# CA Glue Applicator



## malonjw (Oct 21, 2012)

Has anyone had good luck with a certain brand of towels for applying CA glue? I have not found towels that do not react to the CA glue.


----------



## Joe Burns (Oct 21, 2012)

I've had good luck with the blue Scott towels I get at Sams Club.

Joe


----------



## MobilMan (Oct 21, 2012)

The best towel I've found for all uses comes from Cosco, & works fine on finishing.  I've also finished pens using the plastic bag the kit parts come in


----------



## Justturnin (Oct 21, 2012)

I just started using closed cell foam and it works great.  I got a 50 pack for $5 at hobby lobby.  I cut it to 1" x 2" strips.  I can do an entire pen or stopper with 1 piece.


----------



## Wingdoctor (Oct 21, 2012)

I have been using the closed cell foam also. It is inexpensive, uses much less CA than towels do, and it is easier, for me, to get a smooth finish that does not take a lot of work to get glass smooth.


----------



## commercialbuilder (Oct 21, 2012)

You need to try the craft foam, it is much better than towels in my opinion.


----------



## malonjw (Oct 21, 2012)

Is there only one size or shape of the closed foam? Is there any reaction between the foam and the CA?


----------



## Dalecamino (Oct 21, 2012)

Bounty "Select-a-sheet" Use the backside, folded three times. You can get 12 coatings with one sheet.:wink:


----------



## CharlesJohnson (Oct 21, 2012)

These folks convinced me to try the foam.And it has made it a good bit easyer.Hobby Lobby has it in 12"x18" and a smaller one in single sheets also.I paid .97 for the bigger one yesterday.And lots less wasted CA.I like that.Have fun.


----------



## Monty (Oct 21, 2012)

Joe Burns said:


> I've had good luck with the blue Scott towels I get at Sams Club.
> 
> Joe


Same here. Just be sure it's the Scott brand. I used to get mine at Lowes. About a year ago, they stopped carrying the Scott brand and replaced it with their store brand. Needless to say they didn't work well with CA at all.


----------



## its_virgil (Oct 21, 2012)

What! Only one vote for Bounty? I'll make it two votes.:biggrin: And no one has come to the bat for Viva? Why, I can remember the day when this question would almost make us go to blows.:biggrin: Friendly but passionate. We all have a our favorite applicator material. I know one who insists that only unwashed synthetic bath towel material is the only thing to use. If I'm having excellent results with one material then no way I'm changing. So, since there are so many application materials that work and work well then my suggestion is to choose one and learn to use it. I have tried most all of the materials suggested over the years and guess what? They all work.
Do a good turn daily!
Don
​


----------



## Dalecamino (Oct 21, 2012)

its_virgil said:


> What! Only one vote for Bounty? I'll make it two votes.:biggrin: And no one has come to the bat for Viva? Why, I can remember the day when this question would almost make us go to blows.:biggrin: Friendly but passionate. We all have a our favorite applicator material. I know one who insists that only unwashed synthetic bath towel material is the only thing to use. If I'm having excellent results with one material then no way I'm changing. So, since there are so many application materials that work and work well then my suggestion is to choose one and learn to use it. I have tried most all of the materials suggested over the years and guess what? They all work.
> Do a good turn daily!
> Don
> ​


I also remember that day Don. BTW, thanks for the tip on the Bounty :biggrin::biggrin:


----------



## its_virgil (Oct 22, 2012)

Well, Chuck, I suppose you and I are the only enlightened ones left. Oh, BTW, you're welcome.
Do a good turn daily!
Don



its_virgil said:


> What! Only one vote for Bounty? I'll make it two votes.:biggrin:  Why, I can remember the day when this question would almost make us go to blows.:biggrin: Friendly but passionate. We all have a our favorite applicator material.
> Do a good turn daily!
> Don​






dalecamino said:


> I also remember that day Don. BTW, thanks for the tip on the Bounty :biggrin::biggrin:


----------



## wouldentu2? (Oct 22, 2012)

Used the white Scott towels in a box for several years but tried the craft foam and I'm committed to it 100%. Smoother application and use 1/3 the amount of CA.

They said " Try it you'll like it, so I tried it and I liked it".


----------



## PaulDoug (Oct 22, 2012)

How does it react to the towels?  It's instant glue, it's suppose to react fast.  But my favorite towel is the blue ones, the shop towels.  I don't get "lint" from them in the glue.


----------



## rsulli16 (Oct 26, 2012)

hi
could some expand on "closed foam" what is it? how is it packed? i dont know what you are talking about
Thanks
Sulli


----------



## Justturnin (Oct 26, 2012)

rsulli16 said:


> hi
> could some expand on "closed foam" what is it? how is it packed? i dont know what you are talking about
> Thanks
> Sulli



I think this is the one I got.

Funky Foam 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" Rainbow EVA Foam Sheet Value Pack - 2mm | Shop Hobby Lobby


----------



## billspenfactory (Oct 26, 2012)

If you know someone that installs hardwood flooring they may use the 2-1 underlayment. That is a closed cell form that is smooth on one side. The buy it in 25' rolls and if you find them laying floors all the cut offs are scrap and free for the taken normally.  Works Great and I like the FREE part.


----------



## bradh (Oct 26, 2012)

malonjw said:


> Has anyone had good luck with a certain brand of towels for applying CA glue? I have not found towels that do not react to the CA glue.



I think you will find any Paper towel will react with the CA. The paper content reacts with the CA and speeds up the CA set, which can be useful if you want the CA to set faster.
    I use the Scotts blue towel sheets most often, they do not react much to the CA. When the humidty in the shop drops (like it has this month) the CA sets slower so I switch over to Bounty Paper towels to speed up the set again.


----------



## Lenny (Oct 26, 2012)

I tried using the foam and it didn't work well for me. That leads me to believe that what I used is not the right type....... 
For now I'll stick with what works for me and thats cheap paper towels and quick swipes! :wink:


----------



## rsulli16 (Oct 28, 2012)

thanks chris
i'll give it try.
Sulli


----------



## mpex (Nov 26, 2012)

God I love this forum.  Have a problem, do a search, someone has a solution!  Simply perfect for a beginner like me.  I was having major trouble with using paper towels.  I decided to try some foam.  The hobby shops in town didn't have it but I had the idea that JoAnn Fabrics (joann.com) might.  They had plenty.  I bought 10 sheet pack - 11x17" about 1/8" thick (not positive about those sizes) for $7.99.  I'm cutting them into aprox 2x2" squares.  I can apply 4 coats with one pad alternating.
What I'm doing is I line up 3 pads on the table.  Do one coat using the top of one pad, put it to the side.  Wait for it to dry and use THE SECOND PAD, then the third pad.  THis allows the CA to dry on the pad I just used.  Then I go back to the first pad and use the bottom.  Continue rotating through the pads and then the same on the back.  Using much less CA and getting it done with less material.  I'm doing 12 total coats with Thin Satellite. 
The one thing I did notice is that surprisingly using the pads, the CA does go on rougher.   I am lightly sanding with 600 every 2-3 layers just to level it out.  Seems to work pretty good.  
Not the OP, but thanks for all the advice!!!


----------



## shippy (Nov 26, 2012)

I use small post it note paper, folded in half. Cheap, readily available, cut my CA consumption way down, and I can get a nice smooth coat of CA spread.


----------



## Jgrden (Nov 26, 2012)

CharlesJohnson said:


> These folks convinced me to try the foam.And it has made it a good bit easyer.Hobby Lobby has it in 12"x18" and a smaller one in single sheets also.I paid .97 for the bigger one yesterday.And lots less wasted CA.I like that.Have fun.



Good point. I use the foam when a thick coat of medium needs to be applied. For finishing the white paper towel from SAM's or CostCo works with BLO.


----------



## edman2 (Nov 26, 2012)

Viva la Viva!


----------



## alphageek (Nov 26, 2012)

Bounty select a size for me.... I may have to do. Picture/ video of how I use it to maximize number of costs from it


----------



## mmoncur (Nov 27, 2012)

I'm new but I'll put in another vote for "all of those plastic bags the pen kit parts came in." I use the small ones once per side and toss, get 3-4 uses out of the bigger ones. I use 2 thick coats of Medium CA as a filler, then sand that off until I'm back to wood or close to it, then do 4 thin coats of medium CA with 15-20 minutes to dry between coats. After that it's mostly smooth, I run through the finer half of my Micromesh pads with some water and then some HUT Plastic Polish. Works great!


----------



## Dustygoose (Nov 27, 2012)

I also use the little baggies from the kit parts.


----------



## TerryDowning (Nov 27, 2012)

Latex Glove I put 1-2 drops on my index finger.


----------



## ALA (Nov 27, 2012)

My vote goes to the foam strips. I get mine from work where it is used as packing. It's free and I can cut it any size needed. As some one else said, free is good! It did take some getting use to.


----------



## rherrell (Nov 28, 2012)

TOWEL WARS...Viva!

(I love it!)


----------



## NotURMailman (Nov 28, 2012)

I have tried a lot of different glues, applcators, methods, breathing techniques, chants, meditations, and rituals.

My last few attempts have been pretty succesful using medium CA and blue Scott shop paper towels. 

I have thin CA, thick CA, accelerator, closed cell foam, multiple different types of finishes, sponges, microfiber cloths, BLO, DNA and I don't even know what else.

Maybe one day I will decide what actually works for me fairly consistently...


----------



## airborne_r6 (Nov 29, 2012)

The first time I tried the foam it was a disaster, the foam quickly started sticking to the glue on the blank and I had to sand the finish down before applying more CA. However, because so many people have had such good success with it I gave it another try and loved it.  I think I pressed too hard the first time and also I use a little bit more glue on the first application, after that it only takes one or two drops per coat and it goes on so smooth.  

If I use towels I use the bounty select a size.


----------

