CA glue question

[TomcatFanatic123]

I'm curious as to whether CA glue is affected by temperature extremes. My "workshop" is an old shed with a concrete floor, a window and door. When the weather gets hot/cold/humid/dry, inside the shed gets hot/cold/humid/dry, and we've had a warm spell here lately of muggy mid-90's temps. I went to CA some (unpainted) parts together and they refused to stay put (both attempts to CA the parts had a good 6-8 hrs. drying time). I went through this twice before I decided to just use my Tamiya Extra Thin on the parts, which worked like a charm. Anyway, I was just kind of wondering if the weather could have had something to do with the CA not taking.

Edited September 13, 2015 by TomcatFanatic123

[Triarius]

Temperature extremes will have an effect on any polymer, especially cyclic extremes, and over time that may affect your CA, though it will have a greater effect on your paints.

The real problem with CA is humidity. CA is a "moisture curing" adhesive. It's so sensitive to moisture that you can accelerate the cure of small amounts by exhaling on the bond like you would on a pair of glasses to clean them. Not as fast as using an accelerator, but useful, now and then.

Over time, exposure to high humidity will cause the CA to start to cure in the bottle. This is why some keep their CA in the fridge when not using it. (The temperature cycling will not affect it as much as humidity, and the fridge is not only cool, it is dry.) I keep mine in a glass jar sealed with a snap-bale lid and tight fitting rubber gasket. The jar also contains vials of desiccant, keeping the humidity below 10 percent.

However, CA is a peculiar chemical. When the humidity is extreme enough the stuff won't cure, or sometimes even stick to a clean, but molecularly wet surface. You would be well served by putting in an air conditioner and a space heater. Make sure the space heater is the type that doesn't have an exposed tungsten element!