Wassup with my CA Glue?

[Doug Shepard]

I need to glue some small 1/8"x1/2" rare earth rod magnets into holes and wondered if CA wouldn't work just as well for this as mixing up a small epoxy batch so went looking for my CA bottles last night. I wanted to see if there was an expiration date on the bottles and what the info on the bottles said as far as wood to metal. What I discovered was glue cancer. I bought these probably 10-12 years ago when a 3-pack package was on sale. So far I had only opened the super-T bottle (Gold label LH one in the pics). Now roughly 4 weeks ago my Cat from Hell jumped up on a desk near where these were kept, and she knows she's not supposed to be up there. When she saw me coming, she made a dash to flee the scene and in the process knocked these down and they fell to the floor. I picked them up and they appeared fine. All the caps still on, and nothing leaking or broken. Then I find this last night. The 2 LH bottles are fused. I also had these sitting on the plastic case for my TS-Aligner Jr and there's a large hardened blob on the case as well. As near as I can figure, the agitation from the tumble to the floor started some sort of chemical reaction that caused the bottles to pressurize and burst, then bubble out. Other than being stuck to the other bottle the Original (Red label) CA in the middle has nothing visibly wrong. There's still liquid CA in all the bottles but can I trust any of this? Or just pitch it? Anybody heard of anything like this happening?
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[Tom Majewski]

Did you store the glue within 6" of any CA activator or kicker?

If they were on a damp location, moisture would cure it like that in a few weeks.
Temperature change could have popped the cap and started the cure.

I use CA like it's going out of style, building model airplanes and boats for 25 years. Un-opened bottles I toss after 2 years, and opened bottles after a year. I found that even though it's still liquid, it just doesnt hold right and will fall apart in a few months...something you don't want with a 9 foot span $800 airplane above you. Old stock takes longer to set up too...you can tell right away compared to fresh CA. Out of 8 or so brands I've used over the years I like Mercury Adhesives, and Zap brands.
If you have any hobby shops nearby, get their house brand. It's made by Bob Smith Industries, and they re-label it for hundreds of hobby shops. Decent stuff at low price, still holding after 10 or so years.

[Sonny Edmonds]

It's way too old, Doug.
It does get poopie after a year, and starts taking forever to set at around 3 years.
My last supplies I got from Monty of Wooden Wonders (http://woodenwonderstx.com/WWBlue/NewGlueWS.html). Great glue at group discount prices. Tell him Sonny sent you. :)

[Ken Higginbotham]

I think you can extend the shelf life by storing it in a frig.

[Doug Shepard]

Did you store the glue within 6" of any CA activator or kicker?
Well the can of activator is just barely visible on the RH edge of pic 2 &3 and they were sitiing about the same distance both before and after the tumble, for the entire time I've had them. The activator has also never been used and didn't take the tumble from the desk.

If they were on a damp location, moisture would cure it like that in a few weeks.
I cant store glue in the unheated GaShop so they're in a utility area in the basement which has a bit higher humidity than the rest of the house but it's nothing extreme or damp.

Temperature change could have popped the cap and started the cure.
I guess I can buy that on the gold bottle but the green one still hasn't had the cap cut and none of the bubbling out is at the cap. It's all down below the cap,
....

Thanks guys. I am going to pitch the glue. Do you think the activator should get pitched too or does that last longer? This just struck me as really wierd as the only thing that changed in the storage environment after all this time was the shaking it took during the fall.
I had to go fill up the shop space heater propane tank this morning at the hardwares store so I picked up a tube of Superglue Gel rather than wait on something mailorder. I've got West epoxy I could use but I'd rather not have to wait 24 hours for the cure afterwards.

[Tom Majewski]

The activator should b good. Mine outlasts several ca bottles.
Word on the hobby forums is that a couple Alka-Seltzer tablets dropped in a small spray bottle of water makes a great activator. Never tried it myself.

[Sonny Edmonds]

CA, it's not just for breakfast anymore. :rolleyes:
I use it a lot and have for many, many years, around my shop.
I finish with it on my lathe work. I've used it to assemble tiny moldings onto tiny boxes. For almost any gluing job I consider it.
And the thin stuff is great for reinforcing wood. It soaks in, catalyzes, and solidifies grain for working it.
The medium, with the quick set hardener is great for filling a natural void in a piece of wood. ;)

[michael osadchuk]

The activator should b good. Mine outlasts several ca bottles.
Word on the hobby forums is that a couple Alka-Seltzer tablets dropped in a small spray bottle of water makes a great activator. Never tried it myself.

....when I used CA in making R/C planes, the formula for homemade activator was mixing some baking soda with water and putting the mix in a small spray bottle.....

good luck

michael

[mike holden]

Label glue bottles with the date purchased, toss after a year. Only thing I will keep longer is hide glue in the solid form (granules, pearls, etc.). Same thing with shellac, solid keeps, mixed gets tossed.
Glues are cheap, buy small containers and toss what you dont use. The cost of repairs when the glue fails is MUCH higher.
However, if you must try and keep glues a long time, keep them in a refrigerator and in a sealed container (plastic bag, glass jar, etc.) Then test them before use.

Mike

[Dewey Torres]

Label glue bottles with the date purchased, toss after a year. Only thing I will keep longer is hide glue in the solid form (granules, pearls, etc.). Same thing with shellac, solid keeps, mixed gets tossed.
Glues are cheap, buy small containers and toss what you dont use. The cost of repairs when the glue fails is MUCH higher.
However, if you must try and keep glues a long time, keep them in a refrigerator and in a sealed container (plastic bag, glass jar, etc.) Then test them before use.

Mike


Mike gives great advice here!