Why does it do that?

[Hello]

So, I tried somethign new this weekend, and it kinda' scared me.
I tried making a coffee pen. I ground up some french roast coffee, slapped some sanded slimline tubes on the lathe, applied some thick CA and started sticking the grounds on. I worked fairly quickly and compressed the grounds as I went. I occasionally stopped to saturate with thin CA. Within about three minutes I felt like the grounds were getting really hot. I thought at first that I'd somehow got a hole in my latex glove and have glue on my skin, but I didn't. I got the laser thermometer (point and shoot cooking thermometer) and it was indeed quite hot.
Does anyone know wny?

 

[rherrell]

That's just what CA does when it cures.

 

[Draken]

CA heats up as it cures, as Rick pointed out. Add an accelerator to it, and it cures faster, and generates more heat. I'd guess that the moisture in the coffee grounds or the dust from grinding them acted as an accelerant in this case. Looks like you found a whole new way to roast your coffee.

 

[SuperDave]

... I actually get smoke coming off my CA "applicator"... (read paper towel)

 

[Hello]

ah....good point about the acelerator. hadn't thought of that.
I bet the oil from the coffee acts like an accelerator, kinda' like BLO does....and when I use the thin glue....the process is more vigorous. Gonna' try using very thick CA, mixing a pste, and packing the paste into some disposable plastic tube and let it sit for a day or two, then drill and turn.
Thanks for the wisdom yal!

 

[bitshird]

Originally posted by SuperDave

... I actually get smoke coming off my CA "applicator"... (read paper towel)

Smoke and that lovely acrid odor, ya gotta love it....Oh and lets not forget the burnning and watering eyes [}][xx(][)]

 

[RONB]

Don't they use that "Smoke " in the gas chamber in prisons?

 

[Draken]

Originally posted by RONB

Don't they use that "Smoke " in the gas chamber in prisons?

That is usually chlorine and ammonia, if I recall correctly.

 

[gketell]

But they do use that smoke to "freeze" fingerprints on flexible material when they are trying to "catch the crook". The CSIs put a little CA on a burner and let the fumes adhere to the fingerprints.

Doesn't it make you wonder what it is doing to our lungs when we breath it in?

GK

 

[dbriski]

Who's fingerprints do you have shoved down in your lungs?

 

[Hello]

ok, so i just went to make nother coffee blank...all went well, with one exception...
i thought it might be fun to watch the glue cure into the grounds (I was curious) so I put on the goggles and leaned in real close to see clearly...I was oriented above the blank, so I held my breath......
I've stabilized the outter most layer of my mustache!...its all crunchy

 

[Jarheaded]

Coffee is supposed to be hot....

By the way, that smoke is not the greatest thing for you.

 

[rlharding]

I always use full face mask when working with CA. One splash in the wrong place and I would probably be blind.

 

[Hello]

Ruth,
I'm blind anyway!...well, visually impaired

 

[Alumilite]

CA and most every 1 part air dry system uses moisture as its curative. CA is a moisture cure although they do make some accelerators that are non water based that do work very well.

A rule of thumb as to the reactivity of CA is the thinner it is the more pure the monomer and the faster it is. If you work with a very very thin CA it will react very quickly with anything that contains moisture such as skin, saw dust, wood, or coffee in this case. You will also notice that CA doesn't work as fast on things like plastic and metal due to the moisture content being very low. Usually an accelerator is used to bond these to expedite the cure.

The thicker the CA is made, the more additives they put in it and the slower it will be. Don't get me wrong, it will still bond skin fast but typically not as fast as pure monomer. Many of the thicker consistency CAs actually have rubber type additives that give the CA some flexural strength as well.

Mike
Alumilite
800 447-9344

 

[Jarheaded]

Have you considered using something other than CA to do this. Ooooohhhhhh, lets say maybe Alumilite. I know it might not be proper for Mike to say it. But I use it like mad and love the stuff. If you can't or don't want to do it, send me some of the material and I will make you a blank. I am just about done with the other castings that I am working on and can throw one more in a pot for you. Pm me if you want to do that.

 

[Fred]

CA fumes are most excellent for protecting latent prints. The fumes bond to the protein in the oils of the fingerprint and then becomes hard. Forensic investigators have used this method of lifting prints for several years now and it has really helped to solve many crimes. The CA they use is almost exactly the same as we use.

The CA fumes will indeed crystalize your skin, hair, and any other body part you get exposed to the stuff. It can be deadly if inhaled as the lungs are damaged in such a way as to prevent the lung from taking up the necessary O2 to support life. Recovery is over a very long time and quite upsetting to the victim.

The CA fumes will collect on the surface of your eyes instantly and that can - and does - lead to blindness.

The CA fumes also coats the lenses of your glasses quite readidly. Try removing it and you will be almost guaranteed to ruin your glasses.

These fumes are dangerous folks and are absolutely nothing to play around with, even for a second or two. Be VERY CAUTIOUS of the fumes and do not breath them at all. If you work around them and feel you must watch the curing process, then be prepared for a lengthly time of 'getting back to normal.'

BTW, just what is there to watch anyway?