superglue mistakes

[keitaro]

Hi Everyone,

 

I recently had a mistake with supaglue on my finger without realising it then picking up a model..... big mistake.

 

Anyway My mate Mr Ghan gave some suggestions and i did a whole lot of googling.

 

Due to the nature of super glue and the model being plastic it is near impossible to get off without using a chemical that will melt and damage the plastic.

 

So i thought i might share some tips on how to remove superglue from a modeel without damaging the paint or plastic.

 

While this does not get all glue off it gets most to where it's not so noticable anymore and i guess it depends on how much glue there is.

 

 

 

For starters If you spill super glue on your train and it is still a liquid. Be as quick as possible to remove the shell and run under hot water so the water runs only on the affected part to not spread the glue. Hot water will stop it from setting longer.

 

Please note It is a bad idea to run for more then 10 seconds at really hot temperature as it can warp the plastic.

Do not place in cold water if it is still setting this will instaant set.

 

After this you will likely have glue left but not as much.

 

Now there are 2 things i suggest to try to do once it's set.

 

I if it is  large amount of glue try freezing the model (shell only) for a few hours then cool your hands in cold water and rub gently with your nails and the glue will crumble off little bits.

 

Another thing to try is soaking the model in cold water for a day then using your hand or a soft scrubber to wash over the glue.

 

This may take a week to do but you will get some off slowly.

 

I was not able to get all the glue off but it is not as bad anymore.

 

 

If anyone has any tips please add it here.

[Bernard]

When I work with CA glues (super glue) I always wear latex gloves. You won't get any on you and the glove protects your fingers.

As for the model itself....you're right you have to act quickly.

[cteno4]

bummer dude. we have all been there at one point or another with glue on the finger and then somewhere it should not be!

 

CA is actually activated by moisture. something to think about for the more steamy places with high humidity will set up your ca glue faster than dry places. folks that use ca a lot like pen makers will even leave the tube open for long periods if they live in low humidity places and it does not set up in the tube. blowing on it helps as your breath is very moist. keep your tubes stored in a good sealed container (some of the super glues now come in zip lock storage bags) and if you have one of those desiccant packs throw it in there. some keep it in the fridge to keep the relative humidity down.

 

if you want something to stick fast then moisten one joint surface a bit and apply the glue to the other then stick together, but it can then set really fast! i have done things where i have put two parts together and then just dampen the joint a tad and apply the glue and bam its done! bases also accelerate the polymerization reaction. folks doing big joints will sprinkle baking soda onto the glued joint and get a rapid cure. also if there is a large gap the baking soda works like a filler. folks do this a lot in model rocketry to make big fast joints for fins and then you can even make a fillet along the joint with a little ca and baking soda for extra strength fast (ie a field fix).

 

a mild acid can help slow the curing process, but ive never tried to stop a bond using it. diluted vinager might work.

 

acetone is the number one remover -- its the main ingredient in many nail polish removers, hence why they say try that to get yourself unstuck. it will readily take off many paints fast. its slower at plastics, but i have never tried to use it to remove ca glue, but i fear even a light treatment fast might change the surface texture of many plastics. you can always experiment on the back side of something to see before trying. washing it off with water should get rid of the acetone. if you do try it use it very sparingly.

 

one thing i dont do is use the tube to apply glue in most situation. i have little wax paper squares i use to put drops of ca glue on. i usually have drops of both the viscous and thin glues and even a mixed drop for medium viscosity. wax paper is good as the non polar surface keeps the glue in a nice little ball and also the surface tends to not pick up moisture so the glue drops can take a long time before they ever harden on the was paper surface. then i use tooth picks to apply tiny amounts where i need them. takes a bit longer, but those tubes are so prone to burping out more than you want easily and also getting stuff on your fingers then. i use a hobby knife to split about 2mm of the end of the toothpick into a little Y and this will hold a little drop of the less viscous ca glues better. im always using ca glues and rarely get any on my fingers or glue in places it should not be by using the toothpicks like this. a small chunk of styrofoam is great to hold these toothpick appliers. for situations where i need three hands i will put the toothpick with its drop of glue in one of those alligator clip third hand thingies and bring the parts together with my two hands and move that to the glue applicator.

 

there is a big range in ca glues with setting times and viscosities. for most of the little n scale stuff ive never found that the fancy ca glues provide a lot in extra bennies for me than the cheap stuff.

 

one caution is if you use a lot of the stuff on something large make sure the area is well ventilated and wear goggles. ca glue will vaporize easily in low humidity and will make a thin film on what ever the cloud comes in contact with (why its used to raise fingerprints). not fun if its your moist eyeballs! usually with a drop or two on the bench i never smell it, but if i do i just turn on the tiny little usb fan i have a few feet away. its just enough air current to blow away anything in the air (paint fumes, ca fumes, solder smoke) but not enough to move any tiny parts.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[Guest Closed Account 1]

Had my mishaps as well but quickly wiped it off with clean skin.

 

Super glue, CA, cyanoacrylate. Same thing.

 

Try applying with a toothpick,pin, tack, anything not attached to the bottle.

 

The needle caps, and whisp caps can help get it into tight spots but you cannot alwYs control the amount when you squeeze tbe bottle.

 

A little thin CA will at least hold your parts together then apply another drop or thicker formula.