Well gel me

I seem to remember a Home Improvement episode like that.

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Jokes on you though, I’m an idiot everyday, so no forehead laser disc for me!:crazy_face:

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Still could be glued to your hand as well. :scream:

Come to think about it, that could be useful in the office. Would save me from the daily face-palms. :thinking:

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There are also UV curable CAs. They will cure like a normal CA, albeit slowly. But if you hit them with UV light they cure very quickly. And these CAs can usually be applied in layers to build up fillets and fill gaps.

Great for situations where you might need to reposition the parts before the adhesive can cure. I use this type for parts that need to be glued but have a close-tolerance fit, like a rod being glued in to a tube. If you try this with regular CA the rod will end up glued before you can get it all the way in to the tube (because if you spread it thin enough the CA will set almost instantly, which is why it works so good on skin). With UV cure CA you can slip the parts together, get them lined up exactly the way you want, and then hit it with a light source to get it to set.

Lastly, CA needs some water in order to cure. Moistening surfaces slightly can help accelerate a less-then perfectly flush fit of parts. This is why, when a bottle is opened, it thickens and eventually hardens. The water isn’t consumed in the reaction, it’s a catalyst. So once a little humidity gets in to the bottle the process starts and it’s only a matter of time. You can slow it down by storing it in the freezer. Otherwise, at least in my dehumidified basement, 6 months or so is about the maximum time an opened bottle will last before the CA starts to noticeably change consistency. It does not form as strong a bond once it’s started to degrade.

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I like the gel because I make mistakes and it gives me more time to fix them. Downside is that it takes a bit longer for assembly, but it does hold on a bit more and easier to apply in my experience.

:rofl:

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I have gone back to wood glue for wood unless the fit is really terrible, and I use the gorilla glue as it foams up to fill gaps, and has some give so not brittle, plus overflow can be cut away with a sharp tool. The trick I have found with wood glue is to use almost none, barely covering the surface, and then making as perfect a seal as possible and backed with a clamp to add extra pressure, it can make even breaks almost invisible that way.

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I don’t know about the gel stuff, but I keep my CA glue in the freezer and it lasts basically until I use it all. It does take a little longer to set than normal while cold though.

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That’s exactly what we do to “fume” for fingerprints. Heat a small tray of CA in a box and wait. Just don’t breath it.

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This is Happy Henry
henry
Don’t be Happy Henry

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Yeah. It can be a problem when gluing stuff together. More often than not, you’ve touched the parts near where you’re joining them, so when the CA vapor condenses, it tends to be attracted to the oils and you get a nice white imprint (relief?) of your fingerprint.

But I watch CSI, too. :sunglasses:

I’ve breathed the fumes. Not intentionally of course (that would be “huffing” I think). But sometimes it’s unavoidable when you’re gluing stuff together. I’ve had vapor get to my eyes, too. Some people have a very strong negative reaction to the vapor, like asthmatic reactions, red swollen skin, etc… I’m lucky I guess, all it does to me is sting a little.

There is a class of CA called “Odorless” which tends to cure a little slower, but it’s odorless. I use this for gluing Styrofoam. Regular CA will attack foam, odorless will not.

I’m also using a CA now that’s UV accelerated. It works like normal CA if you want, but it will cure instantly if you hit it with UV. Great for gluing two surfaces that don’t quite mate perfectly.

Nice benny to that UV glue is any spillage or excess is invisible.
Downside is the spillage glows like it is radioactive when the UV is put on it.

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