Thinned Super Glue

Shawn Lakes

Member
Messages
90
I have been noticing that people are using thin super glue. How do you thin it? What is the benefit to it besides the cost factor? Are there any negative effects to thinning it? Any input would be appreciated.
 
I suppose it's possible to "thin" cyanoacrylate glue (AKA "super-glue"), but most of us just buy it that way.

I'm under the impression that the pure stuff is very low viscosity, about like acetone, and they add thickeners to get the thicker varieties. (The viscosity is usually expressed as a numeric number...IIRC, it's the time it takes some standard quantity to flow through some standard hole.) The thinnest I've seen is 5, the thickest 1000, about like cold maple syrup. Most of the stuff you see in non-woodworking retail stores (including places like Ace Hardware and Home Depot) is medium-thick, in the 500-750 range.

I usually use a "medium-thin" (~35-50, depending on vendor) as a finish, and as thick as I can get as an adhesive and hole filler.
 
CA comes in several consistencies. Thin is good for stabilizing punky wood while turning, medium is good for general purpose and gives a bit more working time and thick is good for filling relatively large gaps. Most substances that would be considered thinners or additives act as accelerators for CA. I know from whence I speak due to an unfortunate incident while trying to add colorant to CA. Did I mention that "super" is a completely appropriate moniker for CA glue?

Wooden Wonders is my favorite source for CA. Best prices and service around.

Can't verify from work, but I believe Arizona Silhouette carrys thicknesses in between thin, medium and thick. Bill also has excellent service.
 
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