Melpow
Registered
New to this hobby, What is the best ca glue to use for pen making ?
-
Thanks for visiting The Penturners Forum today.
There are many features and resources that currently you are unable to see or access, either because you're not yet registered, or if you're already registered, because you're not logged in.
To gain full access to the forum, please log in or register now. Registration is completely free, it only takes a few seconds, and you can join our well established community of like-minded pen makers.
Here we go !!
Firstly is it for glueing in tubes...if yes then I prefer Gorilla Pu glue, it works great, I have never had a failure but I leave overnight to cure. Others use 5 or 10 minute epoxies if your in a rush.....CA tends to go off way to quick with wood, yeah OK with acrylics but be quick....I tend to use Zap thin from Axi some use Poundland.
If your using it as a finish, then try Melamine lacquer instead, CA is not designed as a finish and apart from it being difficult to apply it detracts from the actual wood your finishing leaving it plasticy. I do do a CA finish on Polymer clay blanks and then I use Bob Smith industries Gold odour less.....that is the other problem with CAs, it smells and can be dangerous if not ventilated.
I hope this helps!!
Firstly is it for glueing in tubes...if yes then I prefer Gorilla Pu glue, it works great, I have never had a failure but I leave overnight to cure. Others use 5 or 10 minute epoxies if your in a rush.....CA tends to go off way to quick with wood, yeah OK with acrylics but be quick....I tend to use Zap thin from Axi some use Poundland.
If your using it as a finish, then try Melamine lacquer instead, CA is not designed as a finish and apart from it being difficult to apply it detracts from the actual wood your finishing leaving it plasticy. I do do a CA finish on Polymer clay blanks and then I use Bob Smith industries Gold odour less.....that is the other problem with CAs, it smells and can be dangerous if not ventilated.
I hope this helps!!
Morse
Graduate Member
Can only agree with Mark.
Gorilla 5 minute epoxy for acrylics.
Gorilla polyurethane for the wood blanks.
Havn’t tried the gorilla clear yet.
There are a lot of people who like the CA finish, looking at the International Penturners Associations forum
they seem to use it all the time. Personally I agree with Mark. To fast to cure, horrible smell.
Dave
Gorilla 5 minute epoxy for acrylics.
Gorilla polyurethane for the wood blanks.
Havn’t tried the gorilla clear yet.
There are a lot of people who like the CA finish, looking at the International Penturners Associations forum
they seem to use it all the time. Personally I agree with Mark. To fast to cure, horrible smell.
Dave
Penpal
Grand Master
Morning here Mel,to glue or not to glue that is the question.
Welcome to the forum from over here.Already you are prepared to sift out the needs and finishes pronouncing where you live.
The best CA Glue choice will come with your needs and aspirations. I suggest U Tube and dwell there for a while,visit a woodturning group near you. Beware the dangers of CA. Also it is one of my expensive items because it dries up when you most need it.
Peter.
Welcome to the forum from over here.Already you are prepared to sift out the needs and finishes pronouncing where you live.
The best CA Glue choice will come with your needs and aspirations. I suggest U Tube and dwell there for a while,visit a woodturning group near you. Beware the dangers of CA. Also it is one of my expensive items because it dries up when you most need it.
Peter.
alpha1
Fellow
I use CA thick for gluing in my tubes.
What Mark said.
Neil
Fellow
If I don’t have my sixpennyworth here, it’s effectively to give tacit approval or perpetuation of what is a hoary old myth.
Firstly, CA glue is not dangerous, if it was it would have the skull and cross bones sign of a toxic substance, be a controlled entity, and not available to any man and his dog or five year old in The likes of Poundland.
Yes, it stinks. Not disputed.
It’s not designed as a finish. fact, it wasn’t designed as an adhesive either, it was initially conceived as either a medical aid to patch wounds during the Vietnam war, or as a method of modelling spare components in space for the space station. It was used for both and although the space station came later than the war, the development was much earlier.
Teflon was not designed as a frying pan cover, it again was a success as a spin off from the space race. Does that mean that just because it wasn’t designed for frying pans it shouldn’t be used on them?
Bit the same for the myth that laburnum is poisonous!!
Firstly, CA glue is not dangerous, if it was it would have the skull and cross bones sign of a toxic substance, be a controlled entity, and not available to any man and his dog or five year old in The likes of Poundland.
Yes, it stinks. Not disputed.
It’s not designed as a finish. fact, it wasn’t designed as an adhesive either, it was initially conceived as either a medical aid to patch wounds during the Vietnam war, or as a method of modelling spare components in space for the space station. It was used for both and although the space station came later than the war, the development was much earlier.
Teflon was not designed as a frying pan cover, it again was a success as a spin off from the space race. Does that mean that just because it wasn’t designed for frying pans it shouldn’t be used on them?
Bit the same for the myth that laburnum is poisonous!!
cookie21
Full Member
agree with Mark absolutely
Hi and welcome,
Again what mark has stated. However if I find myself having to use a CA finish, then I use Titebond thin and medium. It is expensive but I have found it to be OK. I also use the medium to repair blanks that are trying to give me a hard time. I ever use accelerators. To glue the tubes into the blank I use a two part resin glue such as Araldite, however please make sure that you give the adhesive plenty of time to cure.
Hope this is of some use.
Cheers
Frederick
Again what mark has stated. However if I find myself having to use a CA finish, then I use Titebond thin and medium. It is expensive but I have found it to be OK. I also use the medium to repair blanks that are trying to give me a hard time. I ever use accelerators. To glue the tubes into the blank I use a two part resin glue such as Araldite, however please make sure that you give the adhesive plenty of time to cure.
Hope this is of some use.
Cheers
Frederick
Last edited:
AllenN
Fellow
Hi Mel. I agree with Mark. Personally I prefer to use epoxy to glue my tubes but that is preference rather than any issue with Gorilla glue which I did not get on with.
CA comes in various forms from the very thin to quite viscous and it really depends on the application. Thin is useful to reinforce wood with cracks etc because of seems to penetrate better but as Mark points out CA does smell so keep things well ventilated.
CA comes in various forms from the very thin to quite viscous and it really depends on the application. Thin is useful to reinforce wood with cracks etc because of seems to penetrate better but as Mark points out CA does smell so keep things well ventilated.
I agree with Mark,
Benefits of SG are quick setting and allows quick methods of building pens up and getting the jobs done. Down side to me are the fumes and quick setting times and having risks of tubes sticking half way in/out.
Epoxy benefits are more controlled setting time, but again it stinks and sets fairly quickly. downside is it can be quite messy.
Gorilla PU glue benefits are its easy to work with and slow setting so allows you to position the tubes easily. Downside is that its slow to set and can move the tubes as it expands if you don't secure them in place. its also quite messy especially if you don't use gloves as your hands will soon become black.
Totally agree with Mark, however the "dangerous" statement is a little over reaction..
I agree, however the CA needs to be used in a well ventilated area as it states on the packaging. As for Dangerous I do agree its not classed as such but regular users have been known to come down with an allergic reaction (Me included)
So rather than "dangerous" I would probably say use within right cautions with either a fume mask or well ventilated area or have fume extraction.
I have used many glues over the years as much as any other but I developed a reaction with SG and I thought it was a cold or cold sores developing. I know I was OK with using it for the first few years or so and only developed after much use, guess my body had given up with it and said enough is enough.. But then again that what most of my body id doing with life anyway.
Benefits of SG are quick setting and allows quick methods of building pens up and getting the jobs done. Down side to me are the fumes and quick setting times and having risks of tubes sticking half way in/out.
Epoxy benefits are more controlled setting time, but again it stinks and sets fairly quickly. downside is it can be quite messy.
Gorilla PU glue benefits are its easy to work with and slow setting so allows you to position the tubes easily. Downside is that its slow to set and can move the tubes as it expands if you don't secure them in place. its also quite messy especially if you don't use gloves as your hands will soon become black.
Totally agree with Mark, however the "dangerous" statement is a little over reaction..
I agree, however the CA needs to be used in a well ventilated area as it states on the packaging. As for Dangerous I do agree its not classed as such but regular users have been known to come down with an allergic reaction (Me included)
So rather than "dangerous" I would probably say use within right cautions with either a fume mask or well ventilated area or have fume extraction.
I have used many glues over the years as much as any other but I developed a reaction with SG and I thought it was a cold or cold sores developing. I know I was OK with using it for the first few years or so and only developed after much use, guess my body had given up with it and said enough is enough.. But then again that what most of my body id doing with life anyway.
Penpal
Grand Master
I end for end a rubber band on glue ups with Gorilla Glue,according to my DNA there is fair percent of Irish that just says to be sure,not a bad policy all round. I do have free air to atmosphere above the lathe that comes from an in line air con duct fan,this helps me.Gloves any way give ease of use and sticking to ones pens a new meaning.
Peter.
Peter.
Attachments
Neil
Fellow
I agree with most bits of what most people say! Technically CA is an irritant, and those fumes sting!
Never use the stuff for tubes, only ever use epoxy, preferably 5 minute because it cures to be a more brittle adhesive and because I sand the end of the blanks, it doesn’t clog the paper so much. There’s another myth that PU glue is a gap filler, don’t forget the foam is no more than air bubbles and that doesn’t fill gaps!
As a finish I put CA glue on faster than melamine spray and have short circuited the practice of playing origami with paper towel and then putting BLO and CA on the resulting pieces of neatly arranged paper and putting twenty coats on. Two coats, one piece of paper, and ditch the BLO. Dead quick and brilliant results. Never had much joy with melamine spray but each to his own!
Never use the stuff for tubes, only ever use epoxy, preferably 5 minute because it cures to be a more brittle adhesive and because I sand the end of the blanks, it doesn’t clog the paper so much. There’s another myth that PU glue is a gap filler, don’t forget the foam is no more than air bubbles and that doesn’t fill gaps!
As a finish I put CA glue on faster than melamine spray and have short circuited the practice of playing origami with paper towel and then putting BLO and CA on the resulting pieces of neatly arranged paper and putting twenty coats on. Two coats, one piece of paper, and ditch the BLO. Dead quick and brilliant results. Never had much joy with melamine spray but each to his own!
Neil
Fellow
I agree with Mark,
Benefits of SG are quick setting and allows quick methods of building pens up and getting the jobs done. Down side to me are the fumes and quick setting times and having risks of tubes sticking half way in/out.
Epoxy benefits are more controlled setting time, but again it stinks and sets fairly quickly. downside is it can be quite messy.
Gorilla PU glue benefits are its easy to work with and slow setting so allows you to position the tubes easily. Downside is that its slow to set and can move the tubes as it expands if you don't secure them in place. its also quite messy especially if you don't use gloves as your hands will soon become black.
Totally agree with Mark, however the "dangerous" statement is a little over reaction..
I agree, however the CA needs to be used in a well ventilated area as it states on the packaging. As for Dangerous I do agree its not classed as such but regular users have been known to come down with an allergic reaction (Me included)
So rather than "dangerous" I would probably say use within right cautions with either a fume mask or well ventilated area or have fume extraction.
I have used many glues over the years as much as any other but I developed a reaction with SG and I thought it was a cold or cold sores developing. I know I was OK with using it for the first few years or so and only developed after much use, guess my body had given up with it and said enough is enough.. But then again that what most of my body id doing with life anyway.
Eamonn, sorry to hear you suffer from the stuff, remember Grump? Used to put him in hospital a whiff of the stuff, as did any polymer.
wm460
Grand Master
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2013
- Posts
- 23,113
- First Name
- Mark
Neil
Fellow
He’s had to give up wood turning and is in the process of downsizing. Havent seen him for a while although he only lives about five miles from me.Wonder how Grump is going.
WHCreations
Full Member
If you meant as a finish:
When i was at makers central this year, it was great to meet people and talk about our hobby. This was one of the things that came up a whole bunch throughout the weekend. I simply answered, "Screwfix". £1.99 for 50ml, plus the price of some activator (i buy in bulk so saves in the long run)
If you get a spare tube thats lying around, put some wood on it and just try applying the CA using a little bit of towel, applying to the surface in very light coats (12 in all) When you want to redo it, just turn it down and start again. You will find your feet doing it this way and its a cheap and easy way to practise!
Good luck
When i was at makers central this year, it was great to meet people and talk about our hobby. This was one of the things that came up a whole bunch throughout the weekend. I simply answered, "Screwfix". £1.99 for 50ml, plus the price of some activator (i buy in bulk so saves in the long run)
If you get a spare tube thats lying around, put some wood on it and just try applying the CA using a little bit of towel, applying to the surface in very light coats (12 in all) When you want to redo it, just turn it down and start again. You will find your feet doing it this way and its a cheap and easy way to practise!
Good luck
I use ca on acrylic blanks to stick the tubes I . If a tube sticks before it’s right home in the blank I simply cut the tube off flush with the end of the blank & glue the offcut tube in the other end of the blank. I then sand the blank to length using another tube as a measuring stick. After all we only need the tube at the ends of the blank to hold the fittings, it doesn’t matter that the tube is in 2 pieces. It saves wasting the blank.
alpha1
Fellow
The only failures I have had glue wise is with Gorilla glue. I have never had a problem gluing in tubes with thick CA. So I use it all the time. I don't use CA as a finish.