Oils aint oils; but what of CA

[brendan stemp]

In my last thread I was asking about CA glue failing. I have another question related to this: are there varying qualities of CA glue? From my research I see there are different types of CA glue (ethyl, methly, n-butyl, 2-octyl etc) for various applications, but do the ones woodworkers use vary in quality? For instance, the cheap ones that we can buy at the $2 shops are very cheap and convenient (you seem to use it all before it goes off) but are they inferior in quality? Is there any point in buying the more expensive brands?

Your thoughts/ expertise on the matter would be appreciated.

[bellyup]

I use both the cheapo and the bottled CA. I can't pick any difference in quality only the viscosity - you can't beat the thin bottled CA for getting into hairline cracks but I do like the cheapo CA for filling small gaps and voids, it sets faster than the bottled thick CA and seems to finish well.
Bruce

[hughie]

I have in the past bought the el cheapo CA in small tubes. As to the other I did not have the right set up to keep it as I was looking at buying in bulk.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

At a guess I'd say that the cheap, basic CA is just that. Plain ol' Ethyl CA, no additives.

It's thin and runny, best suited for hairline cracks, not so good as a filler.

I'm not sure what they use to thicken it up for the medium/thick versions to enhance the gap filling properties, but I'd imagine there'd be some difference in quality between brands there. Ditto for the more esoteric "blended" CA's, but they're not really suitable for WW anyway.

[Scott]

I used the el-cheapo brand once and found it too "flakey" for want of a better word. Mind you, I used it to finish a pen. As for filling hairline cracks, it doesn't matter whether I use cheap or not, still does the same thing with the same finish.

I'm trying to work out where you're going with this Brendan, however I'm interested in other's opinions. At the end of the day though, I do fret over what others think of my work and I tend to go for the more expensive products over cheap.

[GlueGuy]

From what I have found, the chap bulk packs tend to absolute rubbish. Although it is a bit of a basic rule of thumb, I think most CA that you buy for about $5-$8 for a 15-18 gram bottle are best.
In this price bracket, you can usually get a formula which doesn't go off in the bottle (or at least has a sealing lid).
SJT has a good point. Just do what works for you. It great to hear what others have to say.

[bendover1]

I've usually use the cheap stuff from junk shops, works just as well as the expensive stuff.

Terry

[fubar]

I've noticed that the doctors keep their opened bottles of CA (used for stitching cuts when no room for stitches)in the fridge as the temp keeps it from setting

[hughie]

[I've noticed that the doctors keep their opened bottles of CA (used for stitching cuts when no room for stitches)in the fridge as the temp keeps it from setting


The Fridge does a partial job unless its a frost free, moist air is the killer. I have about 1/2kg of silica jel that I use to control the moisture content in a CA storage set up.