Epoxy cure time

[Brad Barnhart]

I live out here in NW Kansas. We're doing good to get lumber at our local lumber yard, much less any necessities. Where can I find this CA or epoxy? I haven't done any bowl turning yet, but that's not to say I won't.

[Aaron Craven]

I live out here in NW Kansas. We're doing good to get lumber at our local lumber yard, much less any necessities. Where can I find this CA or epoxy? I haven't done any bowl turning yet, but that's not to say I won't.

CA is fancy-speak for superglue... I'm sure there are advantages of high-end stuff, but I just use the Harbor Freight cheap variety and it works fine (maybe even better than the Loctite brand I used first -- the HF brand seems a little thinner). Not sure why woodturners like to call it CA (cyanoacrylate) as opposed to "superglue", but it's the same stuff. Likewise, two-part epoxy comes in everything from high end to utility brands. Here again, I've just been using Harbor Freight tubes, and they seem to work nicely. There are two different styles though... there's one that dries to a gray color, which I've never used, and there's clear (which is probably what you'll want). It also comes with various initial set-up times (referred to as "pot life"). The 5-minute variety I'm using is pretty common.

For both, there are tons of videos and articles out there talking about how to use them to fill cracks and voids. The biggest difference is that CA won't "bridge" a wide gap like epoxy will, and while epoxy cures much more slowly, it's a little more pleasant to work with. CA dries quickly and generates a lot of heat and fumes... One thing to know -- never put it on cotton or natural fibers and always wear gloves when applying it. Kitchen type paper towels are not a good choice, for some reason (the glue reacts pretty vigorously and heats up quickly). The blue shop towels work fairly well, though. The fumes are rough too... they irritate the nose and will really sting if they get in your eyes. I've heard some nasty stories about CA getting on clothing and causing 2nd or 3rd degree burns while simultaneously gluing the clothing to the skin, so be really careful.

[Brad Barnhart]

Thank you for the input, Aaron. This is something i'll have to some looking into.

[Keith Westfall]

Hobby shops are often a good place to look as well.