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Using Super Glue
- Etheryte 4y agoThis is a great guide and summarizes many things I've found through trial and error myself. One thing I would like to add is that when gluing plastics and similar materials, e.g. broken sunglass temples, it can help to roughen up the contact surfaces with sandpaper before applying glue to create more contact area. In my anecdotal experience the seal will fare a lot better this way.
- stavros 4y agoThis is true for any glue, btw. It gives the glue more mechanical anomalies to "grab" onto.
- amelius 4y agoI tried superglue on _plastic_ sunglass temples once, and it just didn't stick.
- Etheryte 4y agoThere's certain types of plastics super glue doesn't bond to, similar to some gloves as mentioned in the article. While pretty universal, it still doesn't quite work on everything.
- IgorPartola 4y agoOne thing not mentioned but important is that superglue is very strong against tensile loads but not shearing ones. You can lift a car with six drops of it on the roof of it (see Myth Busters et al), but you can’t glue a 40 lb weight to the wall.
- _a_a_a_ 4y agoI'm very surprised at this and I wonder if it's not a failure of the shear strength of the glue, but of the surface of the wall. I'm pretty damn sure that plaster is a crap thing to attach directly to, ditto wallpaper, and rough raw brick while strong is far too uneven to expect much contact between it and the item glued.
- steve-atx-7600 4y agoGreat glue ref: https://d-lab.mit.edu/sites/default/files/inline-files/D-Lab_Learn-It_Adhesives_Jul13.pdf https://d-lab.mit.edu/sites/default/files/inline-files/D-Lab... “Not actually used structurally due to its brittleness (low shear strength) Use for small repairs that are not subject to much stress or movement”
- chubbnix 4y agoI think the shear strength is the weakness. I break super glued corals off their ceramic plugs for my aquarium and you can almost always get a perfect break by using flush cutters to slide the coral off the plug instead of trying to pry it off or cut it.
- stavros 4y agoMore tips: * Don't get it close to your eyes while it's drying, the fumes will HURT (ask how I know). The fumes also stain white, so leave it to dry somewhere outside. * If you get a cut, you can pinch the skin together and use CA glue on it to keep it there. I've done this many times, hopefully it's not any kind of harmful, but a paramedic friend agreed that it should be OK. * The article is right about using a tiny amount. * I never managed to use a tube more than 2-3 times without the glue drying up. The only packaging that keeps going is a Loctite bottle I got. It holds 25ml, but it's better than buying 3ml at a time, using 0.5 and throwing the rest away.
- germinalphrase 4y ago"If you get a cut, you can pinch the skin together and use CA glue on it to keep it there." I am not a doctor or medical professional of any kind, but I've been advised to only do this in a small spot (like a stitch) rather than sealing the length of the cut (which can then fester).
- hyko 4y agoYou’re probably already aware, but there are medical formulations of CA that are in theory less likely to irritate tissues than general purpose ones.
- stavros 4y agoYes, but I haven't managed to find any where I live... Do you know of any off the top of your head?
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- zabzonk 4y agoI just got some super glue to re-glue the anti-slip rubber to the bottom of my laptop, which has become detached. But i am too scared to use it as i am bed-ridden at the moment and have visions of being eternally glued to my duvet cover or to my laptop!
- jsejcksn 4y agohttps://thumbs.dreamstime.com/b/hands-stuck-laptop-computer-19683590.jpg https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/b/hands-stuck-laptop-computer-... Mirror: https://imgur.com/sdexq42 https://imgur.com/sdexq42
- agys 4y agoNot related to the content but to the article: the links to other articles between the paragraphs are extremely distracting.
- popol12 4y agoI’d even say they are annoying AF
- MavisBacon 4y agoIt’s actually a pretty effective design pattern if your goal is for your users to not finish reading what you wrote (and therefore be less likely to share it)
- hgsgm 4y agoWhy would that be a goal? (On the off chance that this was oblique sarcasm, please don't)
- MavisBacon 4y agoSarcasm, and my apologies. Rough morning tbh
- imglorp 4y agoSeems like someone's OKR was to maximize page views and time on site.
- liveoneggs 4y agoSuperglue also works under water
- tgsovlerkhgsel 4y agoAs in, it will keep holding if exposed to water after it has set, not "you can apply it under water", correct?
- maxerickson 4y agoThe water will cause it to cure very quickly, so it will be hard to establish a good bond. Normally it cures because of the presence of water in the air.
- hgsgm 4y agoBut can it attach underwater, with all the water between the two surfaces?
- fwlr 4y agoNo. Maybe you could make it work but I wouldn’t count on it. Marine epoxy is designed for this task, it can be applied and attached fully submerged with no issues.
- fwlr 4y agoTurns out people with more experience than I have in using superglue underwater say it does work, I was wrong!
- liveoneggs 4y agoyes this is how corals are propagated
- liveoneggs 4y agoIt forms a skin almost immediately but if you squish the bubble between two objects it will pop and you can do full underwater gluing.
- bluescrn 4y agoIf you don't have a nice clean break, a combination of thread and superglue can be a useful trick for some repairs/bodges: https://www.flitetest.com/articles/Tip_Thread_and_Superglue https://www.flitetest.com/articles/Tip_Thread_and_Superglue
- aaron695 4y ago[dead]
- graupel 4y agoI can't remember if this was someone I know or an urban legend, but I heard a story once of someone who grabbed a super glue from a purse thinking it was eye drops because the container shapes are so similar, and got super glue right in their eyes. IIRC they didn't lose vision but it was quite a mess. TLDR don't store your super glue near your eyedrops.
- 8ig8 4y agoFor longer life, I store my super/ca glue in a jar with some desiccant packs. Some people store it in the refrigerator.
- jsharkey 4y agoBeyond simple superglue, https://www.thistothat.com/ https://www.thistothat.com/ is a great reference for bonding between more obscure pairings of materials.
- sphars 4y agoThanks for sharing, I remember seeing this site a while ago and forgot to bookmark it.
- amelius 4y agoThis always gives the strongest option for bonding two materials. But what if I want an ok-ish bonding but care more about the toxicity?
- eternityforest 4y agoThen you'll probably wind up using the same 3 or 4 glues for everything. Actually almost everyone will do that because few have a magnificent glue collection. Super glue, shoe goo, and epoxy are going to give pretty good bonding for their use cases but are more toxic. Hot glue and titebond III seem to be safe-ish(Hot glue doesn't exactly smell very healthy when you use it though!) But require technique and experience to use and know what stuff to not even try using them with. And gorrilla tape is probably good enough half the time. UV glue I just don't have any experience at all with, but it seems to be gaining popularity. Just don't use the nail polish and blast your hands with UV too much! Mechanical fastening is usually least toxic and often stronger. Paper or hemp cord willer or wrapping is often helpful. But my favorite of all is to design things such that you're not putting lots of forces on a joint in the first place, then it's less important how you make said joint. Look at a basic ugly cinder block and scrap wood shelf. The load goes straight down compressing the blocks, gravity is doing most of the work here, so friction holds it together.
- briHass 4y agoMy go to glue is almost always a 2 part fast set epoxy. It has better shear strength than SG, and it's better for filling in gaps. Almost everything I've used SG for has been a disappointment. It might be useful for a cosmetic fix, but anything that has a load/force on it works better with epoxy. As a bonus, you can buy decent sized tubes and use them for many months. SG tubes are basically disposable once opened, since they'll be useless when they glue themselves shut or crust up.
- Waterluvian 4y agoYeah. I use this gorilla glue two part epoxy that comes in a dual syringe thingy. I think it even has metal or carbon fibres throughout. Easy to apply and mix together. Works super well. The lid is sticky but the thing has even fully usable for two years now.
- giardini 4y agoCould you please recommended a product(s) for 2 part fast set epoxy? Yes, the Shoe Goo dries up whether you put the cap back on or not! I wish they had a smaller tube version so I could more easily justify the cost. I've used Shoe Goo to repair so many things (favorite was a microwave oven handle) and never had a failure.
- briHass 4y agoI usually buy mine from Harbor Freight, because it tends to be cheaper than Amazon for small amounts. 0.3 oz tubes are $2 or the larger 3oz size is $8. If you don't use it frequently, don't buy the biggest size. Eventually, it will get crusty, but you should be good for months once it's opened. The key is to be prepared when using it. Wear nitrile gloves and squirt two equal size blobs next to each other. Mix thoroughly and quickly with a small, disposable stick like a matchstick or large nail. This can be used as the applicator as well. You want to mix on something non porous and disposable: I use aluminum foil for small amounts. Don't use plastic for the mixing container, as I've found it sets it faster. Don't mix more than you can use in a few minutes, because it will become unworkable quickly. Hold or clamp for 5-10 minutes. It will hold after that, but overnight for a full cure.
- jws 4y agoSuperglue has a shelf life of about a year before it stops working as well. It will still harden, but doesn’t have the same strength. I figure it’s six months old when I buy so in practice that almost always means “buy a new tube” if you need a full strength joint unless you use it regularly.
- scotty79 4y agoI think you can prolong it by keeping it in the fridge. At least that's what my grandpa did with cyanoacrylate glue in communist Poland where things were not easily available
- amelius 4y agoHmm, can you 3D print _with_ super-glue?
- sircastor 4y agoFDM? In theory, yes, but it cures pretty slowly, and you’d want it to set by the time you get to the next layer. Also, it’s relatively brittle, not a great choice.
- scotty79 4y agoJet printing with superglue on fine powdered baking soda where a printerhead with hundreds of small holes moves right after the comb that smoothes the powder.
- newhotelowner 4y agoPeople in my hotel always break smoke detector in the room. They take it out to smoke in the room, and try to put it back and break the tabs that holds to the ceiling. We use super glue to attach the plastic tabs otherwise it will cost me 300 dollars a month.
- imglorp 4y agoThat amounts to vandalism of the room: smoke particles linger on surfaces and are noticeable to many nonsmokers. It reduces the value of the stay. I wonder if there are tamper evident detectors that send a signal when removed from their bracket.
- scotty79 4y agoWhat happens if you submerge superglue/soda "plastic" in water? Does the soda dissolve leaving just network of super glue?
- fwlr 4y agoA good intro to superglue. Here’s some more advice from working in factories and workshops over the years (doing something wrong in front of 50+ yr old engineers, craftsmen, and tradies who’ve been doing that job for 40+ years is a great way to pick up information). The active ingredient in superglue activator sprays is water, the other stuff is expensive filler to justify their price tag. You can use a spray bottle filled with tap water instead, but the cheapest option and one that’s always on hand is just to breathe on it like you’re trying to fog up a window. Fume safety: close your eyes when doing this, and move your head away before breathing in. If you have a gap in what you’re gluing, don’t do any of this “sprinkling bicarb soda on it” nonsense unless you only have superglue and bicarb soda. If there’s a gap or you’re trying to fill space, superglue is the wrong tool for the job, you want two-part epoxy. They put epoxy next to superglue at the hardware store for a reason, you’re supposed to buy both together so you’re ready for anything. “Superglue” might be a brand name in your area so others will have to use the term “CA glue” or their own brand name; if it has cyanoacrylate, it’s superglue. Both epoxy and superglue are waterproof once cured. While you’re in the glue aisle, grab some wood glue as well and you’re pretty much covered for all jobs. For high-volume specific applications it’s worth doing research as there may be a glue that’s better suited for that specific application - usually cheaper, comes in the amount you need, and is more convenient to apply. A common case you might run into is connecting PVC pipes, where you want “pipe cement”. There are exceptions to the previous rule of “don’t use filler to make superglue stretch across a gap”. Bicarbonate is a great filler with superglue if you must use this method for some reason, as is thread. I’ve also been told sand works, never tried it. And for cheap cosmetic repairs in wood, mixing sawdust with superglue is a great filler for small holes like you get from nailing or drilling the wrong spot. Mix it in the hole, sawdust and superglue sets so quick you’ll probably see smoke. It won’t take a stain like the wood around it, fine woodworking has other solutions like wood putty. As a rule, glue bonds are stronger than the materials they’re joining and the material will break before the glue joint does. If your glue joint is separating, you’re using the glue wrong, or using the wrong glue. It might also be the wrong joint for glue. Glue bonds aren’t appropriate for joints that will experience repeated flexing, they will fail pretty quickly in those situations. You want a mechanical fastener - bolt, screw, nail, dowel - to take the flexing instead. In these cases, drilling both ends of the joint and gluing in a dowel puts the glue to work in a much more favorable way. Glue and nail is a standard method in wood construction.
- aschla 4y agoI've been using super glue to assemble 3D printed models lately. Loctite gel is my favorite right now. It's available at all major hardware stores and is easy to control. My only gripe is the size (.14 oz). They put it in a large "bottle" which is actually a mechanical container for the small tube in the inside. You can disassemble the container and find the small tube that's actually labeled for the European market since it's made in Ireland. Not sure why Loctite thinks the U.S. needs a special container, maybe they think the average American will fall for the larger "bottle" compared to other brands standard tube for the same price? I'll likely be looking around for a more reasonably priced gel because of this, maybe something from McMaster-Carr.
- runamok 4y agoI like these and have used them for several years because they don't seem to dry out and become useless after the first use like most of the steel tube type. I think it's this one I use: https://www.loctiteproducts.com/en/products/fix/super-glue/loctite_super_glueultragelcontrol.html https://www.loctiteproducts.com/en/products/fix/super-glue/l...
- colinwilyb 4y agoI use a lot of CA glue and love the stuff. I recently used the Renia ProtoColle (Germany?) as a flexible CA glue and it exceeded expectations. Bob Smith Industries also sells different viscosities and the thinnest stuff will wick nicely into a tight joint for modelmaking or styrene.