Large Scale Central

UGH!!! The CA Just Spurted Out!!! Now What???

Tools and Tips
#1

You’re working on your current project and adding a drop of cyanoacrylate (super glue or CA). All is going well, but you “just touched” the tip of the dispenser to your work. So, now I find that the tip has a greater tendancy to clog and will do so much quicker before being capped.

You move on with the project and go to add more CA. But now there is a bit of a clog at the tip. But with a bit more pressure (sometmes unintentional), this disolves and now you have a glop/pool of CA that just spit out on your work leaving a nice puddle. BION, this happens to me more often than I would like (like never).

So do you instanty try to clean it up and if so how??? Or maybe you just let it dry and try to shave it off afterwards???

I find that my fingers work best for instant removal of excess, but then…

A paper towel could be used, but leaves residue including bits of the towel.

So, what do you do???

#2

Acetone seems to clean up CA pretty well.

#3

Some times you can use a corner of a paper towel to soak up some of the spill. Just soak up as much as you can then try as different corner. You can fold up the towel to get more than 4 corners. It works pretty well but can still leave a glossy residue. Don’t touch the wetted towel as the glue doesn’t tend to dry and will stick to you even after a while.

#4

And this is why I put a drop on my glass work surface, and then use a toothpick to apply what I need where I need it. Then I wipe the still wet stuff off my work surface with a rag, or sometimes my arm by mistake.

#5

Try needle dispenser on the bottle. Various size needle openings for the right amount of glue are available.

#6

I use Q-tips to remove excess CA before it sets. If you’re quick, sometimes you can do so without the need to sand later.

If its a blob on a relatively flat surface, it can be chiseled off with a flat X-acto blade after its dry. Of course, that only works if its a non-porous medium.

#7

I’m with David, I never dispense CA directly from the container especially the thin stuff as it usually comes out uncontrollably. I keep a pack of 3x5 index cards on the bench and use them as glue blob holders, they are cheap and when finished I toss them before they get stuck to some part of my body (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

#8

I use dental tools to apply, CA is highly flammable, I touch a match to whats left on the probe and it burns off. Wipe with a towel and good to go.

John

#9

Like all of you, I don’t touch the bottle to the project, either.

I took a bunch of scrap sheet styrene and glued them up to make a block about 1 1/2 x 2 x 3/4 high. Then just made several small divits in the block with a 1/4 drill to hold the glue. I just dip a piece of 1/16 - " rod in the glue and transfer it to the project. When the glue hardens, I just clean the divit with the drill bit tip.

If you are using a part with a mounting pin, (such as a NBW casting) just did the pin into the glue and apply the part.

#10

David Maynard said:

And this is why I put a drop on my glass work surface, and then use a toothpick to apply what I need where I need it. Then I wipe the still wet stuff off my work surface with a rag, or sometimes my arm by mistake.

That’s a good idea. I have tried various methods to do what you described yet never thought of a piece of glass. I have a love hate relationship with CA as I think most people do. it makes a mess clogs and crusts up an it will burn the snot out of you if you spill it on pure polyester. About the only controlled method of use I have found is the Loctite squeeze bottles.

I like these bottles.

#11

John Caughey said:

I use dental tools to apply, CA is highly flammable, I touch a match to whats left on the probe and it burns off. Wipe with a towel and good to go.

John

does it need to be wet to flame off. This is a good idea also.

#12

I learned early on to never try and apply glue from the tube right to the model. I always blob some onto the work surface (its a sheet of plate glass) and then use a toothpick or hobby blade to apply what I need where I need it. Or like John said, dip the mounting pin of the part into the blob of glue, and then put it into its mounting hole. For liquid cement, like Tenex, I use a small brush to apply it where I need to, not the monster brush that comes in some solvent bottles. Doing it that way gives me better control, and less mistakes to try and clean up.

Whatever you do, do not rub the CA or solvent type glues if you get too much on the model, it will only smear and cause more damage. blot it up if you can, or scrape it off after its dried.

#13

Devon Sinsley said:

John Caughey said:

I use dental tools to apply, CA is highly flammable, I touch a match to whats left on the probe and it burns off. Wipe with a towel and good to go.

John

does it need to be wet to flame off. This is a good idea also.

No, solid will burst into flame when one is touched to it. If two metal parts are CA’d, heat will soften the bond, how hot you go depends on the metal.

Avoid the fumes.

John

#14

I have found that if you place the top back on between uses, it will help keep the tip from clogging.

#15

I use paper plates when gluing, and painting.

#16

Here’s a great tip from our own Mike Morgan about how to apply a small amount of CA…

“Nobody has mentioned that cutting a small notch on the side at the end of a toothpick (a clean one , not covered in t-bone juice) will allow picking up a small amount that does not drip off the end before it gets to the intended site.”

Simple and elegant! (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-smile.gif)

#17

While. not directly related to using CA,be sure to store your CA in either the fridge or the freezer. The dry air will keep it from drying up. I’ve had a bottle of CA going on for 5 years living in our freezer.