I see that many people on here use it for a lot of different things. Other than closing severe razor cuts and things like that, I rarely use CA glue. I just dont think of it as a serious adhesive for woodworking.
Please enlighten me as to how well a wood joint holds up over a period of time. In woodworking, I always think of it as a temporary fix.
Thanks in advance.

As for closing wounds, it can be seriously painful. When the CA glue meets blood, it starts smoking and that pain is only from the heat generated. Then the chemical burn kicks in. Ask me how I know and still haven't learned my lesson.

What's worse is the smoke from heating CA if it hits your eyes. I've never had the nerve to put it on a cut, I'll stick with bandaids.

CA is a good adhesive but like everything it has to be used for an application it was designed for. It's great for something you would use epoxy for but need a very thin version. I use it mostly to fix veneer that bubbles up, you can inject it under the veneer and run a hot iron over it and you have a good permanent fix. I usually slit the bubble with a utility knife and use something thin like an artist spatula to open it up to squirt the glue in. Once you iron it down the glue fills the slit and once sanded and finish the cut disappears.

 

CA is a good adhesive but like everything it has to be used for an application it was designed for.

I like CA glue for situations where I can't use duct tape.

 

Glad you started this thread. I have never used CA on a project, I see it all the time on youtube videos, and i wonder how permanent the bond is.

Sidebar: i had a hip replacement a month ago, and they used dermabond for the outer closure. Lots of internal stitches, but just the goop on my skin. Some of it is still there, it kinda peels off like a skim coat of yellow glue, but it doesn’t let go easily.

 

Glad you started this thread. I have never used CA on a project, I see it all the time on youtube videos, and i wonder how permanent the bond is.

Sidebar: i had a hip replacement a month ago, and they used dermabond for the outer closure. Lots of internal stitches, but just the goop on my skin. Some of it is still there, it kinda peels off like a skim coat of yellow glue, but it doesn’t let go easily.

TMI....😂

 

Thanks @Steve Neul
I use it mainly as you stated for repairing veneer that has lifted. Works great. Never used a hot iron though, I will have to try that.
I was curious about using CA glue for joining 2 boards together. Sometimes I get the impression that some folks use it like a regular glue for building stuff. I always thought it wasn't meant for that. Not to mention the cost.

 

Thanks @Steve Neul
I use it mainly as you stated for repairing veneer that has lifted. Works great. Never used a hot iron though, I will have to try that.
I was curious about using CA glue for joining 2 boards together. Sometimes I get the impression that some folks use it like a regular glue for building stuff. I always thought it wasn't meant for that. Not to mention the cost.

Wood glue will always work better for joining two boards together. The CA is too thin to use on something porous, it's better for a re-glue. I used to use a lot of thick super glue to glue ornamental parts on. It worked good also and was easier than epoxy.

If you iron the veneer down keep your face away from it. That's how I know the smoke from CA will hurt you, had my face directly above the bubble I was fixing and then all of a sudden it was like someone put a match on my eyes.

 

CA glue works great for inlay work on rosettes around the sound hole of an acoustic guitar, for doing inlay work on the fretboard, and just in general on small veneer inlay work on other pieces. I don't ever use it for glue-ups, though. And the CA glue with blue tape method works great for holding a piece on the CNC, on a workbench, or some other instance when clamps won't work.

 

You guys must be buying the wrong stuff. 2P-10 is specific for wood. Comes in thin through gel for thickness. I prefer the Thick because I find it lasts longer in the bottle than the Gel does.

They have a version with an "R" designation which means rubberized. The original version when used with the accelerator tends to be a bit brittle and can be shocked and the joint will break. The "R" version takes care of this.

But... I rarely use it to "glue" joints together. I use it as a clamp. For the most part I'm using it on miter joints for moldings. I surround the profile of the molding with yellow PVA glue and then put a drop or two of the 2P-10 in the center of the joint, spray the opposite side with the accelerator and then line the joints up and hold for 10 seconds. The CA glue holds the joint til the yellow glue cures and then you have a strong joint that went together quick with no need for fasteners.

Making jigs it's great for speed. Filling small holes on woodwork that will be painted is quick and easy, although it's a tough sand. Gotta split in the end grain of the last pc of wood big enough, fill it with the CA glue and it'll stay put and not be an issue.

I'm not gluing doors together with it or edge gluing panels. But since I've started using it years ago it's been a great thing to have in the shop.

 

I use CA regularly on small crown profiles, such as cabinet crown (2 1/2-3"). I also use it for attaching small pieces that are likely to break if nailed or pinned, such as molding returns, small pieces of shoe. It is also good in combination with other glues like PVA glues. It will hold the glue joint until the PVA dries. In the shop I have often used it to fill small defects when I don't want to wait for a wood filler to dry. Fill the defect or knot, spray with accelerator, and sand. I would not use CA to take the place where a regular PVA or epoxy glue up would take place.

 

I use Starbond thin-set for loose chair joints when I can't take the chair apart, they also sell different thickness and colors. The nice part is they guarantee it for a year if kept in the fridge. I always keep thin and medium on hand. You apply to the joint so that it drains down into the joint, wait a minute and reapply until it won't take more, makes a nice solid joint. It also works good at keeping knots in place.

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I have not tried Starbond, been using 2P-10. The Starbond looks to be a few bucks cheaper. Going to have to give it a shot. I am sure they are all very similar.

 

CA glue is also great for turning bowls on a wood lathe. I used to glue my bowl stock to a wooden dummy faceplate using wood glue and craft paper. Before-use drying time was too long to suit me.

I now use the CA glue instead, without the craft paper, and drying time is minimal. It's also easier to release the blank from the faceplate block, without having to use a chisel for removal. Just a couple of careful whacks with a mallet and the joint is released. Any dried glue is easily sanded off with a random orbital sander.

There's also several articles on the internet about using CA glue as a woodturning finish, especially popular for pen turning.

 

For me, it's mainly for quick fixes, but I do think some people over use it. I also use it by putting a few drops in between lines of wood glue to keep wood from slipping when clamping.

 

I also use it by putting a few drops in between lines of wood glue to keep wood from slipping when clamping.

A few grains of table salt will do the same thing.

 

Be careful when adding any foreign substance to glue, it may cause a chemical reaction. I once saw 400,000 envelopes go into the recycling because a supervisor did not know how to check if a glue line was satisfactory and had the operator put some food colouring in it so he could see it. The food colouring caused the glue to crystallize so it no longer bonded the paper.

 

I have been using CA "super glue" for decades for general household repairs. Back in the day, we bought packs of super glue in small tubes at the discount stores. Once opened, it would harden before you could reuse it, despite our best efforts with pins to keep them closed.

These days, besides household repairs, I use CA in the woodshop. I have two small bottles of CA: Medium CA, Thin CA. In addition, I keep GluBoost Fill n' Finish regular (medium) and Fill n' Finish Thin.

I use the GluBoost as a CA finish for turned pens and handles, like pizza cutter handles. Some people may not know this, but CA glue makes an excellent hard finish for pens; I use it more than other finishes for pens. I do not use CA finishes on very dark woods like dark rosewoods or dark bog oak. CA finishes on dark woods hides the grain and makes the wood look like solid black plastic.

I use the regular CA for a variety of woodworking tasks, but never for joinery. I use it to stabilize "punky" woods. I use it to strengthen drilled holes before I tap them for screw threads. My partner likes the blue tape trick for holding two pieces together while cutting them on her scroll saw.

Lessons learned:

Some brands of CA are better than others. I do not recommend StickFast. I am now using Mercury Adhesives thin and medium. Other brands I've tried fell somewhere in-between. Don't take my recommendation too strongly - everyone has a different favorite.

I highly recommend GluBoost as a CA finish for pens, etc. I have fewer issues with ripples, and the stuff dries crystal clear. Their accelerator is amazing. I tested it by spraying way too much and the glue still came out clear.

I like CA glue that comes in small bottles with a threaded screw-on cap, where the cap has a metal rod to plug the hole. The threads help you open the bottle, and the metal rod makes a difference. The StickFast glues have a "snap over" cap with no threads and no rod to plug it. They required unclogging often and I threw out a lot of glue because the bottle became unusable.

Most CA glues dry very brittle and hard. You can find flexible CA glues. I tried them, but saw little difference, other than a higher price.

Accelerators are very useful, but they make the CA even more brittle. Be sure you have the same brand as the CA glue you use. Sometimes other brands may work, but not always as well as the manufacturer's own.

 

P.S. Adding:
CA glues have a relatively short lifetime compared with other glues. Most manufacturers will say between 1 and 2 years. CA glue starts aging in the bottle from the date of manufacture. Other glues do not age as much in the unopened bottle.

 

CA glues have a relatively short lifetime compared with other glues.

I keep my Starbond in the fridge; what I buy from Lowe's stays in the climate controlled shop so it has good life out there.

 

Like most everybody here, I use it to hold things in place while I add mechanical fasteners such as brads and screws.
And I use it to repair wood carvings when I get too reckless with the knife or gouge. Great hint on the R version somebody mentioned above. I'll look for it. And like everybody else, I always end up with my fingers stuck to something, particularly when using the thin stuff.

 

I see that many people on here use it for a lot of different things. Other than closing severe razor cuts and things like that, I rarely use CA glue. I just dont think of it as a serious adhesive for woodworking.
Please enlighten me as to how well a wood joint holds up over a period of time. In woodworking, I always think of it as a temporary fix.
Thanks in advance.

As for closing wounds, it can be seriously painful. When the CA glue meets blood, it starts smoking and that pain is only from the heat generated. Then the chemical burn kicks in. Ask me how I know and still haven't learned my lesson.

Beware! Thin SB CA glue with clogged nozzle. Put on block of wood on workbench with nozzle tilted up slightly, and cut end with knife. Not squeezing bottle.
When cut, a stream of CA glue, shot 3' across bench!

 

This is precisely why I recommend CA glues that come in bottles with screw caps and built-in metal pins in those caps. They work.

My experience with CA glues that have snap caps (like StickFast) is they have issues over time with clogging, stuck caps, etc. The woodworking stores sell extra caps, spouts, etc. Why pay for them too?

I have not tried StarBond (SB), but I looked at their website. The bottles appear to be snap caps, so I would prefer something else. Yes, I did see the advertising on the Starbond website about their efforts to eliminate hardened bottles, clogs, etc. but found little info. The more info link on their site did not work. Perhaps I am missing some important detail.

 

Tubes of super glue will also last longer if you put some super glue solvent in a small jar and submerge the nozzle end.