Cyanoacrylate glues

[bunkerboy]

I am basically a train modeller- just accustomed to soldering etched brass kits. Santa was good to me this year and brought me a Dumas Chris Craft Barrel Back kit. So, many happy hours ahead getting it built, and learning new skills along the way.... Problem is they recommend cyanoacylate glues. Panic! I have never liked these things - probably because I never get them to bond properly - maybe because the ones I have tried have been one bought in the local supermarket - not too good, and I am told they "go off" with age.
Looking at "professional" CA glues, I find a bewildering array - any advice on what is best to use - what has what qualities (water-resistance etc...)

Any advice please??

Thanks

Bob Bunker - Hong Kong, China.

[toesup]

Its personal choice as to which you prefer.. and get along with.

Visit your LHS and get some thick, medium and thin... then try (on some scrap timber) which you find easiest to work with. I prefer the thick as i can see where its going and it doesnt 'leech' away in to the wood grain like the thin seems to do.
Also get some 'kicker'.. it comes in a spray top bottle, it speeds the setting time for Cyno glue. Again, practice with that until you are happy with the combination of glue / kicker.
Cyno isnt waterproof by the way, but it takes prolonged submersion in water to disolve it, so plan on at least 2 coats of 'sealer' (wood sealant / paint) over your joint to keep the water out.

A work of advice though, keep your fingers clear of the glue, unless you want your fingers joined to the timber you are trying to stick together ... and a trip to the local ER dept!. :eek: :censored:

[Massey]

Have some fingernail polish remover handy just incase you do get glue in your fingers. FPR seems to work well enough without burning your skin as well like laquer thinner will. I prefer Medium and thick CA with a little Zip Kicker. Also my brand of choice is Zap! Their glue is very consistant in viscosity and quality and the bonding strength is great.

Massey

[Umi_Ryuzuki]

I have been know to epoxy joints, and "clamp" pieces in place using Cyanoacrylate and kicker.

When scratch building, I also sometimes sheet the hull using cyanoacrylate and kicker, and then come back and fiberglass the outside, and also coat the inside with a thin layer of epoxy. Not only does the interior coat water proof the wood, it also double cements every joint it coats.

[bunkerboy]

Thanks for that, Toesup.... May I be a bit dumb and ask what is an "LHS" ...?? I am a Brit, and as you probably know, the thing which unites this fine body of English-speaking peoples is the common language which we do not quite speak...!

As yes, the famous finger-bonding..... one story I heard is that cyanoacrylatyes were actually originally developed by the military as a field dressing to use when you didn't have time to stitch wounds up...so it is actually MEANT to stick skin...... can anyone confirm that??

As an aside, there was a case here in Hong Kong a year or so back where a wife had found that her husband had been cheating on her, so as he lay sound asleep next to her, she super-glued his scrotum to his thigh.... and he yawned and stretched when he woke up...

Bob Bunker - Hong Kong.

[MILLERTIME]

LHS = local hobby shop.

[green-boat]

originally developed by the military as a field dressing to use when you didn't have time to stitch wounds up...so it is actually MEANT to stick skin...... can anyone confirm that??

.
I can confirm that. It was in a glass ampule that you broke over the wound. The splatter of glue would cover the wound, then you closed the wound up so they wouldn't bleed to death by the time you got them to the aid station. It was designed to glue skin together and went by the name of A.C.C. Model Railroader magazine had an article on using it as a glue back in the late 60's early 70's.

They now use it for cat declaws and "no stitch plastic surgery". I can attest that it works really good especially when the Xacto knife rolls off of the bench and you try to catch it and the knife sticks into your leg.

[toesup]

Thanks for that, Toesup.... May I be a bit dumb and ask what is an "LHS" ...?? I am a Brit, and as you probably know, the thing which unites this fine body of English-speaking peoples is the common language which we do not quite speak...

Bob Bunker - Hong Kong.

Hmmm...

I'm an Ex Brit too... perhaps California is rubbing off on me... :eek:

Divided by a common language

[keith S]

I have been know to epoxy joints, and "clamp" pieces in place using Cyanoacrylate and kicker.

When scratch building, I also sometimes sheet the hull using cyanoacrylate and kicker, and then come back and fiberglass the outside, and also coat the inside with a thin layer of epoxy. Not only does the interior coat water proof the wood, it also double cements every joint it coats.

I do the same. The problem with kicker is that it makes the joints brittle in time and I like to have a good solid joint where the wood meeets another wood joint.

[patmat2350]

Thin CA is wonderful for wicking into joints. I often use thick or medium to apply to parts for assy, then wick in the thin stuff to really fill up the joint. The thin also sets up even faster, while you have a couple seconds or so with the thicker grades.

Kicker- usually comes in a spray bottle... I have a little general purpose oiler bottle with a needle dispenser- I put the kicker in there, and can then apply a drop at a time.

Medical use- regular CA breaks down in the body into some nasties including formaldehyde, that's why the stuff used in 'nam wasn't approved for general use. The medical grade now in use (Liquid Band Aid or Nexcare for example) is a different polymer that doesn't break down so easily, but also isn't so strong. NOT recommended to use regular CA for patching wounds!

Pat M

[smart_racer]

Medium CA...no kicker, may case eye irrirtation with some people

[der kapitan]

Thanks, Toesup, for confirming that CA isn't waterproof, though I wish it were. The adhesion that it offers between different materials is a blessing.

I found out the hard way, years ago, that the stuff was at best water-resistant.

I use it, nonetheless for building model boat hulls, mainly to "jig up" parts, before finishing them in polyester resin or epoxy.

[Ray Farina]

They stopped using CA Glue because it could not be sterilized for medical use.

[LtDoc]

CA isn't exactly 'water proof'. But then, a boat doesn't really stay wet long enough for it to desolve. Not a 'biggy' as far as I'm concerned.
CA isn't exactly what you should use for a 'bandaid', but neither is duct-tape and paper towels (who me? Naa.. :) ).
Is it the 'best' stuff to use in all cases? Nope, then again, I wish there was an 'everything' glue...
- 'Doc

[patmat2350]

CA isn't exactly 'water proof'. But then, a boat doesn't really stay wet long enough for it to desolve...
- 'Doc
My tug hull planking is entirely secured with CA... it was water resistant not proof... finally started opening seams and letting water in, was pretty soggy about the dead wood. But nothing ever came apart! Dried it out and 'glassed it, all is still in place. So CA isn't quite as bad as Elmer's white, at least!

Pat M

[LtDoc]

Pat,
No, it isn't near as much of a problem as 'Elmer's glue would be. :) Hope I didn't give that impression, didn't mean to. I use CA for planking too. Probably isn't the 'best' for that purpose, but it certainly works, and I hate 'mixing' epoxy (lazy). That planking usually ends up 'coated' with something so haven't worried about the CA part of it. The parts of the hull that usually do start 'turning loose' are those not stuck together with CA (at least on mine, which isn't a recommendation of much account). I use CA a lot. If I could figure out where to find it in gallon containers I'd probably get it that way. Transfering it to something of useful size would probably be a problem though. Oh well...
- 'Doc

I can just hear my self explaining being CA'ed to my clothes and chair, when they came to help me! :) And the @#$%$#@'s laughing...