- Joined
- Jan 26, 2002
- Messages
- 2,737
RE Superglue
Took me a while to find the links, don't know how much of this has been covered in other forums.
Superglue is a generic name for a family of highly reactive cyanoacrylate monomers (individual small molecules) that quickly polymerize (bond together to make a VERY large molecule) upon exposure to a tiny amount of water, a little of which is present on almost all surfaces. (This is why it should never be near the eyes!!!) For this reason, relatively pure monomer is often sold in teflon bottles (teflon does not adsorb water on its surface--on a molecular level, the surface looks even more like oil than oil). It is very thin, has no gels, and only a tiny amount of inhibitor is added. Without some inhibitor, the whole lot could polymerize at once. It sets up very fast, and can generate much heat if a lot is absorbed by something very porous. It has a finite shelf-life, and is best stored cold, but completely protected from moisture. The purer formulations create much stronger bonds than the usually available varieties that are formulated to have a long shelf life and gel-like consistency. The purer material is very hard to find as it's not very convenient. The thinner consistency of purer material allows much greater penetration into porous materials, and I think it would be very much superior to the usual stuff sold at Kmart or wherever for finishing a handle.
[Keep the container in a larger, air-tight container along with a dessicant packet, as refrigerator and freezer environments are damp from condensation. Allow the outer container to warm up before opening so water doesn't condense. Or keep a second container with dessicant outside, and swap them. This will greatly prolong the life of a container of the purer stuff. Also never remove the aplicator top and dip something into a container of the purer glue, the whole lot may polymerize immediately, or soon there-after! Containers larger than an oz or two probably won't be available for obvious reasons.]
From a practical viewpoint, among the people who know most about using these adhesives are the people who build balsa and spruce framed model airplanes. More tha a few years ago, when I built such things, I found this adhesive in a local hobby store. It was a couple of years later when many brands of the gel-like stuff with long shelf life appeared in local markets. The real stuff is hot, you're dealing with a quite reactive chemical here. I'M SERIOUS, IF YOU GET THE REAL STUFF, ITS NOT LIKE THE DRUGSTORE STUFF AT ALL. If you want to use this, practice first with small amounts, in a well-ventilated area!! When I made fillets on model airframes by adding the glue to balsa sawdust pressed into a corner, it could get hot enough to smoke and slightly darken the wood during the very rapid polymerization! Please learn about this stuff before you try using a large quantity. Model-builders typically use it for gluing small joints, not spreading over large areas. Local heating should not be a large problem with much denser hardwood. But I'd just let the thin stuff soak in and apply in small areas at a time. Don't try to wipe it around, sand it down later--probably all will soak in. Waxed paper wont' have adsorbed water on it's surface; this is good for not gluing things to your workbench as I recall--but check first.
Large hobby stores that deal in a lot of balsa models, particularly the old-fashioned flying variety should be a good local source. Try to buy from someone who keeps the stuff refrigerated and keeps track of how old it is. After 6-8 months, it won't set up as strong.
These guys seem to have the real stuff:
info:
http://www.modelresearchlabs.com/CA glue.htm
order information:
http://www.modelresearchlabs.com/current_product_listing_and_pric.htm
Or try here for a variety of available formulations as well as a DEBONDER
(these may be more highly formulated, but they offer thin consistency):
http://www.modelresearchlabs.com/current_product_listing_and_pric.htm
Some links to information written by modelers:
This is a few screens long:
http://www.ottawarcclub.com/Jan2000/page8.html
Page 3 of this has a brief note on safety:
http://home.iprimus.com.au/mrssa/MRSSAJuly2001.PDF
general info and modeling application --see adhesives
("It was developed as an alternative to sutures and bandages for treating open battlefield wounds during the Vietnam War."):
http://www.ndrcc.com/getting_started.htm#ADHESIVES
Good luck and don't glue your hand to the workbench!
Took me a while to find the links, don't know how much of this has been covered in other forums.
Superglue is a generic name for a family of highly reactive cyanoacrylate monomers (individual small molecules) that quickly polymerize (bond together to make a VERY large molecule) upon exposure to a tiny amount of water, a little of which is present on almost all surfaces. (This is why it should never be near the eyes!!!) For this reason, relatively pure monomer is often sold in teflon bottles (teflon does not adsorb water on its surface--on a molecular level, the surface looks even more like oil than oil). It is very thin, has no gels, and only a tiny amount of inhibitor is added. Without some inhibitor, the whole lot could polymerize at once. It sets up very fast, and can generate much heat if a lot is absorbed by something very porous. It has a finite shelf-life, and is best stored cold, but completely protected from moisture. The purer formulations create much stronger bonds than the usually available varieties that are formulated to have a long shelf life and gel-like consistency. The purer material is very hard to find as it's not very convenient. The thinner consistency of purer material allows much greater penetration into porous materials, and I think it would be very much superior to the usual stuff sold at Kmart or wherever for finishing a handle.
[Keep the container in a larger, air-tight container along with a dessicant packet, as refrigerator and freezer environments are damp from condensation. Allow the outer container to warm up before opening so water doesn't condense. Or keep a second container with dessicant outside, and swap them. This will greatly prolong the life of a container of the purer stuff. Also never remove the aplicator top and dip something into a container of the purer glue, the whole lot may polymerize immediately, or soon there-after! Containers larger than an oz or two probably won't be available for obvious reasons.]
From a practical viewpoint, among the people who know most about using these adhesives are the people who build balsa and spruce framed model airplanes. More tha a few years ago, when I built such things, I found this adhesive in a local hobby store. It was a couple of years later when many brands of the gel-like stuff with long shelf life appeared in local markets. The real stuff is hot, you're dealing with a quite reactive chemical here. I'M SERIOUS, IF YOU GET THE REAL STUFF, ITS NOT LIKE THE DRUGSTORE STUFF AT ALL. If you want to use this, practice first with small amounts, in a well-ventilated area!! When I made fillets on model airframes by adding the glue to balsa sawdust pressed into a corner, it could get hot enough to smoke and slightly darken the wood during the very rapid polymerization! Please learn about this stuff before you try using a large quantity. Model-builders typically use it for gluing small joints, not spreading over large areas. Local heating should not be a large problem with much denser hardwood. But I'd just let the thin stuff soak in and apply in small areas at a time. Don't try to wipe it around, sand it down later--probably all will soak in. Waxed paper wont' have adsorbed water on it's surface; this is good for not gluing things to your workbench as I recall--but check first.
Large hobby stores that deal in a lot of balsa models, particularly the old-fashioned flying variety should be a good local source. Try to buy from someone who keeps the stuff refrigerated and keeps track of how old it is. After 6-8 months, it won't set up as strong.
These guys seem to have the real stuff:
info:
http://www.modelresearchlabs.com/CA glue.htm
order information:
http://www.modelresearchlabs.com/current_product_listing_and_pric.htm
Or try here for a variety of available formulations as well as a DEBONDER
(these may be more highly formulated, but they offer thin consistency):
http://www.modelresearchlabs.com/current_product_listing_and_pric.htm
Some links to information written by modelers:
This is a few screens long:
http://www.ottawarcclub.com/Jan2000/page8.html
Page 3 of this has a brief note on safety:
http://home.iprimus.com.au/mrssa/MRSSAJuly2001.PDF
general info and modeling application --see adhesives
("It was developed as an alternative to sutures and bandages for treating open battlefield wounds during the Vietnam War."):
http://www.ndrcc.com/getting_started.htm#ADHESIVES
Good luck and don't glue your hand to the workbench!
