Choice in CA glue

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BHuij

BHuij

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I have tried a few different CA glues over the years for my CA finishes. So far I have not found much if any difference between them. All the ones I've tried seem to work exactly the same and produce the same quality of finish.

I am about to run out of my last bottle, and wanted to know if anyone had recommendations for a replacement. Specifically, are there any CA glues that are so much better (in ease of use or finish quality or anything like that) that they're worth paying a bit more for? If not, I'll stick with the cheap stuff I got on Amazon last time I ordered any :D
 
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A chemical engineer told me, regarding Titebond CA glue, the only difference was the viscosity. If you research, there are not a lot of choices but only a variation of chemistry. FWIW, I tried the Harbor Freight CA tubes on a couple of blanks. No difference...if you don't mind buying a card with several tubes.
 
Well, I will tell you that I've been using GluBoost now for the last couple years and have been very impressed with it. It's been a great finish to use. It is more expensive than other CA's but I will tell you that its usually only 5-7 coats and done. (more if it's pitted)

I think perhaps the reason to also look at is you can use a variety of approaches with it. I've seen several different turners use it in different ways to finish a pen and each one gets a wonderful product when complete.
 
jttheclockman said:
Here come the GluBoost ads.
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TBH GluBoost is the one I'm specifically kinda curious about. It's easily 3x more expensive than regular CA glue. And I can't say I've had trouble with my non-flexible, normal-cure-speed CA glues to this point. I have never dropped a pen and seen the finish crack. The thing I'm most curious about is whether it really does have no fumes.
 
BHuij said:
TBH GluBoost is the one I'm specifically kinda curious about. It's easily 3x more expensive than regular CA glue. And I can't say I've had trouble with my non-flexible, normal-cure-speed CA glues to this point. I have never dropped a pen and seen the finish crack. The thing I'm most curious about is whether it really does have no fumes.
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There is no such thing as a zero fume but the vapors in GluBoost don't bother me. It almost smells sweet if that makes sense.

If it's a thing for you, it is made in the USA too.
 
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I have had the most success with Mercury Flex. I was never really "skunked" by any of the popular brands. I use it on wood, hybrid, and acrylic blanks (even though not necessary).
 
I used Starbond for quite a while and had no issues, great finish.

I switched to GluBoost for the claimed reduced fumes and I must say that for me, there is a difference. I will continue to use GluBoost.

I still use Starbonds products as an adhesive and for filling cracks and voids.
 
BHuij said:
TBH GluBoost is the one I'm specifically kinda curious about. It's easily 3x more expensive than regular CA glue. And I can't say I've had trouble with my non-flexible, normal-cure-speed CA glues to this point. I have never dropped a pen and seen the finish crack. The thing I'm most curious about is whether it really does have no fumes.
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Check out Ed's Exotic Blanks vendor site he has a bunch of videos and will answer all your questions. A couple turners do the videos with him too.
 
d_bondi said:
I used Starbond for quite a while and had no issues, great finish.

I switched to GluBoost for the claimed reduced fumes and I must say that for me, there is a difference. I will continue to use GluBoost.

I still use Starbonds products as an adhesive and for filling cracks and voids.
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Agreed - I use GB for finish work, a different CA as an adhesive.

I haven't tried their line of adhesives for anything other than stabilizing barn wood so I can't really say if it's good or bad.
 
Whichever CA you choose try using the craft foam as an applicator.

You use less CA because all of it ends up on the blank and none of it is absorbed by the applicator, one drop per Sierra size blank.

It goes on very smooth your wife or girl friend , ( maybe both) would think you are done with it before your final sanding and buff.

There's no heat created as there is between the CA and towel.

There's no CA on your fingers either.
 
I like the Gluboost Fill N Finish line for my finishes. It's manufactured with the highest quality materials and with no additives to prolong its life while traveling across the ocean because it's made here in the USA, which gives it a longer shelf life and great results. I personally think it out performs every CA on the market as a finish when applied correctly. The price is higher because it's made with higher priced materials. I've had ok results from other brands but they didn't lasted as long and I had to use more for the desired results. I had the honor of "field testing" the ultra thin before it was released. After putting it to the test, it did everything I needed it to do.
No commercial intended… I use it because it's high quality stuff and it works great. I think most people that use it like it. I'm not one to buy something based on its lower price but rather the results I get from it.
 
Tried craft foam and didn't care for it. I use TiteBond and it lasts for a long time. Hoping to use it up with more sales this year. CA is one of the cheaper items for pen turning, IMO.
 
I've used 4 different brands of CA. My favorites are Glue Boost and Mercury. My go to is Mercury only because of price and convenience. I can get a better price than most and it's sold at a local store that's fairly close to me. Both brands seemed to have a better shelf life. That's probably because they're made in the US and it is a fresher product when it hits the shelf. I use the flex for all my finishing and the regular for gluing tubes and a few other materials to tubes. The biggest thing I've found is that the aerosol accelerators put out a finer mist with a lot less problems. The pump bottles with other brands at times would put out more of a droplet and cause issues.
 
I've got only two in my shop - GluBoost (various thicknesses) for finishes, and StarBond for gluing. I also use StarBond colored CA for fine repairs or filling stuff when doing projects using wood cookies or slabs. I recently ran out of my StarBond stuff and was able to buy some Bob Smith Industries CA and it seemed decent and worked with my StarBond accelerator.

I also use craft foam for an applicator - I think it lays down a nice even surface and conserves the GluBoost as it is not wasted by absorbing into the applicator. Doesn't stick to my fingers either.

If you can deal with the price of the GluBoost - it is pretty expensive - I believe what it does is worth the price. I don't do high volumes of finishes so I can't comment on whether the amounts used with GluBoost save money because you do use less of it than typical CA, but I am a believer.
 
To add to a comment from NJturner about how much is used. The phrase " The more the better" isn't always the case. I had trouble with separation and called the manufacturer for advice. He asked why I used so many coats. My response was because I was worried about sanding through the CA. Glue Boost says it's self leveling. I don't have a clue what's added to make that different from other brands. I do know that if you can put a more even coat on the blank there's less sanding. My point is that your skill level dictates the final product. Also if the products used are more forgiving it helps with your skill level. My guess is that's why some people can use cheaper products and still get great results
 
I started with good old Stick Fast, which was not intended to be a finishing material, and was really bad. I tried Satellite City and it was better. Then I settled with GluBoost. Really, you just want something with some flexibility to expand and contract a little with humidity and temperature. The brittle ones will crack/craze eventually. GluBoost is definitely the most expensive, but I feel like I waste less of it messing around trying to get the finish right, and waste less time, too. Also, they all give off fumes which can be sensitizing. You will know when you get a face full of them, even with GluBoost.
 
I have been using the BLO/CA finish method almost from the beginning (after trying some of the waxes, etc.). I recently tried the GluBoost after watching some of the videos. It worked very nicely on the acrylic/urethane blanks and I was very happy with the finish. I didn't try, but I don't think the BLO/CA will work on the acrylic/urethane blanks.
It required a lot more time sanding than the BLO/CA on the one wood blank I used it on. The paper towel left ridges and they have to be removed before you can use MM to finish and I sanded thru the GB in places. Had to start over but the pen turned out very nice. The BLO/CA goes on really smooth and only needs minimal sanding after application, just 2 or 3 minutes to a 12000 grit finish, then buffing on the Beall buffing system. I ordered the medium GB and I am going to try that and using the craft foam per Dave above. It is all a learning experience. One thing for certain, the GB accelerator used on the GB CA does not bubble and turn white.

Mike
 
Just one quick observation: Yes, GluBoost is about twice as expensive as EZ Bond. But you use about half as much. So it is about a break-even, even if your time is worth nothing.

We sell both, so there is no profit motive to "pushing" GluBoost. It is just a better product for finishing. I still use EZ Bond when I need to glue something with CA.
 
I'm hearing that you don't need to use as much.

So far with my process, I've been doing no coats of thin, and going straight to 8 coats of medium CA glue (the cheap stuff). Each coat is a few drops. 8 coats seems to be about the right amount where I never cut all the way through the finish when flattening with 600 grit wet sanding and proceeding to my polishing workflow. I have gotten by with as few as 6 when I did a particularly good job getting it on evenly.

What is the mechanism by which GluBoost uses less?

I'm intrigued enough to try it, just trying to learn more.
 
I am not a chemist. When I used EZ Bond for finishing, it took about four-six coats before I started to get a shine. I would build the product to about 10 coats--many users espoused the use of 15 or more!
With GluBoost, it shines after the first coat. I use 4-6 in total.
I like John's method, which you can see here:

Bear in mind that John is working on filling the voids in Buckeye Burl for the first half of the video.
While this is NOT usually required, it is an excellent procedure that can be used often with Burl wood blanks.
The last half of the video is the procedure you will normally use to achieve John's flawless finishes!!

Afterthought: Subscribe to John's channel while you are there!!
 
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BHuij said:
I've been doing no coats of thin, and going straight to 8 coats of medium CA glue
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I always use at least 2-3 coats of ultra thin or thin first. I think that it makes a significant difference in getting into all those small check, pores, grain, etc...
 
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