Glues
Accelerators
CA glue debonder (super glue remover)
Shipping Questions
CA Glue
What is the difference between CA glue, instant glue, cyanoacrylate, and super glue?
Why should I use Satellite City instant glue instead of some other brand?
The high quality and value of our CA glue is the first reason to choose Satellite City. Our dedication to customer service is the second reason. We make it fast and easy to place orders through our website, or by phone, fax, or email, and we ship out nearly every order the same business day it comes in. If you have questions about a unique application that is not covered on our website, we are happy to help you determine which, if any, of our products will work. We care about our products and do everything we can to ensure the satisfaction of our customers.
Does Satellite City CA glue work on everything?
How strong are Hot Stuff, Super T, and Special T CA glue?
Hot Stuff Original thin CA glue strength after 24 hours at 22 C
Lap Shear Strength, ISO 4587: | |
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Steel (grit blasted)- 2,175 to 3,770 psi | 15 to 26 N/mm |
Aluminum (etched)- 1,740 to 2,755 psi | 12 to 19N/mm |
Zinc dichromate- 870 to 1,885 psi | 6 to 13 N/mm |
ABS- 870 to 2,900 psi | N/mm 6 to 20 |
PVC- 870 to 2,900 psi | N/mm 6 to 20 |
Polycarbonate- 725 to 2,900 psi | N/mm 6 to 20 |
Phenolic- 725 to 2,175 psi | N/mm 5 to 20 |
Neoprene- 725 to 2,175 psi | N/mm 5 to 15 |
Nitrile- 725 to 2,175 psi | N/mm 5 to 15
|
Tensile Strength, ISO 6922: | |
Steel- 1,740 to 3,625 psi | N/mm 12 to 25 |
Buna-N- 725 to 2,175 psi | N/mm 5 to 15
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"T" Peel Strength, ISO 11339:
| |
Steel (degreased)- <2.8 lb/in | N/mm <0.5
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After 10 seconds @ 22 C
| |
Tensile Strength, ISO 6922:
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Buna-N- ≥870 psi | |
N/mm ≥6.0 LMS |
Which CA glue should I use?
Use the thinnest glue that will fill the gap between the pieces you are bonding. For example, if you are repairing a broken piece of china which was cleanly broken, using Hot Stuff Original will allow you to make the best repair because it is very thin and the pieces fit perfectly together. If you use Special T instead, the thickness of the glue will create space between the parts, and while it will certainly bond them together, it will look ugly. Conversely, if you are gluing together two pieces of unsanded wood, use Super T or Special T, depending on the gap between the pieces, because Hot Stuff Original simply will not fill in the gap and will not create a bond.
How much CA glue should I use?
If you are finishing a surface, such as a pen, you will want to apply Hot Stuff Original thin or Super T medium instant glue one layer at a time, curing each layer with NCF Quick accelerator for CA glue. The amount of CA glue you apply depends on the depth of the finish you wish to achieve.
When using Hot Stuff thin CA glue to fill in hairline cracks and fractures in wood and stone, continue applying glue until no more Hot Stuff wicks inside. Similarly, if filling larger gaps with Super T medium or Special T thick instant glue, use as much as necessary to fill the gap. However, it is best to apply instant glue in layers when filling gaps, curing in between layers. Filling a very large gap with one big blob of CA glue may prevent the glue from fully curing.
How much surface area will a bottle of Hot Stuff cover?
To give you an idea of how far a bottle of our CA glue will go, we emptied a half-ounce bottle of both our Hot Stuff and Super T drop by drop, measured the area covered, and extrapolated that number to the various sizes we offer. We did not measure the Special T because it does not flow freely and so is difficult to accurately measure. The results are given in square feet.
How do I align the parts before the glue cures?
Why doesn't instant glue always dry instantly?
Another factor in curing time is the material being bonded. Different substrates cause instant glue to dry at different speeds. When bonding rubber or neoprene, for example, the glue will dry extremely quickly, while materials such as polycarbonate tend to take a bit longer.
Oils and other contamination on the surfaces can cause the glue to bond slowly, weakly, or not at all. If necessary, clean the surfaces off using denatured alcohol or acetone prior to bonding. NCF Quick accelerator for CA glue can also help by cleaning and preparing the surface.
Lack of humidity in the air can also affect curing times. In extremely dry climates, an accelerator for CA glue is often necessary to force the CA glue to cure.
The more instant glue that is used in a given bond area, the slower the cure will be. For instance, a puddle of glue on a glass surface may not cure for hours. In these circumstances, instant glues tend to act like they're still in the bottle because much of the glue is not exposed to the moisture in the air or the parts being bonded. Should a large quantity of instant glue be necessary, as with making a fillet, using a CA glue accelerator will cause an almost instant cure even in this extreme scenario. In this case, it is best to apply the instant glue in layers, curing each layer with accelerator before applying the next.
How do I keep my CA glue fresh?
An alternative way to maximize the life of your opened bottles is to store them with the overcap OFF inside a sealed jar with packets of silica gel inside the jar. The desiccant absorbs the moisture, which prevents the tips from clogging and extends the shelf life of the glue!
What can I use with Hot Stuff Original to patch a hole in an emergency if I don't have fiberglass cloth?
What resistance does Satellite City CA glue have against various chemicals and solvents?
How do Satellite City instant glues hold up to heat?
Our CA glue will melt at 330 F and start to soften before that.
Which glue should I use to bond white styrofoam?
What should I do if I am irritated by curing fumes?
If your application uses a lot of glue at once and produces a great deal of fumes (such as soaking wood or stone, fiberglassing, or finishing, you may want to use a respirator to avoid irritation. We recommend 3M respirators. If you are wearing goggles or if the fumes don't bother your eyes, you can use the inexpensive 3M Safety Respirator, Particulate P95 or a half-mask, such as the 3M Low-Maintenance Half-Mask Organic Vapor, P95 Respirator Assembly. If you want eye protection as well, we recommend a full face mask, such as the 3M 7162 Full-Facepiece Spray Paint Respirator - Organic Vapor. Respirators are not needed in most cases, but when working with a lot of fumes, they make the situation much more pleasant.
Why do my spouts clog?
Storage
One interesting method to prevent clogging and prolong the shelf life of your CA glue is to store it with the overcap OFF inside a sealed jar with packets of silica gel inside the jar. Using a desiccant will remove moisture from the air which prevents clogging and makes your instant glue last longer! If you are not storing your glue in this manner, keep the overcap on between uses.
Application
Sealing
Accelerator Overspray
Foreign Objects
Age or Foreign Matter
Clear the spout before resealing
Keep extra spouts on hand
We also offer some other types of applicators, such as our Pro Tips extensions and P-10 pipettes, which can be used for very precise work. An easy method to use the pipettes is to cut the spout on the bottle down so that glue will flow easily (this will also help prevent clogging as smaller orifices clog more easily than larger ones). Do not cut so far down that the cap will not seal over the two bumps on the spout. Squeeze some glue into a plastic container, then draw the glue into the pipette from the container. Using the pipettes in this way allows you to be very precise without worrying about keeping a very narrow spout clog-free.
Why don't you sell any bottles larger than 4 ounces?
We find bottles larger than four ounces to be unwieldy, and often not a great bargain for the buyer. Typically, the buyer purchases a larger bottle to get a discount, but then they end up not using it up before the shelf life is up and so a lot of it becomes useless. Also, a larger bottle means that more glue has to go through the same spout, and as you know if you have read the question above on clogging, there are a lot of things that will cause your spout to clog. The more glue that has to go through the same spout, the more likely the spout will need replacement before the bottle is empty.
We also don't sell larger containers to be used for refilling smaller bottles because this is a serious industrial-strength instant glue, and a customer who spilled a gallon of it in their shop or home would at the least have a serious mess on their hands.
Accelerators
Do I need an accelerator?
When wouldn't I use accelerator?
How much accelerator should I use?
What kind of accelerator should I use for bonding white styrofoam?
Will your accelerators cause crazing when used on plastic?
What is the shelf life of your accelerators?
Solvent
Why do I need solvent?
Can I use acetone as a solvent?
How do I get my fingers unstuck? Will Super Solvent debonder remove other super glue?
Never wear cotton gloves while working with Hot Stuff, and avoid getting the Hot Stuff Original on tight-fitting clothing. When Hot Stuff comes in contact with fibers like cloth or paper towels, an exothermic reaction takes place which could burn you if it is against your skin.
If your fingers do become stuck, first attempt to separate them slowly with a peeling motion. Hot Stuff and cyanoacrylates have relatively low peel strength, so you can often unstick yourself just by doing this. It is a good idea to support the skin you are trying to separate with the fingers of your other hand while you peel them apart. Do not try to simply pull the bonded skin straight apart!
If you have really gotten yourself stuck and cannot simply peel yourself apart, our CA glue debonder, US-1 Super Solvent, will quickly turn our CA glue into a tacky substance you can wash away. It will also remove super glue made by other companies. If you don't have any Super Solvent, you can use acetone (found in nail polish remover), although it will be much slower. You can also soak your hand in very warm water. This will cause your fingers to release oils which will break down the bond, although it will likely take a few minutes. Left alone, cyanoacrylate will peel off of your skin over a couple of days due to the oils your skin naturally releases.
Is Super Solvent a thinner?
How do I use Super Solvent?
There are several ways to apply Super Solvent. If you have glued your fingers together, apply a few drops at a time to the glued skin and rub the Super Solvent into the CA glue. Alternatively, wet a soft cloth with the Super Solvent and apply the cloth to the glue. The nitromethane will evaporate fairly quickly (although more slowly than acetone), so repeat this process until you have unstuck your fingers or whatever appendages you have unintentionally bonded. After you are unstuck, you can continue to apply Super Solvent to the CA glue to turn it into a slimy substance that can be washed off with soap and warm water. Avoid getting the Super Solvent on damaged skin, on lips, or in your mouth or eyes.
To debond materials you have glued together or remove CA glue from a surface, apply the Super Solvent directly to the cured glue and rub it in with a soft cloth. Periodically attempt to pull the surfaces apart gently, and continue the process until they separate. The Super Solvent works quickly, but it only affects the CA glue it directly contacts. If you are removing a thin layer or dissolving an exposed bondline, the process will be relatively quick. However, if you are trying to dissolve a very thick layer of CA glue or debonding parts where the bond is difficult for the Super Solvent to reach, the process can take much longer.
If you are in one of these tough situations, you have a couple of options. If you are debonding or removing CA glue from the surface of small parts, you can fill up a container with our Super Solvent and leave the part to soak in it. If the parts are large, you can soak them in acetone instead. It will take longer, but it is more economical for big jobs. If you are trying to remove a thick layer of CA glue from a non-porous surface, you can apply a larger amount of the Super Solvent to the glue and seal it with plastic wrap. This will allow the Super Solvent to work longer on the cured glue before it evaporates. This is very effective on metal surfaces, and you can use a scraping tool in between applications to remove the weakened glue so the Super Solvent can work on the next layer.
If the methods above are impractical, you can use heat instead. Instant glue weakens at high temperatures. Satellite City CA glues will start to melt at about 330 degrees Fahrenheit. You can use an oven, heat gun or other method to get the glue to this temperature. Note that cured CA glue is combustible and can catch fire if flame is directly applied to it. Super Solvent and our Spray 'N' Cure accelerators are flammable, so be sure that the parts are clean before applying heat. Satellite City is not responsible for any damage you cause or incur when using this method
See our Super Solvent CA glue debonder product page to order.
What is the shelf life of Super Solvent?