A 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 engineer

A 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.