I was always under the impression that I needed to use CA for painted parts but I used Titebond on some painted wood parts and they seem to be holding just fine. Am I in for a surprise tomorrow when I go to handle them and they fall apart?
Joe
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Titebond is primarily a wood glue as you know but it is very good and more versatile than most people give it credit for. Like all adhesives it works best if it is applied to sound material. If the paint is in good shape you should be fine. I would be surprised if you have a failure.
We recommend titebond III for our models.
Andre.
For wood structures, using CA is overkill. Besides being a bit messy and risking glueing your fingers together (don't ask me how I know this), wood glue or what I use, Aileen's Tacky Glue, works great. I've built dozens of wood structures using Aileen's and have never had a failure. It works particularly well as it starts to hold within a couple of minutes (not cured though) but you can still reposition the parts. It's also water clean-up and unlike CA, dries clear without residue when cured (although I wouldn't use it for glueing windows as it will smudge plastic). Many wood glues are yellow and will show if you get glue anywhere beyond the area you would like it to be (which I have a tendency to do).
Good information in this thread. Elmers White glue also works well. Note that it turns clear when dry. Porous material/wood works best, care in application is a must, clean up with water will weaken the bond. Painted parts tend to not bond well because the paint has filled the wood voids necessary for a good bond. You may want to modify/remove the paint near corner bonds.
We (LHS) have found this to be a simply awesome adhesive for many of our customers. I now use it almost exclusively for wood kit building....
As you can read, it also effectively bonds other materials....foam, plastic, carbon fiber, et al...which makes it more versatile for, say, structure building wherein you have not only wood-to-wood bonds, but wood-to-plastic, wood-to-card, etc..
The R/C airplane guys/gals we serve are the most enthusiastic about it. We stock it generously in the same rack next to the range of CA's.
Deluxe Materials is a UK company, but Horizon Hobby Distributors is our means of easily attaining their wide, innovative, and useful product line. Take some time to look at their website and the products they provide.
BTW, it's about $10 for the 50ml bottle....which comes with a single-drop adaptor (KEEP IT CLEAN!!!). But a little bit goes a long way...worth every penny, IMHO.
FWIW, always....
KD
Sounds like a little bitty bit, for a big price, like CA, which I have never used for that reason. I have 80-100+ structures that have stayed together with Titebond.
Great thread! Just as an aside, I have never had good luck with CA. It's too runny and I end up gluing my fingers together. Of course the thing I want to glue never holds together. 
However, I really like how E-6000 works! It's a slower CA that gives you time to adjust the final position. I apply it with craft picks, typically.
For wood, my choice is a wood glue (carpenter's glue) or Elmers. Both work well.
George
One trick for cases where you need extra strength (and where the interior doesn't show) is to reinforce the glued corners with a bead of hot-glue. The trick is the PUSH the glue gun (as you would when applying caulk with a caulk gun) rather than to pull it. You get a nice clean thin bead that is very strong. Usually the wood glues are plenty adequate, but this is a good trick in cases where you need a little extra margin.
CA
Carpenter's glue for all but end grain; CA works fine, too. Get some fine tips for applying the CA. Don't slop about with either!
End grain - CA & Goo.
Problems with CA are often due to misuse. I've used it on appropriate applications for many years without a problem. However as a general rule for wood I use Elmer's Carpenters Wood Glue with complete success. If the builder is not tuned into the build process any adhesive can become a problem. Learn to build and become more proficient as you gain these skills, and glues and there handling will all fall into place. As with anything, practice makes perfect, and choices of adhesives with become second nature.
Bob
flanger posted:Problems with CA are often due to misuse. I've used it on appropriate applications for many years without a problem.
One of the problems with CA is that too many people use too much, make a mess, get it all over everything, glue their fingers to......well, you can just imagine the possibilities.....
One thing that helps is to put a fine tip on the bottle to control the amount applied and where it's going.....
Note the tip on the Zap-A-Gap - tip i.d. is much less than 1 mm vs. the hole in the bottle that spews forth way too much. The clear tip also lets you actually see the flow of the CA that you are controlling.
Side note. There are available MSDS sheet. (Material Safety Data Sheets) for most all material. Some adhesives require special care and ventilation. As with all things, be careful.
Mike CT.
The ZAP CA (super glue, cyanoacrylate) comes with a fine tip so the CA goes a 'long ways' as you're not wasting it by putting too much glue in the joint. The thin CA needs a very tight fit to get good results. They also make medium and thick CA, which is great for those 'not quite tight' fits. To keep the tips from clogging up, after you're done, hold the bottle vertical and squeeze the bottle to force out of the top, any left over CA in the thin tube. Acetone will dissolve the hardened CA, should the tubes get clogged. Usually need a very thin brass wire to clean them out. Moisture solidifies the CA so best to keep the double cap tightly on the bottles, after use. Cool places, like the fridge, should prolong the CA's life. Zap is the only one I know of with the thin tubes supplied with the bottle so, though expensive, proper use and it will last a long time. If you get CA without a thin tube, you waste a lot of CA. If you have CA without a thin tube, putting some on a plastic lid and using a toothpick also works.
I'm a big fan of polyvinyl acetate (usually known as Elmer's wood glue). It really dries pretty fast and is a lot stronger than most people realize. Two boards, properly glued, will usually break at a point other than the glue joint when using carpenter's glue. The secret is to apply only a thin coat as blobs will take forever to dry. The small touch up brushes are also great for glue applications.
Sam
samparfitt posted:I'm a big fan of polyvinyl acetate (usually known as Elmer's wood glue). It really dries pretty fast and is a lot stronger than most people realize.
Yeah, I still remember from high school shop class being amazed when shown that you can glue together layers of wood with that stuff and then spin it on a wood lathe.
Doberman:
Just one observation - if one glues paint to paint, it is the strength of adhesion of the paint to the painted surface that I would think counts since whether CA or wood glue is used, their adhesion strength is probably higher than that of the paint.
With wood kits I usually use stain, which penetrates the wood, then I use either CA or wood glue depending on the situation. This joint is more wood to wood since the stain is a penetrating process rather than a surface coat. I will stain all pieces first then glue since stain will not cover glue marks.
If I need to spray paint then I usually build the structure first (minus windows etc). Whether CA or wood glue is used the paint will cover it. If I need to glue on details then I usually either mask or scratch the paint off the mating surfaces.
Joe
Thanks Joe.
That pretty much answers the original question.
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