CA glue clogs

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Hi All,

How do you keep your ca glue from setting up at the tip? I got a large bottle of med. CA glue and transferred some into a small bottle that contained ca glue originally. But now that bottle is driving me nuts with its constant clogging. What do you use for a small ca bottle that won't clog?

[Wally Dickerman]

Throw away the cap! You'll still have occasional clogging but not nearly as often.

When you've used up a bottle of glue, save the spout. When I have a clogged spout, I put it into a glass jar. When I've collected a few I put some acetone in the jar. The next day all of the glue will be in the bottom of the jar and all of the spouts will be clean. When I do get a clogged spout, I merely replace it with a used, clean spout. Problem solved!

Wally

[Baxter Smith]

Thank you! I had the very same question myself!

[bob svoboda]

Wally nailed it.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Wally you hit the nail squarely on the head. Exactly what I do.

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Thanks Wally but what does leaving the cap off all the time do to the ca? Is this what you're saying you do? Thanks Alan

[Jeff Nicol]

I leave the caps off also, what happens is that if there is any glue left in the spout and you put the cap back on it tends to migrate up into the smallest part of the spout. Since there is moisture in the air it gets in the container or on the cap and that lets the glue set up. With the cap off the glue will go back into the bottle and not set up in the spout. If you use the bottle and you touch the wood or whatever you are glueing there will be a small transfer of little particles and that too will set the glue faster. I have a small piece of wire that is sharp on one end that I poke in when I get a clog and most times I can pull the goey gob out with the little wire. I have also heard that a little petroleum jelly in the cap helps it from sticking if you want to use the cap.

More solutions out there I am sure,

Jeff

[Wally Dickerman]

Thanks Wally but what does leaving the cap off all the time do to the ca? Is this what you're saying you do? Thanks Alan

Doesn't seem to do anything to the CA. I've had open bottles sit for months with no problems.

I think that putting the cap on after using CA, tends to hold glue up in the spout.

Wally

[Steve Schlumpf]

Well, I will be the first to admit that I don't use CA that often but all I have ever done is squeeze out any air that was left in the bottle - before - placing the cap back on. Have not had any problems.

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Interesting discussion here and I'll give it a try with the cap off. I'm being more careful with this stuff since I got my finger glued to my drill. :eek: See my other thread.

[Harvey Ghesser]

I am not as thrify as Wally or Bernie so when I bought CA, I also bought a bag full of caps. Problem solved.:cool:

[charlie knighton]

i may very well try Wally's solution when bottle gets a little less full, if it works it would be great and Wally has a lot of experience . what i have been doing, put glue on wood, put cap on, bang bottle bottom on something flat several times, good wacks. i do have problem with old bottles of glue that set up, old in over a year. :eek:

[Frank Van Atta]

Lack of oxygen is one of the primary conditions that causes CA glue to cure. Leaving the cap off makes sure the glue gets plenty of oxygen so it doesn't set up. I've been leaving the cap off my CA glue for years, and I've never had the glue set up in the tube. One thing I do is bang the bottom of the container on the bench top and then squeeze the bottle to expel air through the tube and clear out any residual glue before putting the bottle away. I've done this in cold, wet climate (WA) and hot, dry climate (AZ) and it works the same in both.

[David E Keller]

I leave the caps off all the time.

Some say putting it in the fridge helps, but I'm too lazy to walk to the fridge every time I want to use the glue.

I'll be saving my old spouts to try the acetone trick. That's a good one.

[Curt Fuller]

Throw away the cap! You'll still have occasional clogging but not nearly as often.

When you've used up a bottle of glue, save the spout. When I have a clogged spout, I put it into a glass jar. When I've collected a few I put some acetone in the jar. The next day all of the glue will be in the bottom of the jar and all of the spouts will be clean. When I do get a clogged spout, I merely replace it with a used, clean spout. Problem solved!

Wally
I knew about leaving the cap off but didn't know about cleaning the spouts. Thanks for the great tip Wally!

[Paul Douglass]

Well, thank you, thank you. One more flustration in my life gone, I hope. What a great forum and Alan, thanks for asking. Now if I can figure out were to put the darn bottle so I don't knock it over all the time...

[Karl Card]

Well, I will be the first to admit that I don't use CA that often but all I have ever done is squeeze out any air that was left in the bottle - before - placing the cap back on. Have not had any problems.


same here.