Frustrating CA Glue

Tojo72

I absolutely hate it Angry

I don't suppose this is very helpful, but me too. With one exception, I find BSI IC Gel useful. The rest of my CA products are hitting the garbage one by one during my rare moments of lessened anal-retentive tendencies.

My other complaint is shelf life. It's awful and keeping a fresh inventory is never-ending money pit cycle.

Other than that, it's white acrylic glue or 2 part epoxy for me (when plastic cements won't work, I mean).

Greg

...I find BSI IC Gel useful...

Thanks for sharing that, Greg!  I never heard of a CA gel.  It looks interesting and I'll have to try it.

Yeah, I've had a similar shelf-life issue with bottles of CA.  Some have lasted a couple of years, others went solid within a couple of months of opening the bottles.  I suspect that it has to do with the properties and processing of any given batch.  All Bob Smith Industries products.  Some of the bottles I've had were labeled for sale by retailers, like the bottles I bought at HobbyTown.  Others had the BSI label.

Here too CA is made to glue fingers very well.. I use various types of JB weld( time setting) works well.

Believe it or not, the Gorilla brand of super glue sold at Walmart has a long shelf-life, and the tip so far has never gotten clogged.  I've tried all kinds of hobby store brands, and they end up becoming useless, LONG before even using a significant quantity from even the smallest bottles.  I use Gorilla for most jobs that call for CA, except for photo etch.  For that, I'm using Flexy 4K.  Jury is still out on shelf-life, but the bottle has a tip almost identical in design to the Gorilla tip, and so far no clogging with Flexy 4K either.

the Baron

Thanks for sharing that, Greg! I never heard of a CA gel. It looks interesting and I'll have to try it.

Sure! If you do try it and happen to think about it, let me know if it gets a or .

I always wonder how long CA sits on store shelves, especially the smaller hobby shops who have BSI custom label for them. Not blaming them, not my point at all, more that the shelf life is bad to begin with.

BTW, I've found the IC-gel lasts pretty well in the tube. I recently tossed one that was easily 4 yrs old, more because I wasn't sure than it didn't hold.

crown r n7

Here too CA is made to glue fingers very well.

That sounds familiar.

Outside of going solid after a time I've only had one project where super glue failed and that was on my Seaquest kit.  

I've never heard so many complaints about the stuff before.

Back when it first came out I watched somebody glue a couple pieces of balsa wood together and it produced smoke im the process, so I think it was much stronger way back then.  One dqay we received a report from a civilian police dept. that some had just robbed a bank by using super glue to stick everyone to the wall.  Back then there was no information availableon how to neutralize the chemicals so everybody had to be cut from the wam and transported to the hospital to have the wall removed.  Never found out how but I bet it hurt.

Less is more. At least for me, that was the case. 

Eaglecash867

Believe it or not, the Gorilla brand of super glue sold at Walmart has a long shelf-life, and the tip so far has never gotten clogged.  I've tried all kinds of hobby store brands, and they end up becoming useless, LONG before even using a significant quantity from even the smallest bottles.  I use Gorilla for most jobs that call for CA, except for photo etch.  For that, I'm using Flexy 4K.  Jury is still out on shelf-life, but the bottle has a tip almost identical in design to the Gorilla tip, and so far no clogging with Flexy 4K either.

 

Interesting.

My  (for what it's worth).

Years ago, I bought a 1/2 oz. bottle of "Dr. Mike's" Model-n-Crafter's glue from a vendor at either Penncon or MosquitoCon. It's a CA glue. If you go to their site, they have 3 or 4 types from extra thin to gel. That first bottle lasted 2 years. I also got the extension tips. When you use it, after you put it where you need it, you just tap the bottle on the bench and the glue in the tube goes back in the bottle. Then you give the bottle a slight squeeze to clear the tube. If the tube blocks up, you just slice about 1mm off the tip and your set to go. 2 years ago, I bought 2 more bottles. The first one has about 1/4" left. I'll probably start on the second one this summer. I bought these 2 bottles on line. I got them in a couple of days. Was going to post a pic of it but the wife is not home and she has the phone with the camera. I can take a pic later if anyone wants to see it.

Jim  

I don't think I've ever had a bottle of CA of any size get used up. I used to pay $ 10 or so for those little bottles of Zap-a-Gap and it just looses strength.

I've tried Gorilla Gel CA and I'm happy that it works for others because it sure doesn't for me. After a couple of sessions it won't come out of the bottle anymore.

My best luck now is to buy those little tiny "one use" tubes. They can last a while, and I do always end up using them up. They also bond pretty quickly.

I bought a bottle of Gorilla CA jell (green cap) at Home Depot a long time ago and it sets in just a few seconds. It's been at least a couple of years and just noticed the jell quality becoming liquid and it taking longer to set. I think I will toss the bottle and get a new one.

I'm using the Gorilla XL super-strength stuff with the light blue cap.  I was actually just going to buy a few of the tiny, "single use" tubes of Duro, to give that method a try.  While I was there, I saw the Gorilla XL on the shelf above it, and picked that up too as a "what the hell...it might work".  Tried the Gorilla XL and I've been happy with it ever since, using the same bottle for a little over a year now I think.  Still haven't broken into the single use tubes of Duro yet...haven't needed to.  It also makes a great seam filler that makes me wonder why I ever used putty.  The Flexy 4K stuff has been excellent for photo etch application, since it has such strange properties.  It gives enough tack to hold the parts together, but stays pliable to allow you to get the part into perfect position before it fully hardens.  Used it just last night for attaching tiny, 1/72 scale brass rudder pedals to .05 mm diameter copper rods for my current B-52G build.  Amazing stuff.

Eagle

Gonna try the XL stuff when I replace the green cap one then. Where d  you get the Flexy 4K?

Plasticjunkie,

Here's a link to the Ebay seller I got it from.  I had the name wrong, its Flexy 5K...the 4K stuff is from the same company, and its a surface prep for photo etch, which I also have.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/VMS-FLEXY-5K-PE-flexible-super-glue-for-photo-etched-part-0-8oz-CA-Cyanoacrylate/322182154374?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

Eaglecash867

Plasticjunkie,

Here's a link to the Ebay seller I got it from.  I had the name wrong, its Flexy 5K...the 4K stuff is from the same company, and its a surface prep for photo etch, which I also have.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/VMS-FLEXY-5K-PE-flexible-super-glue-for-photo-etched-part-0-8oz-CA-Cyanoacrylate/322182154374?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

 

Eaglecash867

Believe it or not, the Gorilla brand of super glue sold at Walmart has a long shelf-life, and the tip so far has never gotten clogged.   

A while back I bought a roll of Gorilla black tape was very impressed by its stickiness and strength. Next time passing picked up the glue, lasts a long time and still works fine. 

Two comments.  One, CA does have a limited self life.  I do not buy large containers for that reason.

Second, I use both the thin and the gel versions.  I find the thin stuff dries fast enough, but the gel stuff does take a few minutes to set- the reason I like it (plus it is gap filling and does not require perfect fit of the gluing surfaces.  For the gel stuff, I have a bottle of CA accelerator handy at all times on the workbench.  Once the parts are set in place I apply the accelerator and it sets immediately.  I hold the parts in place with one hand with a tweezer or pick or something so I do not glue myself to the part, and apply accelerator with the other.

Sometimes when thin CA is applied to a joint with a gap, so that there is a larger volume of the glue, it does get slower.  The thin stuff is meant to be applied in very small amounts- too much of it in one spot keeps the air from getting into the volume.

Also, many people seem to be unaware that there is a debonder available for CA.  It does have some drawbacks, and is to be used as a last resort.  The big drawback to me is that it does soften styrene so you have to be very careful pulling the parts apart.  When the glue is softened, so is the styrene.

I bought a three pack of this stuff at World Expo in Chicago in 2017. Each bottle has lasted about a year and never dried up. I still have about a quarter of a bottle left. 

https://www.colle21.com/

Humidity could be an issue in a basement.  The CA glue hardens when "wet".  I use a drop or two of distilled water to set mine.  Works just fine.  I think you can get about a year once opened.  I always try to make sure that the nozzel and cap are clean to there is a good seal when I screw it back on.

I use the stuff in the green bottle from Walmart.

John

Don't Laugh!

     I have been having a stick problem with my BSI brand. I bought in bulk because of the last commission. Guess what? when it wouldn't stick I did spit on it! It Worked !

     I would beg you all to remember that this stuff was developed for the Medical proffession to glue together surface wounds. That's why it sticks to your skin so well. It is attracted to the moisture therein.

    I have actually taken and used teensy drop of water in a pinch when I didn't have my Super-Set stuff! I also am starting to gravitate to the gels as well. I like the fact they can be used so accurately!

I use these 2.   the super gold for canopies as this gap filling odorless formula doesn't fog clear plastic.  the Gorilla I use for most everything else.  well except for Tamiya thin and testers tube glue.

John 

I can understand your frustrations with ca glues.I have through the years picked up and learned new tricks when using these types of glues.1 allways cap your glues no matter what,I will use a piece of plastic,like a baggie and put a drop or two on it to use.2 years of driving a truck,I have used a lot of types out on the road.Yes drivers use ca glues like no tomorrow.We have to use them to fix interouirs of our trucks due to they are made of mostly plastics.We buy Gorilla or lock tight ca's for this.We keep them sealed tight and they last for years.Now on the Gorilla glues,there are 2 types.1 the clear ca which is good but buy them in the tubes and not in the bottle.The more you open them the quicker they start to harden due to air which causes them to harden.The 2 type of Gorilla glue comes in a bottle(it is brown in color) and will last forever even when opened.This due to that water has to be used to set the glue.So if you use this for photo etch,you will have to wet the area you want to glue.Put a drop on a piece of paper  and apply with a toothpick on the edge of the part.Apply thin,if you see a little bit of the brown from the glue thin it down.Then wet the other part with water and place pieces together.Make sure you do not see any brown for this type of glue if thick will exspand like foam.

Right now I am using insta-cure that these hobby shops sell.Had to buy it just to try it out.My last bottle lasted with all my moves and storage for 15 years.It finially gave up the ghost last year....lol

p.s. The brown colored Gorilla glue once set will last forever or at lest longer then the model.Everthing else will come apart but the Gorilla glue bond.I is some great stuff.

That Hobby Center Super Gold looks like a BSI product.

ANY amount of paint on the surface will prevent the super glue from setting, at least acrylic paint. A drop of accelerator usually solves the problem when you need it to set faster. 

Here's a tip...

When the nozzle of the tube seals shut, just take a pin and poke a hole in the body of the tube. Some glue will ooze out, use a piece of stretched sprue or a pin to apply the glue. The pin hole in the tube will seal up after an hour or two, just poke another hole when you need more glue.