Steve Westphal

Once again, I have a 2oz. bottle of thin ca that will be dried up with 3/4 of an ounce left. It has always been in low light and reasonable temp. Can I keep them in the frig? My father kept his "Ambroid glue" in the frig!!! It was along side of his film as he was a photographer. What say???? Buy smaller bottles?

Brunito

My Feedback: (10)

I always keep my in friedge and always last a long to the end!

BobHH

My Feedback: (18)

Yep, years ago I sold the industrial CA and we alway kept it in the frig.

Bob Harris

guitarsbanjo

I'll see if I can find the article, I'm sure I have it somewhere. But I seem to remember reading that once CA is open you should not put it in the fridge, the reasoning was when you take something out of the fridge moisture collects on it, and moisture "kicks" CA.

Does that make any sense? Like if I take a glass of tea out of the fridge little beads of "sweat" form on the glass. So, it's reasonable to think the same thing happens on a smaller scale in a bottle of CA. I think the suggestion was to keep the CA in a Cool Dry place, and transfer it to smaller bottles for use if it is a big bottle and you don't plan to use it in a reasonable amount of time.

Austin

guitarsbanjo

okay, I don't think this is the same place I read it before, but Idid a quick search on storing CA.

http://www.mercuryadhesives.com/MercuryFAQ.htm#3

go to item #3 and read all of it, it basically says the same thing I said in the other post.

Austin

BMatthews

Buy a bigger number of smaller bottles and keep the unopened bottles in the freezer. I've got a half dozen still that have been in there for almost 10 years and they still work just fine once warmed to room temperature.

The other way is to use a bigger bottle and refill a small bench bottle. But I find that the bench bottles tend to get fouled up in use and once the grunge starts to build up it's impossible to clean it off and keep it clean for long. So I prefer the small bottles and just toss it in favour of a new clean one once empty.

Trisquire

The beads of sweat on the tea glass happen because the cold glass is condensing water vapor in the surrounding atmosphere. The only way condensation would form inside the CA bottle, is if water vapor was already in there.



FWIW, I also store my LiPo batteries in the fridge. Especially during the winter, when I'm not flying.

mylamo

My Feedback: (1)

I used to fly with Dr. Chuck Davis and he told about
building a small plane and before leaving for work at
the local hospital he decided one last part should be
added. While holding the two parts together he got the
thin CA from the fridge. With no free hand he secured
the top in his teeth and twisted. It worked, however there
was some difficulty encountered greeting staff members
until he finally got his tongue loose from the roof of his
mouth
Ralph

Rendegade

LOL, been there, done that! These days i I store mine in an old vitamin container if a half dozen sachets of silica gel in there. They rarely leave my workbench, but when they do, it's in the frig.

CafeenMan

I use Z-ends from Pacer and just soak them in acetone overnight. Doesn't matter how badly they clog - it always makes them like new. If you soak them in the acetone too long (several days) then the nozzles will crack. I use very little CA so I pay a lot more for the smaller bottles and keep them in the freezer. Then I let them come to room temp before using them. No matter what they go bad before I've used hardly any of the bottle.

Anyone know if I can put them in the fridge without sealing the bottle?

rszanti

Everytime you squeeze the CA bottle you push something out of it (CA glue). When you release it you let the bottle expand and it sucks air back in, warm moist air. It's not much but this is what slowly sets off the CA.

Store your new bottles of CA in the fridge but once opened don't put them back. I do only buy the smaller bottles now. I used to "economize" by buying the biggest bottles but after throwing several 3/4 full bottles away, I got smart(er).

I also use an aftermarket slipon teflon "spout" with a several inch long "tip". I don't put a cap of any kind on it after use and it usually is still open after a couple of weeks of non use. Occasionally the extreme outer tip will plug - I simply cut off an 1/8" and I'm back in business. This works well with thin CA but thick CA is difficult to get through the thin extension of the spout. There are similar spouts with larger openings and I use them because it's easier to control the placement of the CA but they seem to plug quicker and I have a bottle go thick on me every once in a while.

Richard

Dave Harmon

Hello Steve.....
I use the Bob Smith line of CA glues and I keep the bottles in a box inside the freezer in my refridge.
If I am using the glue I dont bother to put it in there after every building session....I just complete the project and if there is any glue left over I put it back in the freezer.
So....bottles of CA glue go in the freezer when not in use....regardless if it has been opened or not.

As far as cleaning the tips etc....I use a glass jar with some nitro in it. I soak all tips and tops in there when not in use....I leave them in there for years without problems.
Acetone would probably be just as good but I have never tried it.
I leave the original top on the bottle unopened....ie...I do not cut the top of the cap off...it is still sealed.
When I want to use the glue I remove from the freezer, replace the top with a cut off top, install a tip extender then get to work.
When done I remove the tip extender and top, put both in the nitro and put back on the uncut top.
When finished with the project....back into the freezer.
Been doing this for years and haven't had a bottle go bad yet.
I remember having an open bottle of Carl Goldberg JET thick CA in the freezer for about 10 years....it never went bad and I eventually used it all.

Hemikiller

My Feedback: (125)

From the Bob Smith site:

Heat and moisture will decrease the shelf life of CAs. Unopened bottles can be stored in a freezer or refrigerator, but allow them to reach room temperature before using. Keep your bottles in a cool place that won’t be exposed to direct sunlight and store away from bottles of accelerators. Due to the freshness of our CAs, their shelf life is guaranteed for 24 months.

For the initial opening of the top, loosen and retighten the top first to relieve internal pressure, then hold the bottle against a near vertical surface and cut off the top 1/32" with a knife or razor blade without squeezing the bottle. To prevent clogging, do not let the tip of the nozzle touch a surface that has been sprayed with INSTA-SET™. Before replacing the colored cap, set the bottle down hard to knock the remaining CA back into the bottle before squeezing it in an upright position to blow air through the nozzle, then wipe the tip clean.

With all CAs, the closer the parts fit together, the stronger the bond. Always hold the bonding surfaces together as tightly as possible. Any rough spots on the mating surfaces should be smoothed out. Although CAs will hold objects together with considerable strength within seconds, the full strength of the bond is not reached for several hours. Allow for this before subjecting parts to maximum stress. Also, CAs are generally a little less brittle and have higher strength when they are allowed to cure on their own.

Trisquire

I've kept a few different brands in the fridge for years. The only one that is still usable is a bottle of "Flash", which I considered an off brand when I bought it.

gcb

I use essentially the BSI suggestions although often I forget to tap the bottle vertically to clear the tip. I have kept unopened CA in the freezer and take it out the day before use. I have never kept it in the refrigerator.

If you are throwing out 3/4 of an ounce from a 2oz. bottle perhaps you should consider using 1oz. bottles. Much simpler.

When "Hot Stuff" from Satellite City first appeared there was only "thin" CA. At that time we used baking soda to fill gaps (first choice is to create a better fitting joint). To do that we used a paint brush to apply the baking soda then drop CA on the joint. I still keep baking soda around "just in case". Remember, that makes a heavy joint.

George

Trisquire

Does baking soda lose its accelerant properties with age? I've got a box that's several years old, but it still seems to work.

Sport_Pilot

I have always kept them in the freezer after they are opened. You will not get condensation if air does not get inside the bottle. Cold CA does not react right away, if you need it to react right away let it warm up to room temp before opening. If slow set up is helpful you can use it right away, but you will get a small amount of air inside the bottle, but it is so cold it will not cause the CA to set up. But doing this many times will. But storing it out of the fridge means that any humid air getting in the bottle will cause the CA to set up. The moisture doesn't have to condensate to cause CA to set up, sometimes you can get CA to set up by breathing on it. Maybe not enough right away to ruin it, but it will thicken it up and go bad in a few months to a year. But I have never seen it go bad in the fridge.

Trisquire

I wonder if storing bottles upside down would make them more airtight.