Cap sticking on CA

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aggie182

Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2016
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76
Location
Missouri City, TX
What measures do you take to prevent this from happening? I am reading petroleum jelly but that sounds like a mess. I ruined a bottle of CA in an attempt to free the stuck cap last night. What do you do?
 
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I try not to let ca drip down the bottle. With the bottle standing up I give it a VERY light squeeze and release it. Any CA in the neck will get sucked back into the bottle when I release it. Like JT I wipe off the neck of the bottle before putting the cap on.

If the cap does get stuck I just grab the cap with a pair of plier and twist it. Don't pull, twist. It will easily break the ca seal.

I believe many people don't bother putting the cap back on. I know I have left mine without a cap for days or longer. The only real risk is knocking it over and spilling it.
 
I agree with leaving the cap off. (Yes, spilling is an issue.) I haven't put a cap on mine for as long as 6 months and with no problems.
A light tap of the bottom on something solid keeps the nozzle clear.
Gordon
 
I agree with the advice given ... wipe of the nozzle before putting cap on ... or leave cap off ... soak cap in acetone (or you can buy CA Un-Cure which is more $$).

I wouldn't use petroleum jelly because then you'll have to wipe THAT off the tip before using your CA next time.

What brand of CA are you using ? ... the reason I as is because I have never had a problem removing the cap even with hardened CA in the tip. . And I have used several brands of CA in various bottles.
 
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magpens said:
What brand of CA are you using ? ... the reason I as is because I have never had a problem removing the cap even with hardened CA in the tip. . And I have used several brands of CA in various bottles.
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Hot Stuff, Thin. It's probably totally operator error, but it sucks ruining it like I did.
 
Actually, Hot Stuff is the one brand I did have trouble with ... short shelf life.
But I might have just been unlucky enough to buy a bottle that was old.
 
hca1961 said:
Anyone ever try KC Cherry Pickers to plug their CA bottles?
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Yes, and I am a little disappointed. . The thin CA, in particular, seems to wick its way up along the wire of the cherry picker.
No such problem with the medium or thick CA.

However, I will say that the wire of the cherry picker seems to be quite securely fastened into the "cherry". . I haven't had the wire become detached.

For the thin CA, I think the major problem is the narrow "spout" on the top of the bottle which encourages wicking up the inside surface. . I enlarged the hole to almost 1/8" and that seems to discourage the wicking. . Of course, then you have the problem of not being able to apply the CA in small quantities.

What I am going to try is having two "spouts" ... one without a hole in it (as it comes brand new) for when I am not using the CA, and the second, with a small hole, for applying the CA. . I will not leave the second "spout" on when I am not using CA, and I will clean out residual CA when I am finished using it. . I know that is not a foolproof solution and that the holed "spout" will become clogged when I forget to replace the unholed "spout".

It is worthwhile soaking a clogged "spout" in acetone to clean it.
 
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I blow into the tip (don't put your lips on it) Just give it a quick blow, any CA in the tip will go down. You can tell by the sound if the neck is clear, give it a min to "dry out" then put the cap back on. Any "spillage" outside the neck needs to be cleaned up.

Note, the cherry pickers are supposed to be trimmed to the length you need. Cut the wire off just below the neck. This keeps it from wicking. It is long to accommodate different length necks.
 
aggie182 said:
I'll be leaving the cap off my next bottle purchased.
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If the area where you keep your CA bottle is kept very dry, or you live in an arid climate, you can get away with leaving the cap off provided there are no accelerator containers any where near by.

BUT......if the bottle is kept in humid conditions, leaving the cap off will severely shorten the life of your CA.

Bill
 
Always left the cap off for a while before putting it back on to let it drain back and that was on the wet coast. Ultimately if you're using lots it is easier to buy bigger bottles and transfer some into a small bottle that you get extra tips and caps for. Cap gets stuck and you can't get it off, take the tip and cap off the bottle and put a new one on. Links are for North of the border but they are sold everywhere on the South side too. :wink:
 
I would not recommend blowing into the bottle. You are adding condensation and water is an activator so the end will clog. Plus getting that close to the fumes is not good for you. Tap the bottle on the side and it will break the vacuum and the CA will drain back into bottle. Never had a problem. If the cap clogs just snip some more off. They sell replacable nozzles. Buy a whole bunch.
 
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