CA Glue Tips from Adam Savage

Recently, in my weekly maker tips newsletter, I confessed that I hate working with 2 oz. “pro” CA glue bottles and have started buying packs of “single use” 2 gram tubes instead.

This created something of a controversy, with some people agreeing with me that they’re tired of constantly-clogged nozzles and thickening glues, and others saying they had no idea what I was talking about; that they have never had a problem. Apparently, this is a real “chocolate in my peanut butter” vs. “peanut butter in my chocolate” kind of deal.

In this Adam Savage video, he admits that he hates working with CA glue and the 2 oz. bottles, but he sees it as a necessary evil. The video covers the basics of using CA, using a “kicker” to accelerate it, and using baking soda as a kicker alternative.

The video also looks at things like using baking soda and CA glue to create a “dimensional gusset” that adds strength and stability to a join, how and when to use thin CA glues, and why it seems that CA glue sticks you to you better than anything else (spoiler: that’s because it was developed as chemical field suture during WWII — it was literally formulated to stick you to you!). Good stuff.