CA glue NOT curing... options?

[dgorsman]

Every now and again, I end up with a couple parts that will. not. stick.   :bang:

I know it's not the CA glue (my fingers can attest to that), and accelerator doesn't seem to help either.  Any thoughts to help things get along when this happens?

[shadhawk]

Clean the mini and parts. It is the release agent.

[CranstonSnord]

And lightly score both sides of the join, to give the glue more places to bind to.

[Weirdo]

And sometimes, you just gotta prop the pieces together somehow, and let it sit overnight. Your glue will get the hint eventually.

[abou]

In addition to the above, how old is the glue?

[NeonKnight]

Water...seriously...good old H-2-O.

CA was originally mortician's glue...to you know, close up wounds and stuff before burial, to make the corpse look better without sewing. It's also now used extensively in the E.R. for minor cuts (i.e. only a centimeter/half inch). It's also why it works so well and gluing your fingers together while working.

Got a LARGE, troublesome joint? Little dab of water in the there to seal the bond, and don't be afraid to breath/blow on the joint to get it to bond.

[Sartris]

washed parts and scoring are my best practices. if you're not noticing a relatively fast bond, something is amiss

In addition to the above, how old is the glue?

like this

i've taken to using Loctite control gel. it's changed my life. their professional grade is also very good but takes a bit longer to set.

[Bedwyr]

washed parts and scoring are my best practices. if you're not noticing a relatively fast bond, something is amiss

like this

i've taken to using Loctite control gel. it's changed my life. their professional grade is also very good but takes a bit longer to set.

Ditto on scoring and Loctite. I sometimes prefer to crosshatch some cuts (even sometimes with a hobby knife) into a joint that has a large surface area. And the gel is an amazing product and I highly recommend it over squeeze tubes.

[Weirdo]

Ditto on Loctite, negatory on gel. Unlike the liquid, I can never tell when the gel is gonna actually come out of the bottle, or how much. Not to mention the lack of flow. How on earth do you get the gel to flow into gaps, or soak into basing material?

[Bedwyr]

Ditto on Loctite, negatory on gel. Unlike the liquid, I can never tell when the gel is gonna actually come out of the bottle, or how much. Not to mention the lack of flow. How on earth do you get the gel to flow into gaps, or soak into basing material?

Usually I use a different material for gap filling or plastic joins (for the latter it's Tamiya fast cement). Otherwise I find the gel much easier to control and apply where I prefer.

[Sartris]

Ditto on Loctite, negatory on gel. Unlike the liquid, I can never tell when the gel is gonna actually come out of the bottle, or how much. Not to mention the lack of flow. How on earth do you get the gel to flow into gaps, or soak into basing material?

definitely not recommended for basing, but i don't do much of that so it doesn't bother me. the control isn't a problem as it has those squeezy buttons on the sides that make it pretty much dummy-proof (if you look at the glue jobs i did especially early on, i qualify as a dummy).

[Major Headcase]

Ages of building heavy metal 40k and warmachine models taught me a trick:
Get some Green Stuff (any brand of epoxy putty will do) roll a small bead of putty that fits the middle of the joint, not big enough to fully fill the join, just enough to squish through the middle. Add glue to the join the with a pin or the tip of your hobby knife, add the putty bead to the glue, then attach the piece,  using it to squish the putty bead, and hold for about twice the glues recommended  time.
The epoxy and glue will support each other and grip both textured uneven and smooth joints.
I have 20 year old metal Deeadnoughts that plunge off tables and the metal smashes flat spot before the bonded joints break...

[grimlock1]

I'm going to buck the trend on the scoring the surfaces.  At least for CAs

Yes, scratching up the surfaces does create more surface to which the glue can bind, but it also create peaks and valleys.  Unless the peaks in one part line up REALLY well with the valleys in the other part, you are actually reducing the contact area. 


Superglue works best when there is a thin film between two smooth pieces. Yes, the glue will fill the voids but most of the work will be done by the tiny bits of CA on the tops of the peaks that are touching other peaks.

I will however second washing all the parts and maybe a new bottle of glue.  The new glue is a bit iffy but it's a cheap option, and you'll need more glue eventually.  I suppose super glue can go bad but the only age related issue I've ever ha....heard of is gluing the cap on.  Yes, superglue does stick to the inside of the bottle. Don't ask me how I know this.