Thread: Hoping this may preserve my CA

Skot ! just be a bit wary as not all plastic is compatable with CA ,I might have tried maybe one as a test case first But I know what you mean about mangled tops and dried up glue hehe,cheers ~ John

John...I'll find out soon enough. At worst I lose 1/2 bottle of CA and the little bottles only cost 20c each..so no great loss for the sake of the experiment.

Hi Skot & Others,
As I have stated in past Threads, I only use Loctite 401 & 406.
I have a small bowl in which the Glue lays, no lid, at, say, 30Deg. S A W Spring.
Through out that real hot weather 48.5Deg. where the Glue is, still works beautifully.

I'm not trying to tell what to do, but I wood change my Glue Brand.

Yes, at times I have to clean the Nozzle, & I use a Pr. on Needle Nose Pliers.
The beauty of using the Bowl is that when you lay the Bottle back in the Bowl, all the Glue runs back into the Bottle, & doesn't " Boil Over " & run down the outside.

I also use the CA for coating the pen...over 10 coats sometimes as well as gluing the tubes in the blank..so at the moment I like the CA due to it's multiple uses and it gives the pens a nice gloss finish.

issatree, I will take that suggestion on board...what do you use for finishing your pens ?

I am trying to picture your bowl option...do you place the bottle - nozzle down into the bowl and the bottle "sucks up" any excess glue...???

Hi Skot,

You are on the right track keeping your CA in the fridge I keep all mine in a bar fridge in the workshop and have done for a few years now. I use 16oz bottles of CA and decant smaller amounts into special little CA bottles with screw caps and long tips on them with a push on cap. I bought them all a long time ago (Bottles, caps, and lids)
I honestly never have any issues with the tips or the caps gluing up. I always allow the CA glue to drain back down into the bottle prior to placing the cap on and I always wipe around the nozzle prior to putting it back in the fridge.

Cheers
Tony

Tony, I also have a bar fridge down in the workshop as well.

I checked them this morning and they all look fine.

The CA is still nice & fluid in the bottles so I hope I have found a solution.

I preserve my CA by storing it in a Zip Loc plastic bag with a couple silica gel dessicant packets inside. Use the packs that sometimes come with tools, not the little plastic capsules that come in bulk aspirin and vitamin bottles. The silica gel can be regenerated by a couple of hours in the oven at 125 C or so. Once dry, put the packet and CA in the bag and store in the refrigerator. I have a bottle 2.5 years old now with no problems.

Originally Posted by Perfect Pens

Hi Skot,
I honestly never have any issues with the tips or the caps gluing up. I always allow the CA glue to drain back down into the bottle prior to placing the cap on and I always wipe around the nozzle prior to putting it back in the fridge.
Cheers
Tony

That's exactly how I treat mine, except I don't put it in a fridge. Never had a problem with it going off before I use it all up.

I think that was my main problem...I replaced the cap too early, fearing the CA would go off fast if I didn't so the remnant glue stuck my cap on and made if difficult to remove.

Originally Posted by issatree

Hi Skot & Others,
As I have stated in past Threads, I only use Loctite 401 & 406.
I have a small bowl in which the Glue lays, no lid, at, say, 30Deg. S A W Spring.
Through out that real hot weather 48.5Deg. where the Glue is, still works beautifully.

I'm not trying to tell what to do, but I wood change my Glue Brand.

Yes, at times I have to clean the Nozzle, & I use a Pr. on Needle Nose Pliers.
The beauty of using the Bowl is that when you lay the Bottle back in the Bowl, all the Glue runs back into the Bottle, & doesn't " Boil Over " & run down the outside.

It isn't just the temp but more the humidity that gets CA, and sorry to say, but it gets Loctite just a fast here in Qld.

I use the same bottles at Tony at Perfect Pens. Get them from the US for a few cents each. I also decant into them from a 16oz bottle of CA available in the US as well. I keep the 16oz bottle in the fridge. One bottle I am still puring from has been in the fridge for nearly 2 years and the glue is still perfect. CA can still run back down the tips of the smaller bottles when you use it. It will either make it difficult to fit the cap on properly or glue it on if it is still wet. Use a pair of pliers to gently twist the cap and it will break the the CA lock. However I have discovered a new method that prevents CA running back down the tip.

Cut the top of the tip at a 45 degree angle. Pour the CA from the lowest point on the 45 degree angle and not from the highest point. For some reason this prevents CA running down the outside of the tip You can also give the tip a quick wipe with the paper towel you use to apply the CA. No build up and no gluing of the cap onto the bottle.

You heard it first on the WW Forum

hey guys , as we all know this is a real drama and p*$$'s us all off , heres a few tips 1 i read about and the other was told to me by david at s e qld woodworking supplies after getting annoyed about losing bottles of CA to clogged nozzles

#1 try wiping the nozzle section with a thin layer of vasoline the lid wont stick to the nozzle !
#2 when finished hold bottle upright and tap it on bed of lathe or work surface a few times it makes most of the glue run back into the bottle and then give it a gentle squeeze to make it blow the CA thats left in tip of nozzle totally clears the tip so no more hassles
hope that helps and also saves us all some money

Hi Skot,
With the small bowl, the Loctite LAYS upright, & in doing so, the Glue runs back down into the Bottle, therefore you don't lose any Glue.
As I said, if you stand the Bottle the way it should go, then the glue " Boils " & you lose 2/3 drops of glue, & then all of a sudden you wonder why the Bottle emptied so quickly.

To Rob Streeper,
I've not been doing much turning of late, & I know the Bottle I'm using at the moment is well over 12 months old, still sitting in it's little wooden bowl. No Top, no Lock type Bag, just laying there.
The 40 +Deg. heat we had awhile back did not seem to upset it at all.