CA glue is moisture activated. That's why it sticks to your skin and sets fast. Your skin contains high moisture. If you are using medium, thick or slow set CA and want to to set faster, breath on it. The moisture in your breath will speed setting. (Not responsible for your bad breath melting your plane)

You can glue wet wood with CA and still have a few seconds before it sets when glueing curved laminations.

Clean up of CA is tought. Acetone is the cure. Use it to keep your glue tips clean and clean your hands of CA. Use caution!

ZZ

Thanks

any tips for preventing clogged ca glue tips? i seem to clog them every building day - thick ca is most prone

Originally Posted by arukum17

Thanks

any tips for preventing clogged ca glue tips? i seem to clog them every building day - thick ca is most prone

Get a glass container with a screw-on lid, the sort which uses a rubber gasket to seal.

Fill the glass container half-full of acetone.

Toss your spare CA tips (you -do- have spare tips, right ?) in the container and screw the lid on tight.

When an in-use tip clogs, unscrew it from the CA bottle, dump it in the container of acetone, and fish out a fresh tip. Let the fresh tip sit a few minutes before screwing it onto the CA bottle, to allow the residual acetone on the tip to evaporate.

Acetone is a solvent for CA, and the trick above will insure an always-clean supply of CA tips.

great idea - thanks

Acetone will soften Hard CA as well. If you can't seem to get the inside of a tip clear after soaking, use a piece of music wire to clear it.

Some plastic containers will work too. Make sure it was used with a solvent and test it with acetone first.

I notice if you leave the tip in acetone too long it starts to harden. I don' leave my tips in acetone longer than 10 minutes.

ZZ

Nail polish remover contains acetone and lanolin, which makes it more skin-friendly.

Another tip if you are using CA on hardwood or ply (yes I know balsa is a hardwood but doesn't have the typical acid content) first lightly dust the area to be glued with good old baking soda--like used in the kitchen. CA's do not do well in an acidic environment and the soda neutralizes the acid and lets the CA work better. The soda also works well to fill minor dents or holes but winds up very hard and difficult to sand smooth later.

Originally Posted by zoomzoooie

I notice if you leave the tip in acetone too long it starts to harden. I don' leave my tips in acetone longer than 10 minutes.

My spare tips live in the acetone jar. No adverse effects noted over a decade or so.

The tips that get hard are the ones that come with OK Thin CA on the 1/2oz bottle. The tips are very thin.

ZZ

Hi!

Before using a new bottle, I always put some drops of liquid polishing wax in the caps and let it dry. This wax is normally used for molds. So I never have problems with caps sticking on the bottle. Much less work than cleaning my turned aluminium tips

If you've ever had a bottle of CA harden on you, there is a cheap way to preserve it (and polyurethane, too)--silica gel--the stuff that's used for drying flowers and what comes in those little packets when you get a new pair of shoes, etc.

Here's how you get it in large, inexpensive quantities: http://www.misterart.com/store/view....ogle&WT.srch=1

I've got a bottle of polyurethane and thick and thin CA in an airtight container with 1 1/2" of silica gel in the bottom. The CA still smokes after being open for at least 6 months and the polyurethane still flows after cracking the seal on it nearly 2 years ago.

My tips for using CA:

• sprinkle baking powder over CA to set it rock hard and act as filler. Very hard to sand so internal use only
• Set up a little fan to blow across the work to get rid of CA fumes. I built one from a $2 shop fan and a couple of 1800mah nicads
• Use thin CA for tight well fitted joints only, medium for those with more clearance

If you don't want to develop a allergy to CA, I'd recommend against using your breath to accelerate the cure. KEEP YOUR FACE AWAY FROM CA! You can buy spray accelerators for CA (those have harmful fumes too).

Use plenty of ventilation, and a respirator rated for organic vapors wouldn't be a bad idea either.

I've developed an allergy to CA, and when you get a reaction, let me tell you, it's no fun. If I'm able to smell the CA, it's enough to cause cold symptoms. If I get exposed enough to CA to cause watery eyes, about 6 hours later I start to wheeze and my sinus closes itself shut. The last big reaction I had scared the heck out of me.

I now only use CA when I absolutely have to, and when I do, I bring my work outside AND wear a respirator. I now use aliphatic (carpenter's) glue for most of my work. If used properly, aliphatic adds very little weight because the solvent evaporates away. It's also much easier to clean off your fingers. I have several flat building boards, so I can work on a different part while another one cures.

I hate to bash CA. If it weren't for the irritation to the respiratory system, it would be a wonderful glue.

Originally Posted by ecormier

If you don't want to develop a allergy to CA, I'd recommend against using your breath to accelerate the cure. KEEP YOUR FACE AWAY FROM CA! You can buy spray accelerators for CA (those have harmful fumes too).

Use plenty of ventilation, and a respirator rated for organic vapors wouldn't be a bad idea either.

I've developed an allergy to CA, and when you get a reaction, let me tell you, it's no fun. If I'm able to smell the CA, it's enough to cause cold symptoms. If I get exposed enough to CA to cause watery eyes, about 6 hours later I start to wheeze and my sinus closes itself shut. The last big reaction I had scared the heck out of me.

I now only use CA when I absolutely have to, and when I do, I bring my work outside AND wear a respirator. I now use aliphatic (carpenter's) glue for most of my work. If used properly, aliphatic adds very little weight because the solvent evaporates away. It's also much easier to clean off your fingers. I have several flat building boards, so I can work on a different part while another one cures.

I hate to bash CA. If it weren't for the irritation to the respiratory system, it would be a wonderful glue.

ecormier , I'm really sorry to hear you have developed CA allergies. CA is marvelous stuff we can't seem to live with out. In the comment I made I hope people would know it was a joke and not to take it seriously. I am well aware of the hazards of CA vapors and work with a window wide open.
Wish you well.

ZZ

I tried soaking two clogged tips (clogged with medium CA) in nail polish remover...no luck after a day of soaking. Is there something I am missing...should I soak them longer? The CA glue is good quality and fresh...as is the nail polish remove (it does contain acetone, not acetone free)

Even tried using the thinist piece of wire to unclogged it but no luck...
Any suggestions...I seem to clog these every two work sessions and since I am building only a few hours a day its getting to be a bit of a pain to throw away these tips

Thanks!