# Does CA go bad??



## Rollerbob (Oct 25, 2009)

This is driving me nuts ( I know it would be a short trip). I cannot get any kind of finish on the pens I have made over the last two days. It is like I have not put any CA on the blanks. I have used medium from the start and got fairly good finishes. I finally used up what I had and opened another bottle. Can't get any kind of finish, period. I have tried thin and medium and it is as if I have nothing on the blank. When I tried accelator on it, it dulls it. Can someone help this poor ignorant soul!!


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## Robert A. (Oct 25, 2009)

CA does have a shelf life.I'm thinking about 6mo.I've read that you can keep it in the fridge and it last longer.


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## ed4copies (Oct 25, 2009)

Bob,

CA actually will last about a year (I used to buy it in large quantities, before Monty and the Kennedys came along).  IF you keep it in the fridge, it is much fresher when you open it.  They say let it reach room temp before using--I don't always do this.

So, it could also be humidity, I believe.  Try a different LOT number of CA.  If it doesn't work either, well,,,,,,  (That's the way a CA finish goes, some days, it DOESN'T)


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## Rollerbob (Oct 25, 2009)

ed4copies said:


> Bob,
> 
> CA actually will last about a year (I used to buy it in large quantities, before Monty and the Kennedys came along). IF you keep it in the fridge, it is much fresher when you open it. They say let it reach room temp before using--I don't always do this.
> 
> So, it could also be humidity, I believe. Try a different LOT number of CA. If it doesn't work either, well,,,,,, (That's the way a CA finish goes, some days, it DOESN'T)


 Thanks, Ed. This is the first time I have had any problems. I understand the humidity, but it is cool and dry. Go figure!! I know one thing, it is causing unnecessary foul verbage!!


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## hunter-27 (Oct 25, 2009)

I know folks say it can go "bad", I have had it appear to do this while finishing as well, it still seems fine for actually using it as an adhesive as it was intended but it seems to be the case of fresher is better for finishing.  That being said I have used very "old" CA and other than it seems to get thicker and flows less(possibly the problem) I have managed a nice finish with it.  It does work for me to get the glue up to at least 60 degrees(70 is better), not the room air but the glue itself.  I have found that as a finish, CA hates cold.  As mentioned and you addressed it hates moisture as well.  I would imagine it hates heat as well.(Finicky stuff that it is)


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## wolftat (Oct 25, 2009)

I would have to guess that it is a problem with the user. I think in life you only gets so many nice finishes and then you are done....so your done.:biggrin:  Back to making bar stools.


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## ed4copies (Oct 25, 2009)

wolftat said:


> I would have to guess that it is a problem with the user. I think in life you only gets so many nice finishes and then you are done....so your done.:biggrin:  Back to making bar stools.



He COULD BE RIGHT, you know!!


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## Jgrden (Oct 25, 2009)

ed4copies said:


> Bob,
> 
> CA actually will last about a year (I used to buy it in large quantities, before Monty and the Kennedys came along).  IF you keep it in the fridge, it is much fresher when you open it.  They say let it reach room temp before using--I don't always do this.
> 
> So, it could also be humidity, I believe.  Try a different LOT number of CA.  If it doesn't work either, well,,,,,,  (That's the way a CA finish goes, some days, it DOESN'T)


We have decided to sell our house and move closer to Monty so that I can just drive over and get fresh glue. I have trouble with glue fouling up the tip. I always tap the bottle and then push the air out through the point to clear it, but it always seems to get gunked up. I hate that,.


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## maxman400 (Oct 25, 2009)

I don't Know any thing about humidity mine runs 16%, Due to the heat I got one of those $60 refers from wal-mart. My thin Stays thin my medium became thick and my thick became thicker, but all of it still works ok. For my finish I take a piece of wax paper and fold it up to about 1/2 " by 10" then fold it in half to 5". I use this as my handle and I then use blue shop towels (paper kind) and 1 or 2 drops at a time to apply my thin CA. then with the lathe still runnin I mist my accerlater over the blanks.
they dry with out any whitining al all. then I Repeat, Repeat, Repeat and so on.


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## lwalden (Oct 25, 2009)

I use the "Hot Stuff" medium from woodcraft for my finishes. I'll write the date I purchase on the bottle with a felt tip, and for the first two months I'll use it for finishing, after that it goes over to the glue up table and is only used for tubes and segmentations.


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## pssherman (Oct 25, 2009)

Are you using an oily wood? Sometimes oily woods have a difficult time with adhesion of the CA. It just sllides off onto your paper towel. I have found that wiping the blank with acetone removes the surface oil and allows the CA to soak into the wood fibers and establish a base coat. After that adhesion isn't a problem.

Another possiblility is that the wood is very porous and the CA is being soaked deeper into the blank leaving little or no CA at the surface. Several coats are needed to provide a solid surface coat.


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## Rollerbob (Oct 25, 2009)

Paul, the wood is Katalox. I'm waiting to hear from Gary Max to find out how dry it is. This is the only thing that seems to make sense at this point. We will see!!


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## wdcav1952 (Oct 26, 2009)

Quote:
Originally Posted by ed4copies  
Bob,

CA actually will last about a year (I used to buy it in large quantities, before Monty and the Kennedys came along). IF you keep it in the fridge, it is much fresher when you open it. They say let it reach room temp before using--I don't always do this.

So, it could also be humidity, I believe. Try a different LOT number of CA. If it doesn't work either, well,,,,,, (That's the way a CA finish goes, some days, it DOESN'T) 




Jgrden said:


> We have decided to sell our house and move closer to Monty so that I can just drive over and get fresh glue. I have trouble with glue fouling up the tip. I always tap the bottle and then push the air out through the point to clear it, but it always seems to get gunked up. I hate that,.



John,

If you can't move just yet, :wink: try this.  I have a small plastic bottle that I fill about half full with acetone.  Every CA tip that gets gunked up goes in the bottle, including the small "micro" tips.  This way, I always have a ready supply of clean tips for my CA.


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## HawksFeather (Oct 26, 2009)

I will add another question to the list.  Does anyone store their CA in the freezer?  I thought that I had heard this years back.  I have and the medium will get thick (about like thick normally is) the thin stays pretty close to what it is at room temperature.  I use smaller plastic bottles for my daily supply and fill them up when they start to get close to being empty.  No problems so far, but am I wondering if I dreamed up the freezer and it was actually only supposed to be refrigerated.

Jerry


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## HSTurning (Oct 26, 2009)

Jgrden said:


> We have decided to sell our house and move closer to Monty so that I can just drive over and get fresh glue. I have trouble with glue fouling up the tip. I always tap the bottle and then push the air out through the point to clear it, but it always seems to get gunked up. I hate that,.


 
I just keep a pin the same size as the hole I like to use.  I just stick it in a shelf and I know where it is.  I couldn't find it a couple months ago and i cut the tip back on some thin CA I use for finishing.  I get tglue all over the place when finishing a pen now.  Just gives me something to do when I leave the shop.  Just start picking the glue off my arms/shirt/pants.  LOL 
maybe 3900rpm is a bit to fast for putting on CA, but thats how I was shown and that what works for me.  A pair of gloves never make it thru a night now.


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## Russianwolf (Oct 26, 2009)

yes CA can go bad. When I pick up the tube and it cracks when I squeeze, It's bad. :wink:


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## jamiller99 (Oct 26, 2009)

Jerry,

The reason that CA's have a shelf life is that they are prone to curing in the presence of any base, including water vapor (or liquid).  The most important thing is to keep moisture vapor away from the CA.  Even something like squeezing out a drop or two leads to moisture vapor exposure, since after dispensing the drop or two, the bottle "inhales" a small volume of air with its load of humidity.  The freezer or the refrigerator are both fine -- both slow the curing somewhat due to the lower temps. The low humidity of a freezer is also an advantage, but it is best to allow the closed bottle to warm up to room temp before use.  Humidity is a MUCH bigger issue than temperature.  My approach (IMHO the best approach) is to store the CA in a sealed glass jar with a silica gel dessicant (those little packs you find in electronics items) in a refrigerator.  





HawksFeather said:


> I will add another question to the list.  Does anyone store their CA in the freezer?  I thought that I had heard this years back.  I have and the medium will get thick (about like thick normally is) the thin stays pretty close to what it is at room temperature.  I use smaller plastic bottles for my daily supply and fill them up when they start to get close to being empty.  No problems so far, but am I wondering if I dreamed up the freezer and it was actually only supposed to be refrigerated.
> 
> Jerry


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## HawksFeather (Oct 26, 2009)

Thanks for the suggestion.  I will give it a try.

Jerry


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