CA glue

[cal thelen]

Just wondering what the shelf life of CA Glue is once the bottle is open? Thanks

[Vince Welch]

Shelf life once CA is opened is a tough to answer. I know obviously the fresher the glue the better. To my knowledge there is only one CA glue still made in the USA and that is Stick Fast. The others all are made and come in from overseas. Because of that the CA will sit on the dock, then sit during the boatride or whatever to transport, then US customs, then warehouse, then retailer, then consumer. Refrigeration help preserve glue life. Vince

[Alan Trout]

It depends on several things. In particular temperature an humidity. I buy large quantities and keep it in the fridge or freezer and it last a long time. Keep is sealed tight and cool and you can extend it shelf life by quite a bit.

Alan

[Jeff Fagen]

I have a bottle that's been sitting on my bench without a lid for two years and it's still good.

[Jim Underwood]

Another variable is whether you've contaminated the bottle with anything that will catalyze the CA glue, such as paper towel, wood chips, coffee etc. All that's needed is to touch the nozzle any of those substances and allow some of it to be sucked into the nozzle.

A lot of folks I know will buy the glue and place it into their freezer until they are ready to open the bottle.

That being said, I've bought some glue that gelled up even before opening it...

That's why I've been buying the Stickfast brand lately....

[Jim Burr]

I can't keep it around long enough to figure it out. 2 oz bottle of thick and thin will last me about 1 week. You may want to think about smaller bottles that will be used faster. They seem spendy at first, but if your tossing 2-3 out a month, small and fresh beats big and stale.

[Greg Just]

according to one website that sells CA Glue:

Shelf life is determined, to a great extent , by the quantity in the container. As a rule of thumb, a two ounce bottle has a one year shelf life at room temperature. As the bottle ages and passes it's expected useful lifetime, the glue begins to thicken. This can also occur because of improper storage or because of foreign matter being introduced into the bottle. New, unopened containers of any instant glue may be stored in the freezer (at or below 32 degreesF) to extend shelf life. Always allow the container to warm to room temperature before opening. Once opened, never return to cold storage. Moisture is one of the catalysts. Opening a cold bottle or placing a previously opened bottle back in cold storage causes the warm air that has entered the bottle, (carrying moisture with it), to condense the moisture into water. This has a negative effect on shelf life causing the contents of the bottle to thicken.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Most times I use my oldest CA to fill cracks in wood. I always date my bottles when the come in. I use stick fast and if it is a year old or more it is tossed. Have had failures with old CA.