Jump to content

Recommended Posts

So i`ve been using the Scotch cyanoacrylate superglue for god knows how long. Still, i find myself in situations where the nozzle clogs up after having used the 3 gram tube for some time. I always clean up the c.a. residues on the outside of the nozzles after each use, but there will always be some c.a. residues on the inside of the nozzle that eventually will grow into a real problem. I do not unscrew the nylon nozzle once it has been mounted on the tube. Basically i always keep the tube upright so the glue will run back down into the tube but i don`t have any really good ways of cleaning the inside nozzle/tunnel so that it will be free of any problematic buildup of glue. What is your favourite routine on this issue? Oh and before i forget, keep any accelerators AWAY from the c.a. glue! I managed to freeze up a whole $6 tube because it accidentally came into the nozzle!

One thing ofcourse is that the superglue does get older within a month or so, but i also tend to discard the superglue tubes before they are fully emptied out because of the nozzles keeps clogging up :(

Link to post
Share on other sites

CA glues are moisture curing, so the secret to keeping them from curing is to keep them isolated from moisture as much as possible. I keep mine in a sealed, snap-bale container that contains a desiccant. They last for years. I also use Mercury Adhesives, which come with a pin in the cap that tends to keep the nozzle open.

However, sooner or later the tip will start to clog. I've never found a way to completely prevent this, only slow the inevitable down.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I haven't figured yet out why some batches of superglue last just a few days before the nozzle becomes clogged, while others last up to the last drop and never get clogged. I always buy the same brand.

Anyway, I simply run a small drill bit in a pin vise through the nozzle, that will oen the nozzle again. If the drill bit is too much packed with glue, I just drop it in acetone.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Triarius is right on about CA glue curing with moisture. Storing glue in those conditions will definitely help with the shelf life.

If you want to just keep the spout from clogging, these are the two best ways:

1) Before putting the cap back on the spout, turn the bottle or tube upside down and squeeze until the glue is about to come out the tip. Then put the cap back on and store the bottle upside down so the tip stays full of glue. This may be counter-intuitive, but CA glue clogs the spout when there is just a little bit of glue surrounded by air (containing moisture) in the tip. If you keep the whole spout full of glue so that the air is at the bottom of the bottle instead, the tip won't clog.

2) Buy a couple of extra spouts. When one is clogged, put a clean spout on and drop the clogged spout in some acetone to clean it out. If you are using the little 3 gram tubes, however, you might not be able to buy extra spouts.

If you are using a bottle, you can also unscrew the cap and use plastic pipettes to suck the glue out of the bottle and dispense it. These can be more accurate than the spouts that come on the bottles, less expensive than replacement spouts, and you can still clean them out with acetone.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Welcome in SatelliteCity :) The tip on moisture from Triarius was an unknown for me. Will try that technique out ;-) Wow your first tip sure is counter intuitive! Never even crossed my mind trying that out, hahaha. The cap does have a perfectly flat top, but still...

The acetone is also a new "trick" for me. Yeah i`m pretty much stuck with using those small 3 gram tubes. It`s my one and only preferred c.a. glue.

So replacement nozzles for those i never did come across. I did see that other type with the really long bent beaks but not sure whst those are for.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks for the welcome, breadneck. It is kind of a weird tip, but effective. Something else you could do would be to bypass the spout altogether. Just take it off (it unscrews off that tube, right?) and squeeze some glue into a small tray. You could use a plastic or metal bottle cap or something similar, as long as it is dry and there is no liner on the inside. Then use a toothpick, paperclip, or a brush to get a little bit of the glue from the dish and apply it directly. CA glue won't cure very quickly just sitting in a dish, as long as the surface is not something it will react to.

Or, since you mentioned that you are using Scotch super glue, they make a "single-use" tube that's only half a gram, so you don't have to worry about the spout clogging. I would guess that it is considerably more expensive per ounce, but it's available.

Link to post
Share on other sites

<snip>Just take it off (it unscrews off that tube, right?) and squeeze some glue into a small tray. You could use a plastic or metal bottle cap or something similar, as long as it is dry and there is no liner on the inside. Then use a toothpick, paperclip, or a brush to get a little bit of the glue from the dish and apply it directly. CA glue won't cure very quickly just sitting in a dish, as long as the surface is not something it will react to.

<snip>

This is similar to the method I use. I put a small pool (dime-sized) on a glass or glazed ceramic plate and apply it from there. When done, allow the CA to cure and scrape it off with a razor blade.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hello,

I was thinking about this earlier today and since you guys are on the topic I thought I'd ask.

Does anybody know a way to tint superglue. I have tried both white and black CA and they don't seem to last very long for

me. I figured this was because of the brand but who knows?

Anyway, I like the colored CA glue for filling gaps and seams because it's easier for me to tell if I have feathered it

out enough when sanding it down (in contrast to the plastic)and 2- If it was tinted at least a little, I could avoid finding

CA spots that I missed sanding out. Sometimes I find them at the primer stage, sometimes later.

Thanks in advance,

Jim S

BTW Before kids, I used to store my CA in a sealed jar in the fridge. I don't remember where I learned that but it helps to keep the CA from drying out.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I buy the cheap bubble packs of half a dozen small tubes for $2 and accept that i'm going to throw each tube out while it's still about half full.

I end up well ahead on $$ and don;t waste time trying to delay the inevitable.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I found that a lot of my clog issues occured when I was trying to apply straight from the bottle, as when the nozzle meets the working surface you create pooling at the pour tip and that begins to collectively close up your tip. What I do now is just turn a paint bottle upside down and use the glass surface to pour a usable amount onto. With it being glass, it slows the curing process down a lot, and when the CA begins to lose it's strength, a visible white halo will begin to form around the pool of CA letting you know that it's losing it's touch. Works like a champ. I use either a piece of stretched sprue, toothpick, or the loophole of a sewing needle, clipped at the end of the loop so that it makes a fork looking tool.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hello,

I was thinking about this earlier today and since you guys are on the topic I thought I'd ask.

Does anybody know a way to tint superglue. I have tried both white and black CA and they don't seem to last very long for

me. I figured this was because of the brand but who knows?

Anyway, I like the colored CA glue for filling gaps and seams because it's easier for me to tell if I have feathered it

out enough when sanding it down (in contrast to the plastic)and 2- If it was tinted at least a little, I could avoid finding

CA spots that I missed sanding out. Sometimes I find them at the primer stage, sometimes later.

Thanks in advance,

Jim S

BTW Before kids, I used to store my CA in a sealed jar in the fridge. I don't remember where I learned that but it helps to keep the CA from drying out.

I've tried adding various colorants to CA, but I've never been particularly happy with the results. The problem is that solid pigments tend to act as accelerators for CA, and liquid colorants interfere with curing.

The trick I use to check the edges of CA fill is to use light glare along the surface. This catches even the tiniest imperfections.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Does anybody know a way to tint superglue. I have tried both white and black CA and they don't seem to last very long for

me. I figured this was because of the brand but who knows?

There are ways to tint CA glue. One method I have found, although I don't use it often, is epoxy pigment from Tap Plastics. Pour a little CA glue into a shallow dish and mix in a very small amount of the pigment with a toothpick or something similar. You have to use a very small amount, or else it will set up immediately. If you are using the right amount, you should get a few minutes of open time. I have only tried the white and black Super Pigment versions, but they have another type of pigment in lots of different colors that might work as well.

Another way, if you are filling a crack or a chip, is to pack a material of the right color into that crack or chip and then use thin CA glue to harden it. People often do this very effectively with sawdust. Some people use crushed rock, and this guy used coffee grinds. You can use all kinds of materials. You aren't directly tinting the CA glue, but this method can often give you the same practical result.

I found that a lot of my clog issues occured when I was trying to apply straight from the bottle, as when the nozzle meets the working surface you create pooling at the pour tip and that begins to collectively close up your tip.

That's a good point. You will get more clogging issues if you are picking up foreign material like sawdust in the nozzle. The glue will react in the nozzle with that material and clog it up.

Edited by SatelliteCity
Link to post
Share on other sites
The trick I use to check the edges of CA fill is to use light glare along the surface. This catches even the tiniest imperfections.

Thank you, I'll try that next time I am wet sanding!

There are ways to tint CA glue. One method I have found, although I don't use it often, is epoxy pigment from Tap Plastics. Pour a little CA glue into a shallow dish and mix in a very small amount of the pigment with a toothpick or something similar. You have to use a very small amount, or else it will set up immediately. If you are using the right amount, you should get a few minutes of open time. I have only tried the white and black Super Pigment versions, but they have another type of pigment in lots of different colors that might work as well.

There is a Tap Plastics 25 minutes away so next time I'm down that way I'll pick some up if it's not too expensive.

Thanks!

Jim S

Link to post
Share on other sites

I buy my superglue at Hobby Lobby...They come in 1/2 oz bottles and cost only $2.99 USD/bottle...It comes in thick, medium and thin..I only buy thick and thin......Also at our local hobby shops over the years I've bought Zap-A-Gap "micro-tubing"...It comes in 2 sizes......I cut off the tip of my 'thin' CA bottle (you may have to drill the opening out a bit)and insert a piece of thin tubing (the end cut at an angle)......The thick CA I cut the tip off and drill the hole out bigger and insert a large piece of tubing and in the tip of that a small piece of tubing........

Each piece of tubing are cut about 1 to 1 1/2 inches long......

Too I keep a small stash of copper wire(s) to ream/unplug clogged tubing. CA is going to clog up no matter what.......

New bottles of CA I keep in the frig's butter compartment........Less likely to get too cold in there.........

HTH

Link to post
Share on other sites

Try "Burping" your bottles, hold the tip up, you will see a bit of CA caught at the top, squeeze it easily till you see the small air bubble rise to the tip and burst, you will then notice that the CA will clear and run back down to the tube, there will be no CA in the tip to harden.

Curt

Link to post
Share on other sites

Netz has the right idea!

Here is how I store my tube of superglue, and this is why I think mine seldom clogs up. I use a very small piece of PTFE tubing inserted in the end of the manufactures tube. By standing it up all the time the superglue makes it's way back down the tube and into it's reservoir. The only time it really ever clogs up is when my wife uses it to glue her fingernails back on... Moisture is the accelerator and inevitably puts a ball on the end. Usually it's an easy matter of taking the ball off the end, but sometimes it's a little deeper. The tube in the picture was just changed out after I emptied the previous tube... It never clogged in the 6-8 weeks I was using it.

IMG_4757_zps5967e994.jpg

A place to get the tubing... http://www.newageindustries.com/awg-ptfe-tubing.asp

For what it's worth.

Happy Modeling!

Larry McCarley

Link to post
Share on other sites

when I am finished using ca adhesives I allow the ca to flow back down the tip .once it has reached the bottom I squeeze the bottle so that way it clears the tip. by doing this you are able to push/pull air pressure through tip. been doing it for years and 99% of the time it works. also if it should clog and depending the size hole in tip you have you can always push a t pin through it. hope this helps!

Edited by f14 tomcat freak
Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...