Devon Headen Posted December 7, 2005 Report Share Posted December 7, 2005 What is the best way to store CA? I bought a two ounce bottle of the stuff earlier this year thinking it would last me forever. After a few uses I had to start trimming the tip shorter and shorter because the glue would dry and clog the tip. When I went to use it again recently, I discovered the entire bottle had cured! I always put the top back on, but I guess I didn't get a good seal. I've never heard of this happening before. So now I have a solid chunk of CA that used to be almost 2 ounces of glue. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, because I like CA, but I can't afford to keep buying it if this will happen every time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted December 7, 2005 Report Share Posted December 7, 2005 (edited) I've got a bottle that is over a year old. Keep it upright in the freezer, wipe the tip off after use then recap. Edited December 7, 2005 by Southpa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Rosenberger Posted December 7, 2005 Report Share Posted December 7, 2005 I soak the cap in acetone (to clean dried glue) and make sure the bottle is tightly sealed. you could go one step further and put it in a ziplock bag. CA Cures faster with humidity Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikhailgtrski Posted December 7, 2005 Report Share Posted December 7, 2005 For what it's worth, from Stew-Mac: Stewart-MacDonald Super Glues have a relatively long shelf life at room temperature: a bottle will be usable for up to a year, although the glue will thicken as the months go by. Once it is too thick for its original use, you can use it on other projects requiring a thicker glue. For longer storage, keep unopened bottles in the freezer. Store partially-used bottles at room temperature: used bottles contain moist air from your workroom, which condenses and reduces shelf life. Always keep the bottles upright when not in use. Accelerator needs no special storage, but avoid high temperatures and keep the cap tightly sealed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devon Headen Posted December 7, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2005 Wow, that explains it. Looks like I've been doing it all wrong. Thanks for the tips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdog Posted December 7, 2005 Report Share Posted December 7, 2005 I buy my CA in 8 oz bottles and have stored them in the freezer for 3-4 years....You'd be surprised how cheap this stuff gets when you buy the big bottles. You don't have to trim the cap back when it becomes clogged....get some hatpins and pierce the tip...this will work until you let the clog get out of hand...I have bottles/tips that are at least 5 years old. Also try tapping the side of a clogged tip very lightly with a hammer or mallet while it is flat on your bench.....the nylon tips have some flexibility in them and the CA is very brittle and usually breaks away....but, too hard of a whack and you will split the tip. Also, tap the bottle on your workbench after every application so the CA doesn't build up in the tip. BTW.... your bottle of CA should not have cured so quickly.....the bottle probably got some moisture or other contaminant in it or it was very old to begin with.....I seldom cap mine and seldom have problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbarstrat Posted December 8, 2005 Report Share Posted December 8, 2005 Oh how I miss the days when I would buy a bottle of "Satellite City" super-glue from StewMac or Woodcraft supply and it would be all dried up within 4 months and I hadn't even used 30% of it. That happened about 5 times. So, I'd use epoxy most of the time, instead. Now a bottle of StewMac brand CA lasts me 2 years. Jar with sealed lid, pack of silica gel, extra screw-on tip, jar of acetone. Those are the items needed for my super-glue success system. I very seldom use epoxy now, but it works out great, because the old bottles of epoxy still work when I do use it. Now, If I could just find pipettes that don't have the tips split open after soaking in acetone a few times. 60 cents for just *one* at the hobby shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mledbetter Posted December 8, 2005 Report Share Posted December 8, 2005 CA cures when oxygen is removed.. you can leave the lid off of it and it'll keep the gunk from forming on the top. With the lid on, you're creating just the type of situation CA likes to harden. I had a tiny bottle and kept it like this for a long time. I figured it would evaporate but it didn't. I forget where I heard that tip but it works. Lid off, upright, in a safe place and it'll last you a long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbarstrat Posted December 8, 2005 Report Share Posted December 8, 2005 Forget that. Like I said : In jar = long lasting. Out of jar= dried up bottle of glue. Experimented both ways for almost 20 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mledbetter Posted December 9, 2005 Report Share Posted December 9, 2005 i'll retract what i said, even though it has worked for me.. it was a small bottle of thin glue. Here is a link to storage tips from the guys that make Hot Stuff.. CA Glue Storage Tips It's a little of what everyone here said (except it doesn't back my suggestion up at all lol) but it's simpler than soapbar's It shouldn't take a hour to prep a bottle of CA for storage.. This links has some good rules of thumb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbarstrat Posted December 9, 2005 Report Share Posted December 9, 2005 What takes an hour to do ? (or more than 10 seconds ?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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