Hi all Sorry about the larger font, if it seems like I'm yelling im not, just getting tired of squinting to read stuff

 

Now for the question. Recently I ran out of the CA glue that I originally was using and tried to do a reorder, but got the wrong type, it's thin glue not thick although it says that Special T glue is supposed to be thick, anyway, has anyone had any trouble with bonds holding with the CA glues?

 

I was putting the top on a slimline today after putting in a refill, and to my surprise and dismay, tube, clip, and cap, all got pushed out the top as one unit, leaving me with a nicely polished piece of black walnut in my hand with nothing attached except my fingers!

 

This is not the first time I have had a problem with things coming apart. EVERY pen I have had to take apart recently for one reason or another, has pushed out the tube leaving a worthless polished piece of wood behind, I can't really put a tube back in because if you try to re-tube it, the nice shiny piece of wood has dried glue in it and will not let a new tube seat correctly.

 

I got a bottle of the Super T last year when my thick glue started to run low, only to find that this is a thin glue and it is about useless for anything other than finishing the pens.

 

Does anyone here know an actual part number to an actual THICK CA glue? or is it all thin now and claiming to fill gaps?

 

I don't really want to have to use 2 part epoxy simply because 1, I don't like waiting 10 hours for it to dry, and 2 I have a cat that loves to play with EVERYTHING

 

Thanks all and feel free to email me or post here or even call if it's not after 12Am EDT.

I need to find a better way, and it may be that I have to switch to the 2 part epoxy and just put it all out of the cats reach which is getting to be a challenge

 

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Charles

Hey Charles,

I buy all my Ca glue from Monty, his website is www.woodenwonderstx.com. He has it in thin, medium, and thick. His glue is really good and he has fast shipping. If you order 20.00 or more he will ship it free. I like his accelarator too. I always buy the 8 oz. bottles. I have been using his CAs for about 2 years now.

I *hate* using CA for gluing my tubes up.  I use either poly glue (when I'm not in a hurry) or 5-minute epoxy.  I got tired of the tubes not being inserted all the way before the CA set up.  I use CA to finish my pens.

 

For epoxy, I'm turning in an hour after applying it.  

 

I'm also a fan of Monty over at www.woodenwonderstx.com .  I order my CA, accelerator, and pen boxes from him.  Really good guy to deal with and a great pen turner.

 

NEVER, EVER use CA to secure the pen parts together when you assemble it.  It will outgas and stain the pen with white "clouds".  Use 5-min epoxy or red Loctite for that.

 

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Semper fi
www.swearingen-turnings.com

Great tip Jason. I never thought of Loctite and we use a lot of it at work. I'll try it out on my next pen kit. I also use 5 minute epoxy and have never had any problems with it. When I glue the tubes I plug up the ends of the tubes with Playdough and that keeps the epoxy out  when inserting the tube into the blank, after it cures I just push the Playdough out. I also find the epoxy gives me better coverage that doesn't leave any voids. Thanks!

Jason Swearingen said:

I *hate* using

CA

for gluing my tubes up.  I use either poly glue (when I'm not in a hurry) or 5-minute epoxy.  I got tired of the tubes not being inserted all the way before the

CA

set up.  I use

CA

to finish my pens.

 

For epoxy, I'm turning in an hour after applying it.  

 

I'm also a fan of Monty over at

www.woodenwonderstx.com

.  I order my

CA

, accelerator, and pen boxes from him.  Really good guy to deal with and a great pen turner.

 

NEVER, EVER use

CA

to secure the pen parts together when you assemble it.  It will outgas and stain the pen with white "clouds".  Use 5-min epoxy or red Loctite for that.

 

---

Semper fi

www.swearingen-turnings.com

Fold up a piece of paper towel, like Bounty kitchen towels (I actually use the WalMart brand for my CA application).  Put a couple drops of CA on it.  Lay it down on a SCRAP piece of black plastic or black metal.  Or something like that.  It needs to be a "sticky" surface (no Teflon or wax paper surface).  Leave it there for 20 minutes. Pick it up.  You'll see the outgassing "cloud" it'll leave on the surface.

 

To speed up epoxy, you can heat the item in a toaster oven.  Heat it at 200* (I go no warmer than 180* for acrylics) for an hour or so and it'll be fully cured.  One way I test epoxy is to keep the mixed residue on the wax paper and press my thumbnail into it.  When it's hard, the pen is ready to be turned.

 

---

Semper fi
www.swearingen-turnings.com

I did a Google search for "CA glue residue" and found this--the white areas are where the glue outgassed and deposited residue on the plane.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outgassing

 

---

Semper fi
www.swearingen-turnings.com

You're wasting your money on CA from WalMart.  Not because it's cheap, but because it's expensive!  www.woodenwonderstx.com as listed above...2oz bottles for $4.58.  That's a LOT cheaper than the WalMart stuff!  I have both the medium (for finishing pens) and the thin (for repairs and filling voids with sawdust).  I also have the accelerator he sells in the 8oz bottle.  I bought a 2oz spray bottle and refill it.

 

I didn't see the "cloud" on my acrylic pens...I saw it on a couple of CA-finished wood pens and stopped right then!

 

---

Semper fi
www.swearingen-turnings.com