Robert, this is not meant to be an advertisement but, one company I consult for uses Henkel products exclusively, specifically 332 Acrylic and 5600 two-part silicone RTV. I can certainly attest to the fact that those adhesives do the job and have reduced our assembly costs substantially. Relative to your blog, it amazes me as to the number of custom products available through Loctite/Henkel. We have found these adhesives meet all of the mechanical and structural specifications our clients have mandated and in some instances exceed those requirements. In all fairness, there are some assemblies that require fasteners that remain operational with temperatures around 650 degrees F. For these applications we still use conventional methods to hold components together but, with improved materials, there are not too many applications that cannot use adhesives.
Tks much, Ungarn. I've tried pretty much everything that you mentioned, with mixed results. I will look for the products you recommended. Cleaning and clamping are not an issue. A 3-week shelf life is tough, though. I don't go through even a 2 oz bottle in an average 3 week period. That may well be my problem.
I do put opened bottles in the fridge, but I've always found that a bit contradictory. As you pointed out, CA needs moisture to set up well. And yet, we put an opened bottle into a very moist atmosphere to store it.
You might want to try Pacer RX series instant adhesives for your application, or Loctite 406, 401, and 454. Substrates must be clean prior to application...wipe with acetone followed by alcohol as an example. There also must be sufficient moisture on the surface for CA's to work. Problems can arise < 20% and > say 75% relative humidity. Good clamp force and thin bondline is key to CA. Keep your unopened CA in the refrigeraor, and use within a week if at all possible after opening. After 3 weeks I would suggest a new bottle. Hope this helps!
As an end user of CA glues, and a woodworker, the advances in this area fascinate me. The biggest issue that I and others have had and continue to have with CA glues is that it is difficult or impossible to know which formulation will serve in a particular application. Claims by manufacturers seem to be exaggerated, or at least, only true in controlled situations.
A specific example is the need to bond aluminum or brass to wood or acrylic.
Another issue seems to be shelf life of the opened product and the best way to store opened product. The success of the bond created by CA glues seems to be very dependant on how old the glue is, and how it was stored, once opened.
Adhesives with a long open time and an instant bond seem to be a great combination. Instant adhesives that stay flexible also seem to be a versatile tool in adhering components. I look forward to using some of these items in future projects.
It's amazing how far adhesives have come, Robert. I was surprised to discover adhesives are used to hold airplanes together. When asked how reliable these adhesives were, I was told that in many cases, the material held together by the adhesive is more likely to tear than the adhesive joint.
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