> Reply to: Superglue
>Folks, I've had varying luck with this stuff. Sometimes it sticks like a
>bulldog, and at other times, it just sort of wets the parts. Kind of like
>trying to stick them together with water. And I never can predict which way it
>will act. What's the secret?
Superglue is a cyanoacrylate. Now you can ask a chemist about that stuff,
but to really get the skinny on how it behaves, you have to ask a real
expert: someone who has built balsa RC model airplanes.
CA is "set off" by moisture. It also likes porosity. But not big gaps.
Hence, breathing on the uncured CA will often set it off.
A little baking soda is good for filling gaps. Oily surfaces limit
adhesion and moisture penetration, so it doesn't work on them.
Generally, the CA adhesives sold in hobby shops for model airplane
use are among the best. Some are thin, and great for penetrating clamped,
porous parts. Others are thicker, and work better for filling gaps.
Carl Goldberg "Jet" and "Super Jet" are among the best.
Keeping it in the refrigerator improves its shelf life to almost
infinite.
Obviously, keep it away from your kids. Not only can they glue
themselves together, they can blind themselves.
Greg
|