Using Super Glue

[Guest]

I am trying to use Super Glue to fix the tiny undercarriage struts of my 1/72 Lancaster. I have used it once before to stick the aerial wire to the mast and tail of two Spitfires. It solidified in about 5 seconds. But now, in doing some tests on gluing little pieces of plastic together, it will not fully solidify, despite leaving it alone for many minutes. I am using Deluxe Materials' Rocket Hot (1 to 5 secs bonding time).

Using a cocktail stick, I put a small drop on one part and place the other part on it and wait. The parts (the test parts as well as the undercarriage parts) are about 1 mm diameter rod. A second way I do is to put the parts together and then add a small drop of the glue from the stick.

The parts adhere but so weakly that they can easily be pulled apart. The glue is soft and there is no strength in the joint.

Am I doing it right? I bought the Superglue about April this year. Can it go off so quickly?

[Ian M]

Hmmm age wise it should still be OK.

Are the parts painted? CA (super glue) does not like grease or oil either so it might help to swab with a cotton bud with IPA or the like.

Setting time does increase with age but 8 months seams a bit quick.

Ian M

[Adrian "Marvel" Reynolds]

I use Zip kicker to accelerate the CA to go off instantly, I don't use the spray version though I have the refill bottle and apply with a cocktail stick.

Adrian

[Guest]

I would get some new CA Steve.

It will prove if the one you are using at present is faulty which from all accounts it seems to be.

Used it over a period of 3 years & not had any problems. Better off by the way using a metal applicator. CA needs slight moisture present to work. cocktail sticks are likely to have a moisture content, experience has proved.

I use an applicator that Scale Model Shop stocks. The alternative is a sewing needle. Also keep both the very runny one & the gel type. Gel type seems to take longer to go off. Also good for making connector blocks on earial rigging.

Laurie

[Guest]

super glue was originally a medical application to stick flesh together temporarily, the formula hasn't really changed over the years, there is a necessity for moisture to be present.

I have used all types of superglue with scratch building and there is no difference in the applications i use it for between the expensive brand and the cheap ''three little bottles for a quid'' type (in fact sometimes the cheap stuff works better in situations where capillary action is needed)

I find breathing on both parts works wonders just before you apply the glue and it reduces the ''setting'' time quite a bit.

I read somewhere that the ''accelerators'' are 90% H2O with a bit of carrier and an anti mould agent ... So basically saliva

Regarding age... If you use superglue in a warm humid atmosphere and have the top off for any time then it'll lose its properties and become a bit ''jelly like'', this is because its trying to 'set' to itself with moisture molecules being present in the solution. The best applicators are the hard tube like ends that you cut to the size hole needed (and come with a close fitting 'snap-on' top)

Unopened.. Superglue will last several years, replacing top at every opportunity will make it last months

Never wipe the top with a damp cloth, never use anything to dip in it to apply the solution (even a cocktail stick that's been in a sweaty hand will transfer moisture to the superglue and start it to go off)

Hope that lots of some use.

[Guest]

Success! Knowledge (thanks folks) + practice + patience conquers everything (well, perhaps not with my first teenage girlfriend, sigh). I ground off the end of a needle to leave a fork (as mentioned elsewhere), arranged to have a small drop of SG on the end and touched the joints. They all set in a couple of seconds.

I found that cleaning the needle immediately after (essential I think to avoid random adhering to everything) was best done with paper (not newspaper) because using kitchen towel leaves bits that have to be sanded off to allow the drop to fall towards the point. Also, I started to put some SG from its dropper bottle on to the top of one of those storage pots to allow the needle to pick it up, but what to do with the surplus glue on the top? Dangerous. I didn't want to go about with a plastic lid glued to my fingers. The first time I wiped it carefully and then put some talcum powder on it. The next time I used instead a beer bottle top. When finished I put another top upside down on the glue and it set instantly, removing the danger. I have a big store of bottle tops (I went round cadging from pubs, what a chore!) so the loss of two per session will soon ensure a repeat collection visit. The undercarriage is surprisingly rigid (there are a couple of struts to add).

I have escaped with only a tiny loss of skin on a finger when I stupidly moved a joint as it was about to set.

[Guest]

Success! Knowledge (thanks folks) + practice + patience conquers everything (well, perhaps not with my first teenage girlfriend, sigh). I ground off the end of a needle to leave a fork (as mentioned), arranged to have a small drop of SG on the end and touched the joints. They all set in a couple of seconds.

I found that cleaning the needle immediately after (essential I think to avoid random adhering to everything) was best done with paper (not newspaper) because using kitchen towel leaves bits that have to be sanded off to allow the drop to fall towards the point. Also, I started to put some SG from its dropper bottle on to the top of one of those storage pots to allow the needle to pick it up, but what to do with the surplus glue on the top? Dangerous. I didn't want to go about with a plastic lid glued to my fingers. The first time I wiped it carefully and then put some talcum powder on it. The next time I used instead a beer bottle top (right way up). When finished I put another top upside down on the glue and it set instantly, removing the danger. I have a big store of bottle tops (I went round cadging from pubs, what a chore!) so the loss of two per session will soon ensure a repeat collection visit. The undercarriage is surprisingly rigid (there are a couple of struts to add).

I have escaped with only a tiny loss of skin on a finger when I stupidly adjusted a joint as it was about to set.

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[stona]

Good for you. That Lanc is looking good.

If you are really bothered to increase the life of CA glue once opened store it in the fridge. I am not allowed to do this, by order of senior management, but it does work.

Cheers

Steve

[colin m]

A bit off topic but that's a great photo' Steve. I wish I could photo' my models with such clarity.

[Guest]

For applying superglue I use an old paint brush that is now solid and probably more glue than brush. All I do is trim it down every so often to the shape required.

[Ian M]

Glad you got it sorted Steve. Personally I hate super glue but it has its uses, so use it I do.

With regard to how to handle the 'left-overs' I normally have either some scrape of plastic card or silver foil laying about. I just put a few drops out on a bit of those. once finished I either fold it on its self or put an other bit on top.

another useful applicator is a small coil of wire. when the end gets clumpy I just clip it off and roll a bit more off the coil...

Ian M

[Guest]

Another thing I should have mentioned is don't put any unused glue back in the bottle as this will have been exposed to moisture and will be already on its way to going off.

[Guest]

A bit off topic but that's a great photo' Steve. I wish I could photo' my models with such clarity.

Well, I use my old 10 Watt tubular fluorescent desk lamp as lighting (also used for sanding, gluing etc.), and 4 sheets of white paper, curved up at the back, and my point-an-shoot compact camera to take the picture, or flash could be used. Then the image is put into Adobe Photoshop (which is shockingly expensive to buy nowadays but I bought it about 15 years ago and upgraded a few times. Photoshop Elements (hugely cheaper) can do everything described here, and more. Then a simple crop gets rid of any desk clutter in the image. To make the image brighter you can use the Levels Command, and then Filter > Unsharp command to make it clearer and sharper. All that is very simple. On a whim I Selected the whole image (round all 4 edges) and applied a border (a "Stroke" in graphics-speak). I was surprised to see the fuzzy inner edge to the border and found that Feathering (technical term !) had been left at 4 pixels. I like the effect and will use it agin.

Improving an image can make a huge difference. Using the Levels and the Unsharp command makes a huge improvement to nearly all images, including nearly all family and holiday pics. A free trial of Adobe Photoshop Elements 12 is at:

http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/tdrc/index.cfm?product=photoshop_elements&loc=us

and to buy it costs £63 from Amazon (Adobe make it very difficult to buy it from them!) or version 11 (will do what I have done here) £48.99 from other Amazon sellers. Or even older versions if you can find them (Ebay? but make sure that you are buying the software and not simply a manual with the same name!) If you can convince Adobe that you are a student or small business you could get it cheaper. Make sure that you are buying the correct one: Mac or PC.

[colin m]

Thanks for that Steve. It demonstrates to me that modelling is one skill, but taking and displaying good photo's is another skill completley.

[Guest]

For safety with C/A i have some small plastic pots they look like mini plastic beakers just over an inch high. 50 for £1---guess where The Pound Shop.

Use the same one 3 or 4 times. And no danger of getting the stuff all over the place even if it falls on to the floor.

Laurie