CA GLUE

[Billbrpt@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 11/18/98 11:20:23 PM Central Standard Time,
jaymercier@hotmail.com writes:

<< This may sound like a dumb question but here goes.  I keep reading abut 
 CA glue.  What is it and where can I get it?  I currently use 5-minute 
 epoxy glue and have great luck with it.  Is CA glue stronger?
 
 Jay
  >>
CA stands for CyanoAcrylate.  It was first used by the medical profession.  In
addition to the source mentioned by Clyde, you can find it at most Hobby Shops
under various brand names.  It is commonly known as "Super Glue".  One
hardware store brand (not recommended for piano use) is "Krazy Glue".

It is entirely different from epoxy but you may find that it is easier and
more convenient to use in most, if not all applications where you would have
used epoxy.  I used to use epoxy too but I find that the CA glues serve my
needs better.  They have only been on the market for the last several years.
They were considered controversial when used for piano repair at first but now
their use seems to be part of what piano technicians need to know about.  They
are an essential part of my kit and have been for years.

They can be used alone but are most often used with an accelerator.  The
accelerator is an aromatic (it smells) solvent, 111 tri-chlorethylene.  It
comes in a small pump spray bottle like that used for cologne.  The brand name
you'll probably find in the Hobby shop is, "Zip Kicker".  It acts as a
catalyst that will cause the glue to cure immediately.

I recommend you take Clyde's suggestion and practice with it.  Get a small
bottle in each viscosity (thickness):  water thin, medium and thick (like
honey).  The thin works great when the joint you want to glue has not fully
come apart.  A loose hammer head for example can be reset without removing it.
Simply touch the tip of the bottle to the joint and the glue will flow in
through "capillary" action, as I have heard it described.  A loose vertical
jack can be reset and the glue applied to the joint directly from the bottle
or through a tiny extension tube that some products provide.  With either the
hammer or the jack, a sprits of the accelerator afterwards and the repair is
done, ready to use.

The medium and thick varieties have more "gap-filling" properties as epoxy
does.  You can often glue a broken hammer shank back together or repair many
other broken action parts.  Recently, the List has talked about regluing the
separated felt of a hammer head.  If you have a loose tuning pin, you can pull
it out, put some CA glue in the hole and on the tip of the pin, drive it and
the pin will often feel as good as new.  Some people even have used the water
thin CA glue as "Tuning Pin Dope" with success often reported.

  It is great for stripped screws too.  Simply put some medium or thick glue
in the hole, sprits the screw with the accelerator and insert the screw.
Within seconds, the screw will be as tight as if you had plugged and redrilled
the hole.  If the first attempt does not work, you just repeat the procedure.
I have repaired many a music desk with CA glue.

The glue itself is not toxic, you could use it as an emergency "bandaid" if
you wanted to.  But it is hazardous to use.  It will *instantly* bond any
human tissue together.  If you get it between you fingers, it will glue them
together in the wink of an eye.  Speaking of eyes, the fumes from especially
the water thin type will irritate your eyes and nose.  The evaporated
molecules are trying to glue your eyelids shut!  So even though it is not
poison as such, certain accidents with the stuff can send you to the emergency
room.  Acetone (of which finger nail polish remover is the principal
ingredient) will dissolve a CA glue bond.  The glue companies also sell a
"debonder" which is a high priced bottle of diluted acetone.

  The accelerator however is another story.  It is one of the solvents that
contribute to the destruction of the ozone layer, so I hear.  You should avoid
getting it on your skin or breathing too much of it.  If you get CA glue on
your skin and the accelerator comes into contact with it, it will burn you
because the quick chemical chain reaction will cause heat.  Sometimes when you
apply the accelerator to a bond you are making, you will see a puff of smoke
rise from it.  It can seem like magic!

So go to a hobby store, get some and experiment with it.  I usually carry
three small bottles in my tool kit.  They have a limited shelf life after they
are opened, so I buy small quantities.  The spouts are difficult to keep from
being clogged.  You'll have to learn how to deal with that.  If you really
think you need a steady and large supply of it after you've learned to use it,
I recommend getting it from Drybaugh.

Good luck,
Bill Bremmer RPT
Madison, Wisconsin