So! I'm highly allergic to CA...well, most forms. StickFast is my bane. Tightbond not good either. Mercury, and Mercury flex, although the flex isn't quite as bad. Most common off the shelf CA glues (not generally used for finish). All of these usually lead to severe breathing and throat constriction issues for me. In 2020, I went through a period of about 4-5 months where I was so bad off, I couldn't sleep, couldn't breathe, no doctors could figure out what was wrong, and I was getting to the point where I was starting to wonder if life was still worth living. That's how bad it was.
As such, I have generally avoided CA...like it was death. Because in the long run, I think it was.
I finally gave GluBoost a try...and I think I'm hooked! First off, best feature: barely any smell, and the faint whiff I got last night (even through my respirator...I am guessing that the pink and mustard organic vapor filters, don't actually bond with and filter out all the volatiles in CA glue?), caused a faint bit of a rough throat, but unlike most others, I did not go into near anaphylactic shock, end up with itchy and painful lungs for days, or have my throat close up on me. So that was huge! The finish looks excellent too (doesn't look like plastic like most of the other CA glues have for me in the past), which is another huge boon.
Today, however, I've run into another issue...this stuff burns the heck out of my eyes... I wear glasses, and I've been trying everything I can to keep the fumes away. I have my dust collection on, fan behind me, and I even put on my face shield for a bit (which I ended up taking off, jkust can't get the detail view I need when applying finish). Even with these measures, it seems even a small amount of the fumes from GB really burn my eyes. I don't know if anyone else has that problem...or if anyone has any recommendations for how to remedy the situation? I've seen those goggles with a rubber rim that will seal against your skin, protecting your eyes...but those don't work when wearing corrective eyeglasses. Not sure of any other options...
Anyway. So far, with my first few finishes, I'm really liking gluboost. The lack of smell, and apparent lack of any severe reaction from my lungs, combined with its totally crystal clear final appearance, is highly appealing. My Pens Plus bottle seems to have finally gone bad, and at nearly $30 and about half wasted (and not the first time that's happened), I'm thinking its time to move on to a different finish. GluBoost seems like its the one...
As such, I have generally avoided CA...like it was death. Because in the long run, I think it was.
I finally gave GluBoost a try...and I think I'm hooked! First off, best feature: barely any smell, and the faint whiff I got last night (even through my respirator...I am guessing that the pink and mustard organic vapor filters, don't actually bond with and filter out all the volatiles in CA glue?), caused a faint bit of a rough throat, but unlike most others, I did not go into near anaphylactic shock, end up with itchy and painful lungs for days, or have my throat close up on me. So that was huge! The finish looks excellent too (doesn't look like plastic like most of the other CA glues have for me in the past), which is another huge boon.
Today, however, I've run into another issue...this stuff burns the heck out of my eyes... I wear glasses, and I've been trying everything I can to keep the fumes away. I have my dust collection on, fan behind me, and I even put on my face shield for a bit (which I ended up taking off, jkust can't get the detail view I need when applying finish). Even with these measures, it seems even a small amount of the fumes from GB really burn my eyes. I don't know if anyone else has that problem...or if anyone has any recommendations for how to remedy the situation? I've seen those goggles with a rubber rim that will seal against your skin, protecting your eyes...but those don't work when wearing corrective eyeglasses. Not sure of any other options...
Anyway. So far, with my first few finishes, I'm really liking gluboost. The lack of smell, and apparent lack of any severe reaction from my lungs, combined with its totally crystal clear final appearance, is highly appealing. My Pens Plus bottle seems to have finally gone bad, and at nearly $30 and about half wasted (and not the first time that's happened), I'm thinking its time to move on to a different finish. GluBoost seems like its the one...