I’ve been trying to figure out the best way to apply super glue other than right from the bottle.
Nothing really seems to work. Tooth picks just soak up the glue and old paint brushs becomes rock hard after one try.
Any Ideas?
You can try syringes, fill it up and gently squeeze. Some LHS’s sell them. I use toothpicks, but I gob it on, but I don’t worry because I will fill the seam later. You can also use a a paperclip, or anything else pointy and metal.
For areas where I just need a tiny amount, I use a straight pin. I’ll put a drop of superglue on a small piece of wax paper, which prevents the superglue from spreading or soaking up, and just dab the tip of the pin into the superglue until I get the amount I need. This works pretty well even for the thin superglue.
Mark
I buy cheap packs of sewing needles. I use the pointed end of the needles themselves to apply small dots of glue OR if you use a pair of diagonal cutters, you can cut the eye of the needle (where the thread goes) in half. This makes a U-shaped opening that will hold a bead of glue which can be spread easily on a surface. For even more control, glue the needle into an old paint brush handle, a small dowel rod or just chuck it into a pin vise when you need it.
I use a piece of 24-gauge wire, which can be bent in any number of ways to get into tight places. I wipe the tip off after every application, but when too much gobs on to the end, I just clip it off to get a fresh tip.
And I use a small square of aluminum foil to hold the puddle of super glue while I’m applying it. It’s cheap, disposable, and the glue doesn’t seem to adhere to it so tenaciously, so there’s less waste.
if you coat the toothpick with superglue and let it dry, it won’t absorb the stuff any more.
I do what cableguy does… works great with the thin stuff. For thich i just use a tooth pick. A 2nd “tool” is great for applying a ting drop of accelerator.
I often use Microbrushes. They come in different sizes and also have other uses. Cheap and disposable. [;)]
goat monkey is correct, if you apply a thin coat of CA to a toothpick and let it dry, it works great to apply CA with afterwords. When I apply CA, I place some drops of CA out and apply them with a pre-prepared toothpick. When I’m finished applying the CA, I dip a 1/2 doz or so toothpicks in the remaining CA and store them away so I always have some in stock.
As a side note, wax paper makes a good, disposable surface to despense your CA on. And it’s relatively easy to find.
Problem with the toothpick technique is that the glue fairly quickly builds up oon the tip, and what was once a fine-pointed device becomes less so and makes it hard to dispense tiny drops of glue.
I have an old paintbrush handle into which I’ve sunk a sharp sewing needle where the bristles used to be. I drip the super glue onto that, and it’ll hold just a tiny drop, if necessary, and makes directing it to exactly the spot where you need it pretty easy. Whenever a coat of dried glue begins to build on the tip, I take a blade and scrape it off, right down to the metal. Been using the thing for at least five years now, rather than thousands of toothpicks…
Stephan
Check out this dudes technique. I’ve adapted almost everyone of this guys tips over the last couple years. I’ve never seen modeling like his, and his super glue applicator is simple and second to none for contrillability on the small stuff. Google his name and look him up on this sight and prepare to be amazed.
http://www.largescaleplanes.com/tips/RodneyWilliams/Tools/tools.html
I use different thicknesses of florist wire for applying my super glue; when the glue builds up, I simply snip off the end with wire cutters. (Before you snip, stick the end of the wire into a small block of foam to reduce the chance of a piece of wire flying into your eye.) I place the glue on a plastic poker chip.
The ‘small, metal, pointy things’ method works best for me. I use sewing needles and the metal wire clog remover that comes with some types of super glues. I also use accupuncture needls for really small applications. Accupuncture needles are super thin and flexible enough to bend in certain areas - they work great for applying super glue.
I make a simple applicator that’s free and I can adjust it for larger or smaller drops of glue.
Simply take a trash bag tie and strip back about a 1/3rd of the plastic or paper covering exposing the wire underneath. You can make a loop at the end of the wire for whatever size drop you want to apply with this easy applicator.
After a session, or if the wire loop clogs with glue or you need a different sized loop, simply snip it off and bend another quick loop.
Speaking of super glue, you can place a couple drops on a soda bottle cap from a 2 liter bottle. The cap is polyethlene and super glue won’t stick to it. It stays usable for a considerable time, and as it sets up it can be used more like thick setting ca.
TRY TAKING AN EXACTO KNIFE HANDLE WITH THE BLADE KNIFE, INSERT AN 80LB. PIECE OF MONOFILAMENT ABOUT 2" LONG, INSERT 1" INTO THE HANDLE AND WITH THE OTHER END JUST DAB A LITTLE BIT OF GLUE THAT YOU NEED. WHEN THE MONO. IS MESSED UP REPLACE WITH ANOTHER PIECE.
I use a mechanical pencil. When the glue globs up the point, I just break it off, push out some more ‘lead’ and keep going.
Jesse
I use a seam ripper. It is a sewing tool some of your wives may have one. My wife broke one of her’s and it became a tool for me. It isn’t great at sneaking little amounts ito tiny little spots, but you can use it for big long lines as it can hold a lot of glue. I’ve found it effective on the majority of gluables. The tip is the damaged part so it makes a _> sort of shape.
If you take a really small sewing needle and cut the eye in half with your wire cutters, insert the pointy end of the needle into the center of a Old Pencil Eracer youve got the Best Glue Applicator you can get!! The glue stays in the eye and as your applying the glue it flows onto the parts being glued!..Using a Old Short Pencil gives you the Ability to place the Glue Anywhere, Especially into Hard to Get To places!..[^]
“RC”
I use sewing needles, sometimes, but most often use an accupuncture needle because it is very thin and flexible so it can bend to reach different angles. It’s thinness also allows me to place a very small amount of glue.
Mission models started selling 25 and 27 gauge needle tips that slip right over the end of many super glue bottles. I bought a pack and they allow you do squeeze out as much or as little as you need and apply it right where you need it. I tried toothpicks, and they got gunked up and couldn’t apply stuff well enough. Tried pins too and couldn’t get that to work either. This, however, works awesome. Instead of spending $4 for 6 needle tips, however, I bought a couple boxes of 100 each 25 and 27 gauge needles, standard syringe tips (available online through a number of distributors). Since they clog after a few uses, this gives me an ample supply, and at $12 for a 100 it’s pretty cheap. I like this method the best, but I still glue myself to everything that I possibly could. Jon