# CA glue?



## smokie (Dec 29, 2012)

I see a lot of comments about CA glue. When I do a Google I get all kinds of different hits. What do you guys use for CA glue when gluing back plates to your bowls? And what do you use for an accelerator?
Thanks. 
Mark


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## RussellAP (Feb 21, 2012)

I've seen some use hot glue and some use thick double face tape. I don't know if anyone uses CA for that.


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## TheDane (May 15, 2008)

I use StarBond … http://www.starbond.com/ ... they have a complete line of CA products.

Some folks (e.g. Eddie Castelin) use CA to fasten blanks to waste blocks, but I save the CA for other stuff …


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## Wildwood (Jul 22, 2012)

Many people use accelerator when use CA for gluing bowls to wasted blocks, gluing brass tube in pen blanks, using Ca as a finish. Many people do not use accelerator at all.

Many woodturners found Wooden Wonders had best prices for CA. He sold his business to Ed, aka YoYo Spin.

http://www.exoticblanks.com/Wooden-Wonders-CA-Glues/

For best success with CA have the right type for the task. CA comes in Med, Thick, Thin, and now Gel form.

I have never used accelerator so have no experience with it. Became sensitized to CA glue so limit my use of the stuff. I found out the hard way MED CA does not have much shear strenght.


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## Randy_ATX (Sep 18, 2011)

I have been wanting to post someting similar.

Gerry, thanks for the link. Does anyone has experience, specifically with this product from Gerry's link? 
*EM-150 SEMI-FLEXIBLE* Seems like a good route to go.


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## TheDane (May 15, 2008)

I have used the EM-150 to strengthen punky, porous wood … works fine. It is a medium CA.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

I've used a lot of CA glues over the years but after using Loctite Pro, I'm sold on it.


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## Wildwood (Jul 22, 2012)

Competing brands will tell you their cyanoacrylate glue is the best. One thing all CA glues have in common is short shelf life once opened.

I stored my CA glue in the refrigerator, thinking that would prolong shelf life. Others say should store your CA in the freezer compartment. Also left my bottle of CA on a shelf in the shop between uses. All I know is old CA to bond surfaces might be iffy. Old CA glue might not hold as well as new, but does help working with spalted wood and torn end grain, filling cracks with saw dust or coffee grounds, and use as a finish.

Depending upon what you are trying to do buy proper viscosity for the task. Remember wood is porous and all CA viscosities will penetrate wood pores to a certain extent some more than others. I found medium strength Ca did not have the gap filling capabilities claimed.

Because cost & shelf life is a slight draw back not saying buy and keep an assortment of different viscosities on hand. On the other hand if running a commercial shop and use the stuff like water and money is no problem keep a ready supply of the stuff.

Started using medium Stick Fast when got into pen turning because that is what my woodturning vendor sold. Back then could not find CA glue here locally so had to order the stuff. Only sold Crazy & Super CA glue brands around here. Now both Home Depot and Wal-Mart carry national brands of CA. Home Depot carries Instantbond & Activator kit.

While CA glue is fast, less expensive glues deserve your attention too especially if need it now! Depending upon what I want to do will look at yellow & hot glue, found both epoxy & polyurehane glues work as well too!

http://www.woodmagazine.com/wood/file.jsp?item=/popups/glue_chart2


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## Jim Jakosh (Nov 24, 2009)

I know they sell the CA glue and accelerator at Woodcraft and in all the woodworking catalogs.
Some even use it for a finish on pens.
. I know there is thick CA glue and now even Black CA glue.

Personally, I never use it for anything in the shop. I use Titebond 1,2 and 3 and 5 minute epoxy. I have found that you can use Testers model paint to color epoxy and it dries in about the same time with the model paint in it. It is what I use to fill voids in turned pieces along with sifted fine sawdust from the part..

...............Jim


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## mojapitt (Dec 31, 2011)

Menards has some inexpensive CA that I use. I mainly use TB 2&3. I use a fair amount of epoxy. All depends on the project I am working on.


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## TheDane (May 15, 2008)

Our local turner's club buys StarBond and sells to members at a nice discount. I have some old TiteBond CA that I bought 3+ years ago … that is what I use to 'stabilize' wood and fill cracks. The CA lives in a plastic tray in the door of my beer/pop fridge.


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## carolinafernando (Apr 23, 2018)

> Our local turner s club buys StarBond and sells to members at a nice discount. I have some old TiteBond CA that I bought 3+ years ago … that is what I use to stabilize wood and fill cracks. The CA lives in a plastic tray in the door of my beer/pop fridge.
> 
> - TheDane


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## carolinafernando (Apr 23, 2018)

> I use StarBond … http://www.starbond.com/ ... they have a complete line of CA products.
> 
> Some folks (e.g. Eddie Castelin) use CA to fasten blanks to waste blocks, but I save the CA for other stuff …
> 
> - TheDane


Great,,,


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## msinc (Jan 8, 2017)

For bowls and plates and such I use regular old wood glue and a piece of ordinary writing paper in between so it can be removed without tearing out the wood. I don't know how you would ever get the bowl separated from the faceplate wood with CA. Then again I have never tried it…might jump right off when you're done.


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## John Smith_inFL (Dec 15, 2017)

my issue with CA glue is not the shelf life, but, the glue hardening up in the nozzle
after a few weeks of non use. I have tried cleaning it after use and always
store in the upright position (never laying down in a drawer).

lately, Gorilla CA brand seems to last longer. But it too has flow issues after
a few weeks. is there something to look for when choosing a CA glue that 
will not harden in the nozzle and lock it all up ???

Geezzzeeeee ~ I just noticed this is a resurrected five year old thread.
(time for another cup o joe). oh well, it is here now.

.

.


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## joey502 (Mar 30, 2014)

I use hot glue to attach waste blocks, a 100 watt glue gun. I have not used any CAs for that application.


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

I bought the 2P10 kit from FastCap. Keep it in the shop fridge (not our "Fridge). Has a great cap on the bottles, and I've not had any probs at all.
Good stuff. I'd buy it again.


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

I put CA glue on my thumb and fingers when they get dry around the nails….Cuts the air off to keep them from stinging and cracking more….They begin to heal, and about 2 days later I'm cured….!!!


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## smokie (Dec 29, 2012)

WHAT???! I posted this wwwaaayyyy back in 2013. What the heck is is doing popping up here and now??..


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## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

Never used CA for that or similar applications. I've always been leary of the lack of shear strength that CA has. Don't get me wrong, I use it all the time, just not for stuff that is subjected to twisting/shearing. I'd go with hot glue.


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## rad457 (Jun 15, 2013)

CA Glue for waste block? I use T.B. 1 very thin with sheet of newspaper between, taught this method 40years ago in shop class and still works today!


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

John Smith, try Titebond Pro, it doesn't harden in the cap.


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## LesB (Dec 21, 2008)

There are people who use hot glue but I just do not trust it, especially on large turning. CA glue I find is brittle and could fail under the stress of turning, besides I think it would damage the bottom of the turning if you tried to pry or chisel it off the mounting plate.
For years I used regular wood glue attaching the backing plate to the turning blank with a piece of newspaper or brown paper bag in between the two. When the turning if finished they can be separated using a wide chisel. The paper comes apart with no damage to the turning and the residue can be sanded off of the bottom of the turning. 
Since those days I added a chuck to my lather and use the method described in this blog to mount my blanks on the lathe: http://lumberjocks.com/LesB/blog/118409

I do use CA glue quite a bit on my turnings to fill or stop cracks forming. On small cracks or ones that I notice are forming I just fill them with Medium thick CA. For larger cracks or voids or damaged knots I fill them with fine sawdust of the appropriate color, packing it in dry form as tight as I can in the hole, then in quick succession I add thin CA glue followed immediately by medium CA. The thin version acts as a wicking agent for the medium CA. You can either speed up the curing of the medium CA with a spray accelerant or wait a couple of hours to proceed. If the wood is green the CA will set up quickly and may even give off some heat and vapor….don't breath it. A good way to get fine sawdust is with a orbital or belt sander that have a dust collector bag on them. Over time I have collected a variety of different wood sawdusts that I save in jars just for this purpose.


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## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

I use Gorilla Glue CA both liquid and gel. one thing I like about gorilla CA is they have a pin in the lid so that keeps it from gluing itself shut as long as you put the cap on before it dries. I have used the pin trick in the little tubes you get at the dollar store, it keeps quite a while that way


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## Planeman40 (Nov 3, 2010)

*"My issue with CA glue is not the shelf life, but, the glue hardening up in the nozzle"*

There are some tricks to using and keeping a large bottle of cyanoacrylic glue I will pass on.

1. Put a hypodermic syringe needle on the tip to accurately apply thin CYA. These needles can be purchased from most pharmacies and come in various diameter sizes. The needles have a tapered base that is a good press-on fit to most CYA bottles. Cut the point off with a Dremel abrasive cut-off wheel. Yes, the needle will get clogged with dried glue. Simply hold the flame of a cigarette lighter under the needle tip for one second and the tube will open up. Don't breathe the fumes.

2. Storage of CYA glue: The catalyst to start the hardening reaction in CYA glue is moisture. Keep moisture away from the glue and it will last for years sitting on your workbench. I store my glue in a large capped jelly jar with a large package of silica gel. The jar keeps out moisture and the silica gel, a desiccant that absorbs moisture from the air, absorbs the moisture from inside the closed jar. I have a large bottle of CYA glue that has set on my workbench for around 10 years or so. Just now it is becoming a little to thick for my usual use of thin CYA so I will be buying a new bottle. The thickening glue will be kept for my needs for a thicker glue. Note that silica gel is cheap and can easily be purchased over the Internet. Should it ever become saturated with moisture, just put it in an oven to dry it out.


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