Ingenious trick!

[Aaron Kline]

Well, I probably ain't the first to do this, but hey I'll take credit for it:D When assembling pieces that contain small parts, insted of using slippery yellow glue and screws, I had the INGENIOUS idea to use loctite gel super glue. I don't have to clamp them together and worry about the yellow glue slipping and sliding and it's relatively cheap. I gotta start using super glue more often. Next thing you know super glue will edge out duct tape for multipurpose tool of the redneck.:cool:

[Brian Dormer]

Aaron,

I'm no chemist - but I have glued lots of things together (including my fingers).

The bonding characteristics of super glue are different from wood glue. Wood Glue penetrates the fiber of the wood and makes a bond that is actually stronger than the wood itself. Super glue sits on the surface and forms a polymer bond that is strong in tension (guy hanging from a steel beam - he's OK) but very weak in a shear load (wind gust hitting said guy from the side - glue joint fails, he falls).

If there are any structural implications, I would choose wood glue over super glue. I've also found that in the long run (in terms of years), I've had some super glue joints come apart, but I've never had a wood glue joint open up on me.

Your mileage may vary.

bd

[Jim Becker]

Brian is correct, Aaron...there are times when CA works great and other times when there are better choices. But I do agree that if you are working with a lot of very small parts, CA can be quite useful, especially when there is no need for big "load" handling.

[John Hemenway]

Best of both worlds...

Use small drop of CA and some yellow glue. CA gives instant bond (chemical clamp?), yellow for the long haul.

[Aaron Kline]

Well, thanks guys. I just use the super glue as a clamp kind of. I use wood screws as a long term hold it goether kind of deal. My system seems to work great though as I put 4 boxes together within a half hour. And I'm not planning to glue myself from a steel beam, so don't hold your breath:D But if I ever decide to glue myself to a steel beam, I'll get pictures.

[Lee DeRaud]

All of my small boxes are assembled using mostly the thick CA glue: the inner sides are glued to the outer sides, then the four side assemblies are glued up. The top and bottom sit in pseudo-rabbets formed because the inner side is shorter than the outer side...those joints are done with regular wood glue and provide most of the "structural" strength.

[James A. Wolfe]

Like Lee, I mix glues in the project where appropriate. Another "trick" I use is using superglue to mount hinges. Now before everyone gets their knickers in a twist, let me finish. I mount fussy little hinges on small boxes with CA glue and that bonds well enough to hold everything in place while I drill ( with a Vix bit) the pilot holes for the hinge mounting screws. After the screws are in place, I don't care if the glue bond fails.

Jim