Has anyone found a Cyanoacrylate (CA) glue system that lets you get through most of the bottle before it clogs & becomes a PIA to work with?
I am looking for something that will allow me to accurately position very small amounts of thin CA when detailing kits, and not clog up the dispenser tube after a few weeks of use.
Thanks
Tanked
I never use the tip built into the cap for that very reason. If I’m using thick CA, I’ll unscrew the entire top and dip a toothpick to get a small drop. If I’m using thin, I’ll use a pipette like the ones Bob Smith Industries sells for the purpose. http://bsiadhesives.com/Pages/hobby/access.html
Put simply, there really isn’t a way to keep the tip from getting clogged, but there are alternatives to using it.
I use the Zap-Gap with the Z-tip conical extenders which attach to the bottle, keep them clear with a pin, when they get to fouled simply pull it off and add another, I’ve been doing this for 15+ years now, dont need to cap it or anything.
For regular thin CA using the cut short tubelets inserted into the spout do the same job, and are easily replaced:
I also use a pin to open the clogged tip.
I have tried that over the years but what I find is that if the CA is used only from time to time, the blockage gets to the point where the pin won’t shift it & I have to cut below the blockage… On a tapered nozzle this gives a larger diameter exit hole, & thus the ability to apply a 'small amount ’ declines. The replaceable nozzle concept looks feasible.
I understand the problem traces back to CA being ‘activated’ by moisture and water vapor in the air gets inside nozzles over time resulting in an accumulating build up.
Tanked
Don’t put the cap back on right away. I always let the bottle stand there for a while, so that the glue in the tip has a chance to drain down. If you put the cap on, it will hold some of the glue at the top, which will harden in place. If the opening is very small, use a pin on it while it’s still wet, just after you apply it. Then let the glue drain down before capping the bottle. Yeah, sometimes I forget, and I leave the top off for a day or two. This hasn’t caused a problem yet.
But, if I have a very delicate application where I only need a bit of glue, I use a toothpick.
I thought I was the only one throwing away half a bottle of CA because the bottle would clog!! One thing I did try was this. Use a bottle top (twist off caps from a beer bottle work well) squeeze a couple of drops of CA into the top and use a toothpick or cheap disposable (small) paintbrush to apply the CA. I wipe off the top of the CA bottle with a cloth after I’m done. This has been working for me.
Jim
Wish I had asked this question way before now! I just periodically replaced my half-empties with new ones. [sigh]
Thanks for asking, and thanks for the useful ideas.
Another trick, rap the bottle sharply on the bench (the bottom of the bottle down) to know loose any drops in the nozzle area. I don’t think I had a bottle yet where there was usable glue in the bottle but the nozzle was plugged - in that did start gettign that way I used a small drill and a pin vise to drill out the hole. Most of the time I have trouble using up a complete bottle before it’s been opened enough to let enough moisture in the bottle to harden the remaining glue. Even with the smallest size bottles. I guess I don’t build enough things that need CA as an adhesive.
–Randy
The local brand I use isn’t too bad. I cut the tip on container, and for small detail areas place some on a piece of scrap wood. I use a tooth pick and dab that in the CA and apply to detail sections. The container comes with a nice cap that goes over the stem , and as long as the stem is wiped i don’t have much problem. For the times I do the hobby shop sells extra caps.
For plastic I prefer to use the plastruc weld (the one for different types of plastic.
I keep my bottles of CA upright in a sealed quart container in the fridge, and they do last much longer that way. I make sure that the nozzle is clear of droplets by squeezing the bottle slowly, then release it and let the air rush back in and clear it. Tap the bottom of the bottle on the bench beforehand to be sure the nozzle isn’t full before you do this, so you don’t end up wearing the bottle on your hand. I use an unwound paperclip to clear the nozzle when it seals up.
A nice dab of vaseline on the nozzle and inside the cap will make sure that any that gets into the cap won’t glue it in place. But if the nozzle does suffer catastrophic failure and it twists it off, I just find a self tapping screw big enough to seal it up.
One word, Acetone, it clears the tip just fine. I keep extra nozzles in a butter tub full of acetone (keep the lid on the tub otherwise the acetone will evaporate) and when the one I’m using becomes fouled I take it off and drop it in the acetone and take out a cleared one and I’m back in busness.
“HARVEN”
I use the small tubes fo Super Glue, 1/4 oz I think instead of the larger bottles of Zap or similar brands. If the nozzle clogs, I carefully unscrew it (watching for drops of glue trying to get to my fingers), then ream it out using a wire - pushing from the thin to thick end ot the nozzle. By using the small tubes, there is not much lost if I it becomes thoroughly siezed up and I have to throw it away.
Since it’s the moisture in the air that hardens CA–and it doesn’t take much moisture–how about storing the tube in a sealed jar with a pouch of dessicant? That’s those little bags that come packed in with electronic equipment. Just a thought.