Just read this on one of our local tool stores' website. Who knew CA glues started with a failed experiment for gun sights?

"Remember the commercial about the guy suspended from a steel girder by his hard hat held on only by Super Glue? Or was it Krazy Glue®? There was another with a car that was hung from a junkyard crane secured only by this fabulous new adhesive? As with many things, cyanoacrylates were discovered accidentally.

The year was 1942 and Dr Harry Coover and Fred Joyner of Kodak Laboratories were doing research to develop a transparent plastic suitable for gun sights. Those experiments failed but a new product that could quickly bond together many different materials with great strength. Kodak continued to develop this new adhesive into a product which became known as Eastman 910.

In the 60’s, Eastman Kodak began selling their formulation to The Loctite Corporation who developed their own branding and distributed it under the name Locktite Quick Set 404. In 1971 Loctite implemented its own manufacturing and introduced its own product under the name ‘Super Bonder’. By the late 70’s their market share is believed to have exceeded Kodak’s. Those TV commercials brought Cyanoacrylates or ‘CAs’ to the forefront and the attention of hobbyists and homeowners alike..."

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"I drank WHAT?" (Socrates)

You can also use it to close a laceration. Don't ask me how I know!

Not much that can't be fixed with duck tape, super glue, J-B Weld or a hammer!

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"I also cook."

My Granddaughter just had open heart surgery (age 32) and she was shocked when they used superglued to close.

Now, she is happy they did, there is almost no scar.

She thinks she can break out the 2 piece swim suit this summer.

Used to work in a glass factory. The Superglue Surgeon was quite popular.

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The best I can with what I got

IMHO the ONLY "Super glue " or "Crazy glue" worth buying is the Locktite brand Industrial strength (at Home Depot). It comes in a descent size bottle, lasts for many years, never clogs up and I find it works incredibly well!! I have not seen it fail in over a decade of use and it is not expensive either. It is not a true gel and not a thin liquid either - but somewheres in between. If you want something that really works well - try some.

Oh and BTW, it really is impossible to get off your fingers - it has to wear off and actually glues them together to the point that it's a job to peel off. Just be careful when using it.

Loctite (parent company Henkel) makes a number of CA glues, differing in viscosity and setup time and formulated for different substrates. HD only carries a few of them. The link above is to the Henkel page, which lists 55 products.

One is "Black Max" (also avail. from Brownells), a rubberized glue which is tough and flexible. I've used the BSI (Bob Smith Industries) version to glue rubber to metal.

As to getting it on your fingers...

Attached Images

Spock on superglue copy.JPG (89.5 KB, 835 views)

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"I drank WHAT?" (Socrates)

I don't know about the other glues above but nail polish remover will remove Krazy-Glue. Also, Krazy-Glue works great on cuts and split fingers in the wintertime, as stated above. Put some cheap masking tape over it till it dries to keep the cut sealed for a minute till it dries.

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Waiting For The Sun.

Use a spray of Zapper to quickly cure CA glues. Or just mix up a little baking soda with water……

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Acetone will dissolve super glue if you get your fingers stuck together. I keep a supply of the smaller tubes found at Dollar Tree, etc. mainly because I seldom need more than a few drops, then I can throw the rest away instead of using a larger tube and wasting most of it. Versatile stuff.

You left out Haywire!

That's the problem with a lot of these specialty compounds fir those of us not running a production facility. I bought the smallest bottle I could get of a Loctite threadlocker designed for large fasteners for 30mm shaft nuts on my old Yanmar tractor. Used it once and it worked. But it cost about $30. Haven't needed it since and it's probably long past its useful life.

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Super glue is also good at bringing out fingerprints from crime scene items.

I never asked what kind of glue it was, but it sure worked well. Referring to my knee replacement a few years ago.

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14 S&W Revs none with locks!

Great for putting a new tip on a pool cue. Used to be Elmer's overnite with a clamp, now it's 10 seconds and dome it up. Joe

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I use it when I break a fingernail, cut Myself, or actually need to stick somethings together. Hip replacement had deep stitches, medium deep stitches and shallow stitches. Top stitching was done with super glue. Barely noticeable scar. Used a lot in the surgical rooms today and the ER's also.

For general use, that's what I use, but there are hobby-grade CA's that are much better. They come in everything from a very thin liquid that will wick into joints and cure within a second or two to medium thickness like maple syrup to thick gels more like molasses, and the cure times vary from a few seconds to almost a minute to allow for clamping or repositioning of the parts. Hobby shops have wide selections for specific purposes. CA is moisture sensitive, keeping the bottle capped is important. Keeping CA in the freezer also extends the lifespan of the product.

Medical grade CA (cyanoacrylate) glues started becoming popular about ten years ago and do a great job of skin closure. No stitch marks to add to a scar. The glue comes off as the skin naturally replaces itself. We used it extensively in our O.R.

Don't forget WD-40!

I've been trying to forget WD-40 for about 25 years, ever since a tympani player used it to lubricate a squeaky pedal during a recording session. The stuff reeks and isn't really a lubricant, having been developed for water displacement, hence the initials. Unfortunately(?) it works well enough that a lot of people reach for it first, instead of say, 3-in-1. Maybe it softens CA glue, though...

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I was always bummed that after one use, the tube would harden or the cap would be stuck on the Super Glue tube.

Found out if you put the tube in a little zip lock bag and store it in the fridge, it lasts a long time. Been using the same tube over a year now.

An old super glue hack that I use a lot is to add baking soda onto the surface immediately after sticking the 2 pieces back together. It dries the super glue instantly and it gets harder than woodpecker lips. If I have to build up a surface I use multiply layers of superglue and baking soda. Just built a "trigger" for a propane torch for easier cold weather use. You have to use a hammer and chisel to break it apart. I carry, in the glove box of all my vehicles and ATV's, a small tube of superglue and a small baggie of baking soda for those away from home repairs.

One of the articles I read- maybe the one in link from my original post from our local tool store - also said to tap the bottle onto a solid surface to force the glue out of the nozzle and back into the bottle. Also good practice with wood glues, which always gum up the spout if not cleared.

Edit: Here's the blurb from my local tool store (KMS Tools):

Care & Keeping Of Cyanoacrylates

Although we provide a fresh product with a guaranteed two year shelf life, there are several things you can do to get the most from your KMS Cyanoacrylate Adhesives. Heat and moisture will decrease shelf life, so store your CAs away from accelerators and in a cool place that’s not exposed to direct sunlight. Unopened and well-sealed bottles can be stored in the fridge or freezer to maintain freshness. Make sure you let it warm to room temperature before you use it though.

When you first open a bottle of KMS CA adhesive, loosen the cap and retighten to relieve any air pressure that might be inside. This will decrease the chance of any leaking out when you open the tip.
Hold the bottle upright against a near vertical surface and cut off the top 1/32″ with a knife or razor blade. Avoid squeezing the bottle.

To prevent clogging, don’t let the tip of the nozzle touch a surface that INSTA-SET™, our CA Accelerator has been applied to. Before replacing the cap, or squeezing it to blow air up to clear the nozzle, rap the bottle down hard to move the CA remaining in the tip back down into the bottle. Now you can clear the tip and replace the cap.

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SG makes a great poor mans LocTite as well.
But you have to screw the fastener(s) together quickly and don't hesitate as you do so when aaaembling them with the SG on the threads.
If you do the SG will freeze the parts right there most times and will take some heat to break the bond to get them apart.

Clear the surfaces of dirt and oil, Run the screw or nut on quickly and it will be pretty much a permanet assembly from then on.
Even a loose wood screw will tighten up nicely once replaced with a drop or two of the stuff on the threads and the screw put back in place.
But again, it won't come back out easily!

Using baking soda as an accelerant to cure it is quite handy.
I use it to repair broken out spots in checkering, building up the area. Then re-cutting the checkering thru it.
It has a milky white appearance in it's solid state and is as stated,,rock hard.
It will take some solvent stains and other coloring so can be blended into the surounding wood color.

It's an instant hardening of the SG when you sprinkle the baking soda onto the liquid SG. Add more SG and BSoda on to of what just hardened if it needs more building up.
File it, sand it, checker it , etc to shape.

Fill cracks in wood quickly with it by sqeezing the SG right into the crack, Then go right over it while still liquid with a piece of coarse grit clean sandpaper lightly to scuff up some surounding wood dust.
The dust will pack itself into the crack along with the still liquid glue and then the whole thing will harden in a few seconds while still sanding from the friction heat of the hand sanding.

Add more SG and repeat if more filler is needed.

The glue and sanding dust will also pack the surface of that sandpaper, but you are using a very small area of a piece and sanding only for a few seconds before the glue hardens with the wood dust packed into it.
Tear that off or move to a clean area on the sheet of sand paper when repeating the process.

Use a sandpaper that has a natural wood type appearance to the grit like a garnet or even a flint paper.
If you use one of the circus colored grit papers or even a black wet-or-dry type, that color will often end up in the finished repair as the SG will sometimes pull the color w/the grit off of the paper during the process.

As BGRAFSR said, my main experience has been using it for lifting finger prints (for which it worked great!)

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If you are looking for something to use to glue gunsights onto a barrel I suggest you get a tube of fast cure black 5200. Works like a champ.

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As I've gotten older my fingernails have gotten more brittle and now have ridges that grow up and down the length of the nail. The ridges are thinner than the rest of the nail and will splt, usually because of dinging the edge of the nail.

We use Loctite Super Glue Gel Control at work to bond accelerometers to parts for vibration testing. I bought some and applied a couple of thin coats to the ridges and splits on my nails. I apply it, wait a minute, and gently wipe it with a tissue, then re-apply. It stopped the nails from splitting.

In a "shadetree gunsmithing" project I used it to attach two thin strips of metal to the narrow front sight on a replacement barrel for a Model 10 in order to widen it, then added a strip of Scotchlite reflective white tape.

(This pic was taken before blackening the edges)

Brilliant. Now that's something duct tape CAN'T do.

Attached Images

IMG_6432.jpg (56.7 KB, 152 views)

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"I drank WHAT?" (Socrates)

Red Green would be proud! I think this would classify you as handy.

There's a CA glue from BSI (Bob Smith Industries) that has a brush applicator



Plastic-Cure™ is a gap-filling formulation of CA that works best on plastics. It is packaged in a bottle with a brush built into its top, which in many cases is an easier way to apply the CA...

Plastic-Cure is superior for the application of false nails and wraps on fingernails, where its brush is the preferred method of application.

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"I drank WHAT?" (Socrates)

Used a lot of it when I was building rc planes. One night and in a lazy mood, I was watching the tube while gluing up fiberglass inside an engine cowl and managed to spill a mess of thin ca all over my hairy thighs.I don’t know how anyone could endure a bikini wax

Another use. I have applied it to new pistol geips as a finish.Wearung nitriail rubber surgical gloves ( CA wont stick to them)you can spread and work the CA on the wood . then sand ,and apply another coat spread and sand when dry until a smooth glass like finish is made. Very durable finish
Get the gloves at Harbor Freight

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Sadly haywire has gone the DoDo bird route.......Replaced with Binder Twine....Used to be fiber.......Now is plastic.

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S&W Accumulator

Should be a sticky..........Good info.

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S&W Accumulator

I see what you did there

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"I drank WHAT?" (Socrates)

I still have a partial roll that I “borrowed” from my dad 40-50 years ago. We called it bailing wire

Thanks. I never knew the origin of the stuff or when it was invented. I just remember when it started being advertised in the 70s. 'They' said it was advertised on TV in the 60s but I don't remember that.

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You didn't glue them together, did you?

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