick” or “fast drying” has some sort of filler in it, which creates a weaker bond. If you need to fill a gap, use putty, or in a pinch, use baking soda or even metal filings added to generic superglue.
Using these little bottles means that you’ll save money, have better adhesive, and won’t cry when one of them dries up, considering how little there is in them.
As for applying superglue, use a pin or piece of wire. Add a small puddle of glue to a water bottle cap (I have 'em handy around the house), and use the pin to transfer the glue to the part. If you’re gluing handrails or something similar, grab them with a pair of tweezers and swi***hem around in the puddle. Works great.
Thanks guys…all good tips!
I have a container of round toothpicks on my workbench. Apply some gap filling ACC to the end and place the glue where it needs to go. Toss the toothpick away after. I can get 6 one inch round containers full of toothpicks for a dollar at the local Dollar Stores.
Bob Boudreau
Hmmmmmmmm. [swg]
I like the “adding baking soda or metal filings” tip. I’m going to try it for filling holes. We learn from experimenting! [:D][8D][;)]
Thanks!
If you want your CA to last longer all you have to do is keep it stored in the refridgerator. The cold dry air keeps the glue from gelling and will last a lot longer than if kept on the workbench. We used CA to repair brain aneurysms in surgery along with the regular aneurysm clips. The CA would form a hard shell around the aneurysm and prevent it from growing any bigger. We kept the glue in a regular fridge and it would last for years.
I’ve heard that you can prolong the life of CA by storing it in an airtight container with some of those dessicant packets that come in packinging. I’ve tried it using a small pickle jar and dessicant packages, but can’t really say if it works because I don’t use CA often enough to know how long it will last in the refrigerator or out in the open. Moisture makes CA set faster, so it seems to me that putting it in the fridge would cause it to set up, because most refrigerators are very humid inside.
Original superglues were stored in the FREEZER, to keep them from setting up. COLD air is almost humidity-free, and it’s the humidity that sets up superglue. Modern formula superglues don’t need this sort of treatment. I still say the easy way to store the stuff is to only buy the small packages of the cheap stuff. You’ll end up with wastage any way you slice it; the smaller packs just minimize it.
I strongly agree with orsonroy’s post about using the cheap tubes of CA as opposed to the expensive stuff we buy in hobby shops. The cheap tubes, that you can buy for around one dollar in any drugstore or dimestore, come in both thin and gap filling formulae. I discovered that the cheaper CA works just as good, is a lot easier to control, and actually lasts longer than the overpriced stuff we buy in the hobby shops.
I dont consider CA expensive. I get a bottle for maybe 3 bucks and it will last me a few months. I was told keeping it inside a container with rice tends to prolong it. I never tried it.
I keep a box of “tips” handy so when one tip goes bad I just replace em. Same goes for the debonder which is ALWAYS within reach.
I am more concerned with spillage and the potential for a need to cut apart bonded skin at th doctors than anything else with CA.
I third the fact that CA will last a lot longer if kept in the freezer. I take it out for a few minutes to warm it up, use it, and put it back in the freezer when done.