At a recent R/C club meeting, we were very well entertained with a visit by Mr. Frank Tiano, the factory rep from ZAP, and organizer of the TOP GUN invitational competition. Much valuable info was learned in that session, and I'll try to highlight some of it here. The bond strength of CA is quite high, actually much greater than epoxy. It is fine for high stress applications such as firewalls, where epoxy is typically used. The bond strength of CA is compromised by adding any filler material, such as baking soda. The suggestion is to use a filler only in cosmetic, rather than structural applications. Keep your CA stored in the refrigerator to greatly extend its useful life. CA quality varies greatly. The manufacturing process is to mix and cook the ingredients in enormous vats. The cooking process somehow stratifies the mix so that the good quality CA is beneath the surface while the top, poor quality layer, is skimmed off and marketed in the little "bullet" tubes at a very cheap price, typically seen in the home improvement stores. It's OK for repairing the broken knick-knack that just sits on the shelf, but not suitable for flying models where bond integrity is a requirement. Another one of lifes "you get what you pay for" scenarios. The bulk of sales volume is the commercial market; furniture mfr's etc. Modelers are only a very tiny percentage of the overall useage. And kicker...it's a huge compromise. Every single squirt of it further weakens the bond strength, by a very significant percentage. Don't use it unless absolutely necessary. What's your hurry? it'll kick off by itself in seconds anyway. I hope everyone finds this info to be helpful, and my thanks to ZAP for their top quality products.
PS I have no affiliation with any mfr of CA.