Super Glue finish question

T

Terry_Dodson

Joined
Jul 10, 2002
Messages
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I am trying a super glue (gel) finish on a handle and so far it looks pretty good. How many coats do you usually put on (i am using nitrel glove finger to rub it on)? How long do you let it dry? I am sanding it with 600 grit paper after it dries (overnight), do i need to go finer or buff it? Once i am finished with it do i oil it or anything?

edit: would this do good on a curly maple handle?
 
Terry, you want the thin stuff,not the gel.The idea is to get the wood pores and surface filled with the acrylic,not coated with it.Once it is soaked in and dry (several coats) ,sand it down to as fine as you want - at least 1000 grit - and buff lightly on a slow wheel with no scratch pink or similar compound (or buff by hand with a cotton diaper charged with the same compound).The end result is to make the wood shine and seal it,not coat it .
On any wood sand to 400 before you seal it with cyanoacrylic.Curly maple should work fine.
Stacy
 
Thanks for that info, i probably need to sand off what i have on already and start over with the thin stuff. I only put 2 coats of the getl on so far so it shouldnt take much. I was sanding to 600 grit before i put it on (whiskering).
 
bladsmth i just reread your reply and noticed that you said "Once it is soaked in and dry (several coats) ,sand it down to as fine as you want" does that mean i dont need to put on a coat, let it dry, sand it some (with fine grit), repeat? How long do i need to let it dry before i apply another coat?
 
I've run out of thin super glue, and can't find any more locally.

Anybody got a source for the really thin stuff? :)
 
Is this thin stuff thinner that the regular super glue you can get at the dollar store? the dollor tree here has a 3 pack of it for $1, they had the gel, regular super glue in the little tube, and a 2 pack of super glue in the little plastic round bottle. Which one of these would be best? Or is a bottle from some place like sheffield better or have more in it?
 
Terry, the really thin glue will soak all the way thru a dried and cured wooden knife scale. Every fiber is coated, inside and out. Even though you sand the top when you finish it, the wood is still protected on the inside.

I'll check with Sheffield. Thanks for the source. :)
 
the bigger the bottle, the better the price


and keep it in the fridge.........it will last forever.
 
Scott Slobodian was the first person I know who used the super glue finish. If you have ever held one of his knives or swords the finish is amazing. It looks like glass. Scott's website is: http://www.slobodianswords.com

Scott e-mailed his super glue finish six years ago. He is the reason we started carrying super glue.

Use Webril wipes, 4x4 cotton squares available at photo stores (good ones). They act as a wick and keep the glue from setting up in the pad. Pad on lots of coats of the thin glue. Occasionally use an accelorator to speed up setting.

Block sand out with 400-1200 grit and polish by hand with Final Cut, an automotive compound for final rubout of car paint. Do not use thicker glue...it will not set up evenly and you will end up with ridges.

You do need lots of coats, as many as 50.

Wear rubber gloves and do it outside to avoid the vapors.

Scott Slobodian
Click to expand...
The only change I've made is to use odorless super glue. When sprayed with an accelerant it does not turn white like regular super glue.

Tom Mayo makes an critical point. Always store your super glue in the refrigerator. We always have a few open quart bottles in the refrigerator. We've never had a bottle kick off and go bad.
 
Chuck, do you carry the super thin in a fairly large container, say 2 to 4 oz.?

If so, I'll go to your site and order some.

The last I had was in about a 2 oz. bottle with a neat needle applicator under the cap. A drop would wick all the way thru a mesquite burl scale in a few seconds. I think it came from a fishing fly tying store. I stole it from my brother-in-law. :rolleyes:
 
We currently have the following thin super glue in stock:
  • 1 oz. Super Glue - Odorless Thin
  • 2 oz. Super Glue - Odorless Thin
  • 1 oz. Super Glue - Regular Thin
  • 16 oz. Super Glue - Regular Thin
Click here to go there.

The regular super glue is the stinky stuff that also burns your eyes. The advantage of using regular is price. It is only one third the cost of odorless.
 
I wonder if that stink is residual monomer? It would be volatile. Having it gone would result in the other stuff lasting a lot longer, as a side benefit. It would also justify the price, since it has to be distilled 1-2 times more. Pure MMA needs a stabilizing agent, so most of what we get is PMMA, a partial polymer ("P"). The cheap crap that goes bad the first time it gets stored a month has too much MMA, and not enough P, so to speak. ;) .
 
Could you just soak the scales in the super glue and kinda do a super glue stabilization as opposed to doing multiple coatings?
 
That sounds line it would work Sean, especially if you had a vacumm on it. I've never tried that though.
 
Chuck Bybee said:
We currently have the following thin super glue in stock:
  • 1 oz. Super Glue - Odorless Thin
  • 2 oz. Super Glue - Odorless Thin
  • 1 oz. Super Glue - Regular Thin
  • 16 oz. Super Glue - Regular Thin
The regular super glue is the stinky stuff that also burns your eyes. The advantage of using regular is price. It is only one third the cost of odorless.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Chuck. I found it on your site under the heading "wood". I hope you take Paypal. :)
 
Thinning super glue. This was one of the first questions we asked the glue company (Handibond). They said the chemicals and equipment involved would be too expensive for someone buying less than a few hundred gallons a year. :eek: They said when dealing with small quantities it is cheaper to throw away the old glue and buy fresh. Maybe Fitz can tell us more about this.

We provided some stabilized amboyna burl for a knife company. They were using a high speed mill (35,000 rpm) to shape the scales. The first batch of scales chipped badly. We asked for the scales to be returned. We then soaked both sides of the scales with odorless superglue. The scales were sent back to the knife company and the chipping problem was resolved. However, now belts get glazed over very quickly.

We've since done testing and we were surprised how much super glue will be soaked up by stabilized wood. We've never tried a vacuum. We did find out that soaking wood in direct sunlight does not work.
 
One other safety point.

When the super glue kicks off and gets hard, it is an exothermic reaction, i.e. it generates heat. The larger quantity of super glue, the more heat generated. If you spill a large amount on your clothes, remove the clothes or pull the clothes away from the skin until the reaction is finished.

I spilled a couple of tablespoons on my shirt and did not notice. It kicked off and I felt heat on my chest and saw smoke coming from my shirt! I quickly jerked my shirt away from my chest and in the process ripped out a bunch of hair that was super glued to the shirt. However, I was too late and I still got blisters from the heat on my chest. While all of this was happening I was dancing around energetically.

My daughter watched the whole episode and thought it was very funny. :( :rolleyes:
 
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