CivilEngineer13

Do CA glue sit well on the shelf? ...Or maybe better stated, how is CA's shelf life. I was thinking about getting the 8oz bottles.

Also, which ones do I need most for pens? Just some thin and medium? do you use the thick CA much?

Oh, and I was planning to use it for gluing in tubes mainly and maybe some finishing.

__________________
I thought I wanted a career, turns out I just wanted paychecks.

Garmar

Just keep it away from heat and moisture - a cool place out of direct sunlight. Supposedly you can store it in the freezer to extend shelf life, but I've never done it.

A good quality CA should last about a year if stored properly.

I would use a thicker one for finishing and thin for the tubes. Just my opinion of course.

Jeff4woodturning

Agree with Garmar keep away from heat and moisture. a woodturning club member buys 16oz bottles and store them in a small refrigerator at 40 degrees and it will extend shelf life for years. he uses small 1oz at a time for turning. but cold glue is slower to set and works great if you need to glue in a logo into a finial or clip (hut products for logos).

I use thick ca to glue for my tubes so if there a gap between my blank and tube, its fill up with glue for a strong hold. medium ca i use for my finishes, center bands and logos. thin ca for cracks, filling, repairs or for stabilizing blanks as I turn them if need, like black palm and so on. Just the way I use ca for pens.

__________________
Jeff,

"Just because your not bleeding, don't mean your turning safely"..

Http://www.4woodturning.com

HLW

I've kept two bottles in the frig for about eight months and I used some the other day and it is as good as the day it was purchased. No problems.

Woodwacker Jeff

Use thick CA glue to hold the brass tubes in the blanks. I use medium CA glue mixed with sawdust to fill any voids and to stabilize cracks. When finishing pens I will use a small amount of thin CA glue on the blank before I put any other finish on. This seals the wood. If you do this don't hold onto the paper towel very long - don't ask how I know this. I keep a trash can right by the lathe, cut cheap paper towels in strips, wipe on the thin CA very quickly and drop the paper towel in the trash can.

David Drickhamer

CA does have a shelf life. After opened I find it lasts about a year. Once opened it doesn't matter if it's capped or not since CA cures in the absence of oxygen. Unopened it can be stored in the freezer.

I use thin for filling small cracks stabilizing pen blanks and medium for everything else.

Dave

The woodsman

I just got back up from FL to NC and just thru two 16 OZ bottles in the trash.They had been setting here for about 6 months and were hard as a rock.I had been using out of them since last yr,but the were over half full.Won't buy the 16 oz again.RATS