CA bottle all gunked up

[lyonsacc]

I've started buying the small 1/2oz bottle of CA because by the time I am about through with that much the tip of the bottle is a mess and hard to put the lid back on and the tip seems to get clogged up more often.

When I am finished with each use I squeeze the bottle a couple of times to try to clean out the nozzle of glue so that it doesn't dry closed, but sometimes I forget or the bottle gets tipped over during cleanup and it glues itself shut.

Any tips to keep the glue bottle cleaner or from getting all gunked up?

Thanks,
Dave

 

[PaulDoug]

I alway buy extra tips usually have 5 or more on hand. I either throw the clogged one away for soak it a while in Acetone and clean it out. I do not put the cap back on the tip. They sit on the shelf uncapped. Seems to help. The only reason I can think of as to why it helps, it lets any CA left in the tip run back down into the bottle, the cap is like sticking your thumb over the end of a tube to hold water in it. I also wipe the outside of the tip with a cloth after each use to remove most of what is left on the outside. But they all get clogged occasionally. Make something to put them in so they don't tip over.

 

[D.Oliver]

I save the tips from empty bottles. Then when a tip get gunked up I simply swap it with one I've saved. I then take the gunked up tip and throw it in acetone. Once its clean I just put it with the other tips I've saved. I also save the caps from the CA bottles and use them as tube insertion tools.

 

[edstreet]

KC Cherry Pickers | Pen Making | Craft Supplies USA

 

[lyonsacc]

Thanks guys! That is what I needed - some good ideas.

Dave

 

[t001xa22]

Another possibility: Dritz brand "T-Pins" for pinning upholstery and fabrics. They come 35/box @ $4.29/box, size: 24 x 1-1/2" long, nickel plated. I get them at Jo-Ann Fabrics where my better half loves to go. The "T" end gives me leverage to twist and pull the pin out of the end of the CA bottle. Just a thought.

 

[Justturnin]

I save my tips and keep a jar of acetone to soak the clogged one. i just put a new tip on and once the clogged one is clean it goes on the shelf ready for its turn again.

 

[Dale Allen]

I may be a bit more crude. I scrap the hardened glue off the nozzle and scrape out the inside of the cap with a thin pocket knife blade. Sometime I need to use a drill bit to get the the very end of the cap.

 

[lyonsacc]

I may be a bit more crude. I scrap the hardened glue off the nozzle and scrape out the inside of the cap with a thin pocket knife blade. Sometime I need to use a drill bit to get the the very end of the cap.

That's what I've been doing.

 

[JD Combs Sr]

I save my tips and keep a jar of acetone to soak the clogged one. i just put a new tip on and once the clogged one is clean it goes on the shelf ready for its turn again.

+1 and ditto for Justturnin's method.

 

[edstreet]

I found you can also bend the tips and the dried sections will come out, it does not adhere to the plastic

 

[Dale Allen]

I found you can also bend the tips and the dried sections will come out, it does not adhere to the plastic

Well now there ya go...I hadn't even thought of that.
Thank you!

 

[flyitfast]

An additional step I use - when I set the bottle down, I tap the bottom on the work bench to "remind" the glue to settle in the bottom and it seems to keep the excess glue out of the tip. I don't put the cap on either.
If you need extra tops, spare bottles, and very small applicator tips, Exotic Blanks has a great price on them.
gordon

 

[lyonsacc]

An additional step I use - when I set the bottle down, I tap the bottom on the work bench to "remind" the glue to settle in the bottom and it seems to keep the excess glue out of the tip. I don't put the cap on either.
If you need extra tops, spare bottles, and very small applicator tips, Exotic Blanks has a great price on them.
gordon

I just saw those extra tips yesterday when I was trolling exoctic's site.

Thanks for all the great ideas everyone!!!!!!

Dave

 

[sbwertz]

I don't cap my bottles. I buy the 4 oz bottles of thin, and in our dry climate, I just leave the caps off. My 16 oz bottle of med CA hasn't been capped in almost a year and the glue is still good. I use med CA and BLO for finishing, so I go through a lot of med CA. If occasionally the very tip of the thin CA spout clogs up, I just grab the glue on the tip with a pair of pliers, squeeze gently, wiggle it a bit, and the plug pops right out.

 

[mightymavkev]

No caps here either. Local hardwood retailer told me about that trick a while ago and decided to try it and it works great. Something about the presence of air keeps CA from curing. Of course I can't for the life of me figure out how it doesn't cure when sealed from the factory then, but there's just some things in life we learn not to question and just accept !

 

[Sataro]

I just wipe my tips down with paper towel & place the cap back on. Inside will become stopped up over time. I have a roll of electric fencing wire in my shop. I keep a small 4" piece of that handy. Just sharpen the end to a point on my belt sander, then run it down into the tube. Clears it up & ready to use again.

 

[CharlesJohnson]

KC Cherry Pickers | Pen Making | Craft Supplies USA[/quot

Product and price look pretty good. I had fun last night making mine with a finish nail. I worry that my Woodcraft doesn't like me. I wonder why? Keep having fun.