Super glue reaction

[stoneke]

I recently needed to fill a small inletting void and decided to use a paste made from accumulated maple sanding dust, mixed with some drops of super glue. I used an old discarded percussion cap can for the mixing vessel. When I added a few drops of the glue to the dust, I instantly generated a solid mass of material and generated so much heat to the tin that it was hard to hold.
Previous use of this type of mixture produced a "putty" with maybe 5 to 10 seconds of working time. Nothing like the instantaneous reaction, as described. Has anyone a clue to this reaction, or have suggestions on workable glue material to use for making a putty for the occasional uses.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

You are lucky that the "putty" failed.  You cannot stain super glues.  You would have had a white spot that would likely have been worse than the missing wood. for drawing attention to a faux pas. 
If you use medium or thick CA rather than the thin, your working time increases.  Thin reacts instantly in a powder or dust environment and there is considerable heat produced by the chemical reaction.
Use Acra Glas mixed with brown and black dyes to fill boo-boos.  It's practically invisible.  Like Jerry says..."No charge!"

[hyltoto]

I had the same type of thing happen trying to fasten a loose thread on a German surplus gortex jacket. I sent a sample of the thread to a chemist friend of mine an she said the glue and fiber had made gun-cotton. There was a really long formula attached, but I don't have it anymore.

I guess since super glue cures by reacting with atmosheric moisture, it must be pretty reactive stuff with alot of other materials.

[northmn]

I saw a special once on how superglue was used in Viet Nam by medics to replace stitches in the field.  I have also found it to work real well on skin.  Other than that I have had no real luck with the stuff except for the very expensive archery glues that hold heads on carbon arrows.  I have always used epoxies and have sometimes stained them.  A good quick trick for some fixes is to used laminated plane shavings stained before glueing and epoxies.

DP

[rdillon]

I'm with Taylor on this one.  I never had much luck with superglue except glueing my fingers together!

[hyltoto]

no shear stregth. but the new gorilla super glue has a nanocomposite incorperated and seems like good stuff. I don't think us civillians can buy the stout stuff like the original anymore.

I use it for small cuts or when your skin cracks from doing masonary work. heals much faster.

[Black Hand]

I saw a special once on how superglue was used in Viet Nam by medics to replace stitches in the field. 

Variations on crazy-glue are used in ERs and during surgery even today.  It just has fancy names and a very fancy price.....

[Longshot]

My wife is a triage' nurse at an active clinic where she uses the super glue variant routinely.  At home she has used the typical otc type many times to close deep cuts which would otherwise have required her less benign stapler or #9 sailmakers needle.

[Long John]

Friends,

Please let me explain a little of the chemistry behind what you have experienced.

"Super Glue" is a cyanoacrylate resin that polymerizes into a long chain molecule upon exposure to water.  Water is a catalyst; the water molecule does not become part of the resulting polymer.  The cure time published on the tube is based upon "normal" realative humidity in the air.  You can accelerate the reaction by merely exhaling on the resin.

Wood is about 7 to 8 percent water, by weight after kiln drying.  It slowly absorbs water from the air so the surface wood is generally slightly higher in moisture content.  Of the 7 to 8 percent water about 5 percent is labile, it can move around in the cellulose matrix.  That water is sufficient to trigger the polymerization reaction with the cyanoacrylate resins.  So the results you got are both reasonable and predictable based upon th chemistry of the resin.  Since human (and animal) skin is about 80 percent water by weight cyanoacrylate resins are used in lieu of surgical sutures routinely.

Best Regards,

JMC

[Daryl]

Super Clue, ie Cyanocrylate gule is easily purchased reasonably priced in several different thicknesses at a hobby store which sells RC aircraft.  The 2oz. bottle is quite handy around the shop and will close wounds very quickly. Be aware the 'kicker' stings and is probably quite toxic, but when you need to stop the bleeding quickly, as I did once, you get over the 'pain' in a couple minutes.  The cut, 1/2" wide and 3/4" deep in the wrist, healed completely to a pink line in 3 days.  Great stuff.

[jerrywh]

 I have noticed one thing about super glue.
All brands are not equal in quality.