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CA adhesive


Simon Cornes

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I see no heading about adhesives so I hope this slot will do? My question is about CA gel - is it the same as thick CA ? Can anyone suggest a brand please? I am looking for something thick enough to support a piece of photo etch standing on its edge and not pulling it flat through capillary action. Any advice appreciated,

 Thanks

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If I'm doing PE on edge like that I tend to use Gator's grip glue now as it gives a good bond and the PE doesn't tend to fly off if accidentally knocked/caught like super glue.

Not sure about the gel as I've not used it, but have used the thicker CA's and couldn't get the control right clean up wise, as with Gator's grip any excess cleans up with a fine brush and water

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Simon i use Loctite superglue gel, because it doesnt set straight away allowing some final positioning before it sets, unlike normal super glue. Just be sparing with it and a toothpick to apply works wonders.

 

My trick is to put some from the tube into a pringles top, the glue doesnt set straight away giving you at least five minutes to apply with a toothpick to your PE. Then hold your PE in place til it grabs, usually in about 15 seconds.

 

Hope this helps Chris

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Many. Just google super glue manufacturers. There's a bloke comes to Telford every year, I think he's a bit of a one man band, and he does quite a large range. His web address is www.starloc.eu

Another one is Deluxe Materials. They do a large range of modelling materials. Their address is www.deluxematerials.com

HTH's.

 

John.

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Or just use poundland 8 tubes for a pound.  At least when the half used tube dries up, which happens at just the same rate as expensive branded CA in my experience, you're only binning 6.25p instead of £2.99!

 

I use a milk carton lid as a CA pallette rather than a Pringles lid, but same principle.

 

Cheers 

Will

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Thanks guys, my interest is in CA gel. I've had a look at DeLuxe and they don't do a gel but Gorilla do and that seems to widely available although I'm not sure what the going price is yet!

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In the many years that I have been modelling and I do a lot of resin kits and bond lots of materials, I have never, ever, had any bottles of superglue go off?  Once finished with it, it goes into the fridge.  I think I have 5 bottles in there at the moment, plus a "kicker" All different strengths, slow, medium, fast and back ups in case I run out....even keep the two-part impact epoxies with them............I know for a fact, some have been in there over 5 years, using it at the moment for gap filling with bicarbonate of soda

 

 

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1 hour ago, Black Knight said:

I get my superglue gel from this seller;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/370531384375?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

I find it lasts a long time before it starts to go 'off'

 

That's just what I wanted. Ordered a bottle for £2.68 - worth taking a flyer!!

 

How do you get superglue to last that long in the fridge? I thought it absorbed water in there and that caused it to to go off! Do you have all of yours in a tupperware type container? Also, I am using a bottle of Zap-a-Gap Medium CA and I always get trouble with excess adhesive running down the side of the nozzle and drying. I can still use it because I use a pin to open it up again but I can't get either the inner cap or outer cap back on because of dried on glue build up. As you can't wipe off any runs - otherwise you will stick to the bottle -  do you have any ideas about keeping the top of the bottle clear of excess adhesive? Any ideas welcome!!

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1 hour ago, Simon Cornes said:

 

That's just what I wanted. Ordered a bottle for £2.68 - worth taking a flyer!!

 

How do you get superglue to last that long in the fridge? I thought it absorbed water in there and that caused it to to go off! Do you have all of yours in a tupperware type container? Also, I am using a bottle of Zap-a-Gap Medium CA and I always get trouble with excess adhesive running down the side of the nozzle and drying. I can still use it because I use a pin to open it up again but I can't get either the inner cap or outer cap back on because of dried on glue build up. As you can't wipe off any runs - otherwise you will stick to the bottle -  do you have any ideas about keeping the top of the bottle clear of excess adhesive? Any ideas welcome!!

Most of the glues I use are also zap a gap, blue, pink, green and others.  If the cap remains firmly on the bottle. its a sealed unit and nothing can enter the contents, temperature drops and chemicals become stable.  The bottles are stood "as is" just put them on the shelf where the butter goes.  When using the glue, I dispense a small amount (couple of drops)into a plastic milk bottle top(green or blue) doesnt matter!!!  I use a pin vice with a needle in the end to dip into the pool and deliver to the part.  Eventually as you say, the bottle jams up through glue running.  When that eventually becomes brittle, I get the jaws of a small pair of pliers - where the serated edges are - the teeth of the pliers, apply to the neck of the bottle and twist, the teeth grip and shatter the brittle glue..................... the whole lot cracks off in one(usually) basically,  the runs have taken the shape  of the superglue bottle top - become a mold, so to speak - same with the top of the superglue if it has a hollow insert cap, just brake out the brittle superglue using small screwdriver then return to fridge, no tupperware or plasic containers required...................I have also got a card of 6 minature superglues from poundland - they spend there time lieing down on the bottom shelf, still attached to the card

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Further research to add to above from the internet

 

I presently practice medicine, however before I became a doctor I worked as a sales manager for a medical manufacture that used cyanoacrylate to bind tissue instead of suture, just like they used to do on the battlefields of Vietnam. I have stored cyanoacrylate for over 20 years in a freezer and still was able to use the material just as it was brand-new. Cyanoacrylate will freeze at -80°C, Since water is the catalyst for cyanoacrylate to harden, the freezer provides a low moisture content ensuring the integrity of the cyanoacrylate for long periods of time. The one caution is to keep the dispenser opening free of cyanoacrylate to prevent clogging. Most manufacturers provide a cap with a pin that inserts into the dispenser opening

 

l've had good luck by putting petroleum jelly (Vaseline) on a pin or nail and sticking that in the bottle before putting the cap on or creating a ring of the same on the edge of the container. Petroleum jelly is oil based and oil and water don't mix. The jelly creates a seal that keeps moisture-laden air from seeping in and hardening the glue in the spout. Buying super glue in tiny tubes can help too. The tiny tubes don't seem to allow as much air in and you can just use what you need.

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That is really interesting. I will put my two bottles of zap a gap into the freezer now. I'm dubious about using the fridge as there gets rather more damp in there than you might imagine - in my fridge anyway and thats probably what causes my C A to go off - hence a sealed container may be a good idea. I like the idea of a bit of pet jelly as well. Many thanks for this - we never stop learning!

 

Simon

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