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Does the type of wood effect how long superglue takes to cure?

P

Paul-H

Full Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2023
Posts
77
Location
Kent
First Name
Paul
Hi all.

A quick question I hope

As subject does the type of wood effect the curing rate of CA

Having had issues using standard superglue sometimes setting too fast when inserting the brass tubes in the blanks I moved over to a slow setting version and never had the issue again, until today when I was gluing a tube into a blank made from spalted beach, this was the first time I had used a spalted wood and the first time with beach and when I inserted the tube, it got halfway and the glue set solid. The Slow Zap I use normally gives a good 30 to 45 seconds play time before it sets. Could it be something in the beach or the spalding that reacted with the CA making it set far faster than it usually did.

Just puzzled by the not normal setting times. Fortunately I was able to soak the blank in acetone which released the tube, which I reglued with epoxy once the blank had dried out.

Thanks for any input on this.

Paul
 
flexi

flexi

Executive Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2014
Posts
6,200
Location
Maidstone
First Name
mark
Been there done that, cut the tube off and inserted the other end....
I now use Gorilla PU for tubes, not quick but it works!!
As to speed of CA setting Yes very dry crumbly wood will absorb it quicker to oily or resinous wood, humidity will also affect it too....
 
H

howsitwork?

Graduate Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2019
Posts
527
Location
north york (gods own county)
First Name
Ian
Theoretically acidic , ie high tannin woods such as oak should take marginally longer to cure as the CA is acid stabilised and moisture in the timber dilutes the acid allowing it to polymerise and set.
Thats a very simple summary of the original CA , more modern ones maybe modified.
 
Phil Dart

Phil Dart

Moderator
Executive Member
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Nov 28, 2014
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Colebrooke, Devon
First Name
Phil
I suspect that the spalted wood simply absorbed the CA at a rate that you're not used to, and because it is spongy, it may have had a higher moisture content too, and therefore it cured much more quickly
 
W

waterbuffalo

Full Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2021
Posts
335
Location
Plymouth
First Name
nigel
ive had the same problem, i think the other guys are correct that the wood just soaks it up....i have some wood that glue and resin wont stick to at all...no idea what it is but i cant make pens from it
 
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