CA glue shelf life: conflicting information online!

[Ken Cobbing]

Hi all,

I normally use good old Titebond II for my projects, but recently purchased some Titebond CA glue and accelerator because it seemed like the instant bond would make certain projects easier (e.g., trim carpentry).

I tried using it tonight and am very disappointed. In most of my attempts, I cannot get the glue to hold whatsoever. In the joints that do seem to hold, I am unsure of just how much bond strength there is. This definitely goes against my past experiences with dollar store "crazy glue."

My first thought is that the glue that I purchased (online) was expired. The date code on the bottom indicates a 2016 production, which seems very old.

However, I found this information straight from Titebond regarding their CA glues' shelf life:

https://www.woodworkersjournal.com/w...life-ca-glues/

Here’s the short answer: If the CA glue is still liquid, then it’s still active and able to cure.

My particular bottle of Titebond (thick) is definitely still liquid, so according to Titebond, it should still work correctly.

HOWEVER, there is a plethora of forum posts here and elsewhere that suggest that the shelf life of CA glues is only months, or 1-2 years at most. Wikipedia cites several sources claiming that CA glue has a very short shelf life:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanoacrylate#Shelf_life

So what's the deal with CA glue and shelf life - and why does there seem to be so much disagreement about it?

[Alan Lightstone]

I just keep mine in the fridge, and haven't had it expire.

Bottles I've kept in a drawer, don't last long. But the humidity is very high here, which, I'm sure contributes to this.

[roger wiegand]

I've had bottles forgotten in the back of the freezer for a decade or more that were fine. On the shelf in the shop they often last 2-3 years. The only time I've ever actually thrown glue away was when the whole bottle polymerized for some reason. I've never had it just stop working.

[glenn bradley]

CA glue cures with exposure to moisture, as in the air. A freezer is usually a dry space and can work well. A drawer or tool box can trap humidity so, not so good. I keep my "good" CA's in a Food Saver container under vacuum and manage to empty or near-empty the bottles. For common "super glue" type tasks I find it easier to buy the packs of single use mini tubes which I get a few uses each out of. They seem more costly but, for random tasks it is cheaper to use all of a little more costly product than to toss half a tube of a cheaper product.

[Zachary Hoyt]

I only buy Stew-Mac CA glues, the 20 and 30 types. They have lasted me for years before drying out. I only use them for gluing inlays into fretboards, and gluing cracks in my fingertips in the winter. CA is not great for gluing wood to wood or for anything structural, in my experience. All it has to do for the inlays is keep them from falling out of their holes, but there's nothing pushing them out so it's pretty easy.

[Al Launier]

I only buy Stew-Mac CA glues, the 20 and 30 types. They have lasted me for years before drying out. I only use them for gluing inlays into fretboards, and gluing cracks in my fingertips in the winter. CA is not great for gluing wood to wood or for anything structural, in my experience. All it has to do for the inlays is keep them from falling out of their holes, but there's nothing pushing them out so it's pretty easy.

Thank you for mentioning your use of CA glue for cracked fingertips. I had totally forgotten about using this for that. My thumb & finger tips do crack badly every winter. So, I'm on it again.

[John K Jordan]

Parson adhesives, one of the large CA mfgrs in the us, told me 1 year, a little longer in the fridge, longer in the freezer.

I keep CA in a sealed canister with indicator desiccant to keep the air dry. (Moisture will go through the plastic bottles they use for the glue.)
I have had some bottles for years and they are still OK.
Sometimes the bottle deteriorates before the glue. (Then I put the glue in a new bottle)

CA_glue_storage_IMG_5481.jpg

Anytime CA thickens I throw it away.

JKJ

[Alex Zeller]

I once worked for a train car manufacturer as a quality assurance engineer. Both CA and lock-tite had a shelf life. The company I was working for had a small fridge that we kept them in and each bottle had a date. Once every 3 months someone from QA would go over and inspect the bottles throwing out any that had expired. That was almost 25 years ago so I can't remember how long it was. Since we were making things like the Acela (government contract) we had to follow the standards they set.

I have found that after a year or so of sitting in my tool box it seems to take longer to stick. But once it does it still seems to hold just as well. Most of the time I just use it to bond a turning black to some sacrificial wood. If it didn't hold it would become apparent quickly. I think I'll try John's idea about keeping them in a jar with desiccant.

[Jim Allen]

I think I'll try John's idea about keeping them in a jar with desiccant.

That certainly works well for me.

[Dave Cav]

After having numerous bottles of CA glue dry up on me, I started buying it from HF in the little tubes in a ten pack, on sale if I can find it. If one dries out, just open another one. As long as they stay sealed they seem to last a long time. I generally don't use CA for anything structural; mostly I use it mixed with sawdust for crack filling. Occasionally I'll use it to glue a chip back in place.

[John K Jordan]

...I think I'll try John's idea about keeping them in a jar with desiccant.

You can get indicator desiccant from Amazon. If not familiar with it, it turns pink when it looses it's ability to absorb moisture. At that point, I replace it with some fresh beads and "recharge" the desiccant in a toaster oven I keep in the shop - maybe 200F until it all turns deep blue.

Since I use it for several things I bought several quarts of this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000OUXA2Q
You might check around for price since it seems to keep going up (like everything?) In 2013 I paid about $15, almost $17 in 2016.

I see this one is $17 for a gallon. https://www.amazon.com/Premium-Indic.../dp/B013L31PQ0

BTW, you don't have to use all indicator desiccant. I have some clear non-indicating desiccant and I just mix some of the blue with it.

JKJ

[Bruce Wrenn]

Don't forget to save those little packets of desiccant that come packed in so many items we purchase. Dry them out, and reuse.