Stupid CA glue question

[Royce Meritt]

OK. Some of you are either going to think this is a STUPID question or a SMART A** question...

I have the same problem that a lot of people seem to have with my CA glue drying out in the bottle. I've heard, many times, that some people recommend storing the bottle with the cap OFF as the glue cures in the absence of air. Therefore, if stored with the cap ON it will cure and cap OFF will remain fluid. Is this correct?

Now my REAL question... If this is true, how come the glue is not dried up when you buy a bottle? I mean after all, the tip of the bottle is sealed until you snip the tip off. Sorry if this seems smart alecky but I'm confused. Thanks.

[Dennis Peacock]

OK. Some of you are either going to think this is a STUPID question or a SMART A** question...

I have the same problem that a lot of people seem to have with my CA glue drying out in the bottle. I've heard, many times, that some people recommend storing the bottle with the cap OFF as the glue cures in the absence of air. Therefore, if stored with the cap ON it will cure and cap OFF will remain fluid. Is this correct?

Now my REAL question... If this is true, how come the glue is not dried up when you buy a bottle? I mean after all, the tip of the bottle is sealed until you snip the tip off. Sorry if this seems smart alecky but I'm confused. Thanks.

Never heard of that.......I have used a LOT of CA glue in my time from woodworking to R/C Air Plane building. I have had CA glue dry in the bottle, but that was because I hadn't used it once I opened it for about 1 year. Toss said bottle and buy new.

[Alan Turner]

I store mine in the refrig. Next to the Unibond 800 resin, and the premade hide glue (w/ and w/o urea added). You might give that a try. I best be careful; the beer is starting complain about compaction.

[Chris Padilla]

Royce, I don't have the most recent issue of WOOD mag in front of me but they had a little ditty on CA glue. Basically, they said to be careful about getting contaminents inside the glue bottle but I don't recall what else.

[Mark Singer]

Alan,
Try it on eggs! Its crunchy.

[Gene Collison]

OK. Some of you are either going to think this is a STUPID question or a SMART A** question...

I have the same problem that a lot of people seem to have with my CA glue drying out in the bottle. I've heard, many times, that some people recommend storing the bottle with the cap OFF as the glue cures in the absence of air. Therefore, if stored with the cap ON it will cure and cap OFF will remain fluid. Is this correct?

Now my REAL question... If this is true, how come the glue is not dried up when you buy a bottle? I mean after all, the tip of the bottle is sealed until you snip the tip off. Sorry if this seems smart alecky but I'm confused. Thanks.

Royce,

I have never heard that CA cures in the absence of air, I could be wrong though. I know that Loctite does, which is considered an Anaerobic. I don't think CA is an Anaerobic. If you want to keep CA going literally forever, store it in the freezer. I have some in my freezer that is still fully usable after 10 years.

Gene

[Russ Filtz]

Maybe cap it good and store upside down? I do that with most other glues to keep the nozzle clear. The oxygen inside will probably still harden the CA over time.

[RL Johnson]

CA is a glue that polymerizes very rapidly in the presence of moisture to a solidified acrylic resin. CA forms a polar molecule and polar materials attract one another by bringing charged areas of close together as possible. Adhesion is good because most surfaces are also polar and the glue sticks tightly to them. Containers like Hot Stuff are made of polyethylene which is a nonpolar material and does not stick to the glue. The container also prevent massive exposure to moisture. The CA is kept in the bottle by use of an acidic stabilizer. The moisture in the air on the surfaces to be bonded overpowers the weak acid stabilizer and polymerization begins immediately at the bonding surfaces.
Most CA adhesives are affected by the wood acids whick slow down the curing process and are also often absorbed by the wood grain surface, leaving behind little adhesive for bonding. That is why you should buy wood bonding grades of adhesives as they will overcome these short comings and will bond most kinds of wood within 60 seconds.
Keeping CA glue in the fridge or freezer is a great idea as there is a lower relative humidity, therefore no moisture to cure the glue.

Randy

[Tim Greif]

Here's some useful info on CA glue and clogged spouts.

<a href="http://www.woodfinishsupply.com/SolvingCloggedSpouts.html">CA Glue Tips</a>

[Russ Filtz]

I note they mention accelerators on that site. If anyone uses them with CA glues they can weaken the joint versus naturally cured (at least when I was doing model airplanes about 10 yrs ago) Maybe newer versions aren't as bad?

[Lynn Sonier]

Great lecture on CA glues, Randy - thanks bunches. The website Tim cited is also very helpful.

[Paul Downes]

Royce,

I have never heard that CA cures in the absence of air, I could be wrong though. I know that Loctite does, which is considered an Anaerobic. I don't think CA is an Anaerobic. If you want to keep CA going literally forever, store it in the freezer. I have some in my freezer that is still fully usable after 10 years.

Gene
Loctite makes over 30,000 products including some anaerobic products. There is a common misconseption that it is the absence of air that causes them to cure, actually while they can cure in the absence of air it is a reaction to (I think) ferritic metals that cause them to cure. Certain fastening applications require an accellerator to get a cure because of the lack of reactive elements. You can leave the lid off of your threadlocker products and other than spilling them and making a mess, they will last for years. As far as the CA goes I'm not sure. I do know that you don't want to put a big bottle of it in your pants pocket and go off to the bar as a co-worker of mine did! He decided to make a pit stop before leaving the joint and found that he could'nt get his zipper open. In fact his pants and underwear were glued to you-know-what! It took a long time in a local E.R. with a nurse painting him with remover before he could go home. Gee, how embarassing!

[Alan Turner]

That is among the many fine tips here that I shall earnestly endeavor to remember. (OUCH!!!!!!)
Alan