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Tips for working with CA glue
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 |
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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. |
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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 |
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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.
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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 |
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Preserving CA
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. |
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My tips for using CA:
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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!
![]() 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. |
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Wish you well. ZZ |
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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! |
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