Official Luthiers Forum!

I am looking around for CA glue and all that is available locally is Loctite and Gorilla ( Big Box Store ) stuff. I’m not opposed to ordering from amazon or eBay if needed, but would like to get some recommendations from those of you with experience in using. Which CA glue do you use, thin,medium, and do you also use accelerator?

Accelerator or not depends on what you are using it for.

If you have a woodcraft or rockler nearby you can try a couple different brands. I use Stick Fast, Titebond and Satellite City all with about the same results in the thin, but I like the Titebond for gel.

If you are using it for finish repair, GluBoost is good, I have that but haven't used it much yet.

I don't have any experience with CA pore fill, some others will probably chime in though.

_________________
Insta - https://www.instagram.com/cbcguitars/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/cbcguitars

There’s Gluboost.

They also sponsor the OLF. I just purchases a range of products from them and my only complaint was how long it took to get here. Before that I was using Hot stuff from satellite city which is very stinky (they also make a low odor version) but I can get it locally. I like to use a thin for bindings and inlay, and medium for holding parts on my cnc. I use the aerosol accelerator.

The Loctite stuff I found very disappointing. I use Bob Smith Industries CA.

_________________
Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

Lately I've been using either Starbond or what ever Stewmac sells. I will say though that I've never had a problem with Loctite and for years it was all I ever used.

I've used StewMac CA for a long time but for the water thin and regular CA I've been using the GluBoost products for several years now. I like the way their CA glues work with their accelerator for bindings, finish repair and inlays.

_________________
Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

If you have a local hobby shop they usually have the Smith CA sometimes with their own brand label instead of Smith.

Fred

_________________
Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

+1

This is a large bottle I use to re-fill my smaller bottles. Been using a long time with no complaints but nothing much to compare it to other than Gorilla and Loctite from the local Lowes which has been almost worthless.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001N ... UTF8&psc=1

With their pump spray accelerator, WAY more efficient than the aerosols. They also sell a large bottle of accelerator to re-fill the smaller.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0166FFCCS/re ... ng_options

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00111V9NO/re ... 73576&sr=3

_________________
Thank You and Best To All

The very best CA that I have found is from Satellite City. I've been using their thin Hot Stuff and medium CA since the mid 70's. They also have several accelerator and debonding products.

https://www.caglue.com/

_________________
Jim Womack

"Be thankful we're not getting all the government we're paying for. "
Will Rogers

GluBoost thin or medium for most things, as the kick is not nearly as fast when padded on, although when we need really low viscosity glue, the BSI thin gets used. For finish repair or other work on poly finishes, the GluBoost fill & finish thin and medium are excellent. I've used both Hot Stuff and Zap in previous craft related endeavors, and used to use the Mercury brand when I first started here, but the GluBoost/BSI lines seem to have taken the place of any other brands.

We've had several containers of LocTite gel in the shop - short shelf life and extremely poor performance...to the point where we use BSI or GluBoost medium for K&K installs. Awful stuff.

_________________
For the times they are a changin'

- Bob Dylan

Bob Smith, thin, medium, and thick, and Smith accelerator and remover. I get them at a local hobby shop. Lee Valley is selling Hot
Stuff, so I might pick some up the next time I'm in their store and try it out.

Bob

I have had good luck with Bob Smith, Glu Boost and Star Bond.

Star Bond has free shipping from their website and with each bottle they include an extra bottle cap and several whip tips so the price is very good.

Glu Boost has the best accelerator if you can’t have it foam, though I use other brands of accelerator for less visible spots. Just watch out since some have acetone (Starbond) and can harm nitro, while others don’t

Kent

The Stewmac CA glue is actually Starboard fyi. I use the Starboard, its pretty cheap when bought in bulk directly, but sometimes if I really need small amount of a certain viscosity I check Amazon for the Starbond.

_________________
https://www.instagram.com/fostinoguitars/
https://www.facebook.com/PuraVidaUkuleles/

Bob Smith Industries thin & medium. Can usually find 2oz pretty cheap on Amazon with free shipping. I tried some of the odorless which was nice, but it was a little annoying because it takes longer to kick.

I like the aerosol accelerator for larger applications but most of the time I use the pump bottle because I just unscrew it and put one or two drops on from the bottom of the tube.

A while back I started having bad reactions to ca. Couldn't breathe through my nose for a couple days and thought I might never be able to use it again. Since then, I've found if I keep even a small fan on when I'm using more than a drop, it's ok.



New username, same Pat Mac

_________________
Pat

I use a respirator. OK with just the CA but the accelerator messes up my nose for a couple days.

_________________
Thank You and Best To All

Stew mac is Starbond
Put me down for Gluboost
best CA for guitar work
the accelerator won't harm a finish

_________________
John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

we use 2p-10 thick med and thin mostly without accelerator. From a local hardwood retail store

As long as the recommended light mist is applied, which simply requires a little modulated pressure on the applicator button, GluBoost is safe on any finish we've used it on, and avoids all the issues we see with other CA accelerants.

If applied close to the work and unthrottled (i.e., applied so heavily that the spray pools on the surface), it WILL dull the surface of standard instrument lacquers, and will require some buffing to clear. Because of the cost of GluBoost, dumping a bunch of it on a repair or finish touchup is a) not necessary, and b) expensive.

_________________
For the times they are a changin'

- Bob Dylan

In UK, I've recently found and used this non-whitening CA accelerator https://shop-4-glue.com/cyano-accelerator-cyanoacrylate-activator-kicker-spray-ca-super-glue-adhesive-non-whitening-100ml-27-p.asp
Seems quite good.
Company is in UK, but production and dispatch is from Bulgaria so takes 5-7 days to get here, but saves about 50% on cost.

_________________
The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Hey Colin,

Do you use their glue as well?
Thanks.

Not tried it, I'm using Poundland CA, mainly for jigs/cauls etc.
It seems popular with modellers in UK, they do stalls at a lot of the shows.

_________________
The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.