Cure Time?

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Wheaties

Wheaties

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I know it's here somewhere, but trying to search for it, I've had no luck...

How long does CA take to cure. 100% cure. To where there is no outgassing, etc.

And while I'm thinking about it, is it better to let it fully cure before doing final sanding/polishing? (I'm sure this is a personal preference thing, and if that's the case, nevermind. Just wondering if it WAS or WAS NOT better to wait)

Thanks!!!
 
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I wait 24 hours after applying the CA finish before I do any sanding, MM or polishing. I find I get a better finish than when I only waited a short (1 hour) time.
 
I wait at least overnight before polishing a CA finish and at least 1 week before enclosing CA finished or fitted pen in a case or the like.

The only time I had outgassing residue was where I closed a cap on a pen after a couple of days of cure -- I had used CA to glue in the plastic coupler into the cap section. I use Red Loctite for that purpose now.
 
Full cure to 100% with zero outgassing never occurs (really). Generally however, cure time depends on temperature and the presence of small amounts of base on the surface (it's always there, and water is basic enough). Very cold temoperatures and very dry conditions lead to long cure times to a usable state. For me, in MN, around 0 Fahrenheit, and very dry, cure to usability/polishability can take up to an hour. In the summer, medium humidity, it is very fast.

Wheaties said:
I know it's here somewhere, but trying to search for it, I've had no luck...

How long does CA take to cure. 100% cure. To where there is no outgassing, etc.

And while I'm thinking about it, is it better to let it fully cure before doing final sanding/polishing? (I'm sure this is a personal preference thing, and if that's the case, nevermind. Just wondering if it WAS or WAS NOT better to wait)

Thanks!!!
Click to expand...
 
All finishes take time to cure. My experience is that CA takes 24 to 48 hours at 70F to reach a 100% cure. Outgassing depends where it is placed: forever when trapped inside of a pen cap, and about 2 weeks in circulating 70F air.

Others may have different experiences.
 
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I've never worried about "full cure" time. If I'm in a hurry i hit the surface with CA accellerant. I have heard about finished pens reacting with some of the leather or plastic cases. Probably is a god idea to wait a few days before shipping in those kinds of pen cases.
 
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