Super glue (cyanoacrylate)

Advert

New Replies

Report Bug

Help/FAQs

Super glue (cyanoacrylate)

This topic has 18 replies, 14 voices, and was last updated 14 June 2011 at 21:31 by Sub Mandrel.

Viewing 19 posts - 1 through 19 (of 19 total)

Author

Posts
3 June 2011 at 05:39 #69623
Sam Stones
Participant
@samstones42903
Great stuff this Super Glue (cyanoacrylate), but is it just me or do others get ripped off when buying it.

The regular, off-the-shelf tubes of glue are marked NET 3g (three grams), but how coarse is the NET? Time and again when I buy a tube of this stuff, the tube certainly does not contain 3 grams of liquid. OK, so with a density of 1.1 g/cm3, the tube would contain less than 3 cubic centimetres.

But take a look at the photograph which compares a full tube with one which I squeezed until the air was expelled. Admittedly, I was in the middle of a job and couldn’t stop before using about two drops prior to re-capping the tube. I also have to accept that some of the glue is lost in filling the nozzle, but what happened to the rest?

Super glue was once about $2000 (or more) per litre, but the price of a tube (in a pack of eight) at the local cheap shop this morning was 25 cents per tube. Each tube weighed the same, and the glue could be heard sloshing about when shaken (not stirred). However, since there was only about 0.5cm3 in a tube, the retail price still comes out at about $500 per litre.

I once challenged the suppliers of 3g tubes in a brief run of emails, and was quite taken by their total contradiction. Initially they claimed that apart from the occasional empty tube, their QC was such that every tube was filled completely. In a subsequent email, it was stated that sufficient space had to be allowed in the tube so that the glue could be squeezed out safely.

Am I just a cheap-skate, or does anyone else share my views?

Sam
Advert

3 June 2011 at 05:39 #21871
Sam Stones
Participant
@samstones42903
What price per litre do you pay?
3 June 2011 at 08:22 #69624
Clive Hartland
Participant
@clivehartland94829
Rather than buy the cheapo stuff in the £1 shops go buy the Engineering adhesives, the containers are always full.

I agree that the small containers are near useless and have no shelf life and the adhesive qualities are suspect.

Yes, its all a rip off I am afraid.

Try Goldfish flakes, at £2.70 for 10grms. To save you working it out its £270 a Kilo.

Clive
3 June 2011 at 08:36 #69625
michael howarth 1
Participant
@michaelhowarth1
No, you are not a cheapskate, probably, like me, you are just fed up with being ripped off.

It seems to me that operating under the guise of ” a business” enables these sorts of people to get away with what would see the ordinary man in the street dragged before a court of law. To compound the problem consumer protection legislation and enforcement is pathetically weak.

My current hate is the racket being perpetrated under the new found business of “postage and packing”. Now there is a mighty rip off and it is being operated by a good number of model engineering suppliers. For instance,I fail to see how a small jiffy bag and a first class stamp can justify a p&p charge of over £3. For about a fiver I can send a one pound weight parcel to Australia by air mail and usually arriving in Oz in less than a week.

On the plus side, I ordered a load of metal “packs” from a well known supplier and was charged fifteen quid for 30 kilos……not bad.

I now tend to buy from those suppliers who publish all in prices including delivery. They may seem to be a bit pricey at first glance but do the sums and you will be surprised at how much the VAT, minimum order charges and p&p come to.
3 June 2011 at 08:46 #69626
Weldsol
Participant
@weldsol
Biggest rip off this year has to be fuel although crude oil has gone down in price we are still being ripped off Diesel at £7.00 a gallon.
3 June 2011 at 09:03 #69627
michael howarth 1
Participant
@michaelhowarth1
Weldsol

e viva the sacred cow of “business”.
3 June 2011 at 09:41 #69628
Maans Van Der Merwe
Participant
@maansvandermerwe22677
I live in South Africa. I think we are King Queen and Emperor when it comes to ripoffs.

I have however found that a product called Q-Bond (no connection) sells 10ml bottles of very good quality Cyano – acrylate glue.

My problem is that it gells after 3 months in the fridge. Heating up does not seem to help.

Storing generally below 15 degrees celcius seem to work best.

Cyano’s aren’t cheap glues, but are generally worth their cost

Maans vd Merwe, South Africa
3 June 2011 at 10:29 #69631
Richard Parsons
Participant
@richardparsons61721
Does any one know if this stuff will bond Deldrin?
3 June 2011 at 11:18 #69634
The Merry Miller
Participant
@themerrymiller
Richard,

I seem to remember from my sticky days that if you wanted to bond two pieces of Delrin together you would first prime with Loctite primer 770 and then use Loctite 406 for the bonding.

I am assuming that both products are still available but if not the Loctite website is a mine of info.
3 June 2011 at 11:38 #69636
Pat
Participant
@pat
Buying these small tubes of glue is the equivalent of buying bubble packs of wood screws or nuts and bolts from a high street supplier. Buy in larger quantities and the price comparison says it all. High Street mark-ups of the order of three fold between supplier and shelf are common. There was a design programme on TV where the margin was quoted in a wrangle over price with a budding designer / supplier.

All ‘instant’ glues are not the same. Suggest using Locktite as the people have been producing this sort of adhesive for decades and make it clear what the characteristics are for each grade they market.

Regards – Pat
3 June 2011 at 14:20 #69639
Gray62
Participant
@gray62
Try these people Hafixs I’ve had a bottle in the fridge for about 2 years now, bring it up to room temp use, put back in fridge. Works every time and does not seem to be losing its strength

Graeme
3 June 2011 at 17:48 #69643
mgj
Participant
@mgj
I’ve always found the model aircraft people have these superglues sorted. You get them in different thicknesses and different quantities. Some are gap filling, some are so runny you need a special capilliary tube to apply them. Some are even odourless!

They are not that expensive either they do benefit from being kept dark and in the fridg as Coalburner sugests. .

Edited By mgj on 03/06/2011 17:48:35
3 June 2011 at 23:55 #69653
Terryd
Participant
@terryd72465
Many bottle of Loctite are certainly NOT full for a very good reason. The adhesive is anaerobic. It sets when air is excluded. Hence the bottle/container needs a good airspace to prevent the contents setting. Many cyano acrylates are the same. They need the airspace.

This thread reminds of the complaints by housewives that their cereal packets often had a lot of airspace in them. They thought they were being ripped off until it was pointed out that the contents were sold by weight NOT volume and there there was inevitable settling in the packet during transport.

T

Edited By Terryd on 03/06/2011 23:59:36
4 June 2011 at 00:41 #69654
Sam Stones
Participant
@samstones42903
Hi Terry,

I agree, and clearly remember asking a retailer why the bottle of Loctite I had just bought was half empty. On that occasion, I didn’t get a technical answer, except “They’re all like that!” He exchanged it and gave me another bottle also half full – or was it half empty?

My gripe is that the tube of Super Glue clearly states NET 3g but, as my picture shows, the tube certainly contains less than one gram.

Isn’t this fraud?

Unlike (normal) Loctite which sets from the exclusion of oxygen, it is my understanding that cyanoacrylate begins to set from the adsorption of moisture from the atmosphere. If you want it to set quickly, you simply breath on it. As you do, you will see it turn white.

While I was really voicing my annoyance at the Super-glue rip-off, this thread is beginning to become a storm in a teacup. One or two drops of glue was all I needed.

What I’m actually trying to do is find the best temporary adhesive which will hold my helical clock-spring onto the winding arbor, and so that I can control its unwrapping action. My previous attempts with 0.2mm (0.008″) wire, both dry and using shellac have resulted in a twisted, tangled mess.

In an hour or so, I shall know if super glue (dunked in acetone) is the way to go.

By the way, I’m getting some strange looks from retailers, because my recent purchases have been for eyebrow tweezers and nail-polish remover.

Ah! The ways of clock making.

Sam
4 June 2011 at 09:38 #69662
Gordon W
Participant
@gordonw
I needed some superglue type adhesive the other day, the tiny bottle had gone hard. Drove to nearest retailer (15 mile round) bought some new, branded, and quite expensive stuff, got home and found this was solid, or nearly so. Searched around in the shed and found a bottle of Loctite shaft retainer with some left in. This has worked fine. Reading this thread made me think, I’ve worked out this Loctite is over 20 years old, stored in a damp cold shed. But how come the new stuff has gone off? There was a very good article on modern glues a few months ago in MEW.
5 June 2011 at 07:56 #69728
Richard Parsons
Participant
@richardparsons61721
Sam Have a try using a ‘Hot Glue Gun’. I have used them to stick brass etc to a ‘Wax Chuck’. These are even available in this back woods neo-feudal place called Hungary. So in OZ which is civilised (No wild Magyars riding arround on horses etc) you should find them every where.
I get the grump with them from time to time.

Dick
6 June 2011 at 05:40 #69781
Sam Stones
Participant
@samstones42903
Hello Dick,

Thanks for your post.

I have to say that it was my initial gripe about being ripped off when buying Super Glue, that set me going on this thread.

The delicacy of making the balance spring in my clock is such that I would find using a hot melt adhesive a bit too risky, but thanks for the thought.

In the meantime, and despite taking an inordinate amount of time, I was largely successful in making a suitable clock spring from 0.2mm guitar string wire. I will probably open a thread about it shortly. My method only took about two drops of super-glue to achieve what I was after.

Regards,

Sam
6 June 2011 at 15:09 #69810
Mike Crawshaw 1
Participant
@mikecrawshaw1
Hi Guys,

I do a bit of woodturning and make a number of pens which involves cyano acrylate adhesives both as a glue and mixed with boiled linseed oil as a finish.

After many trialS I have finally found a really good supplier of industrial quality glues at realistic prices. http://www.starloc.eu/

I have no connection with the company other than as a satisfied customer. I believe they have a stand at some of the Model Engineering shows.

Best wishes,

Mike
14 June 2011 at 21:31 #70325
Sub Mandrel
Participant
@submandrel
For general purpose use the superglue from Wickes seems to be reliable, about £450 for 10ml, but hand if you need some in a hurry.

Don’t forget you local Focus is selling everything at knock down prices*

Neil

*No wonder they are going busts – emptying the store cheap and my steplad has a packet of dog chews with the label torn off. Two staff spend ten minutes finding the code while the queu builds up into the hazy distance! Don’t they realsie teh bhusiness has already gone bust?
Author

Posts