For all it’s benefits in the shop, around the house, or wherever instant clue can be found, it is safe to say that clogged spouts seems to be the one problem that plagues users across the board. That leads to a shortened shelf life for your glue, which, in the long run ends up costing more money to keep fresh glue on hand. Preventing clogged spouts is easy once you understand the reasons they clog in the first place.
Keep in mind that “instant” is the key word, which, when pertaining to CA glue, means it will cure rapidly if given any incentive. This characteristic is one of the reasons that CA glue is so useful and popular. The incentives that the user inadvertently provides at the spout tip are the reasons for clogging.
Here are six good reasons spouts clog:
1. Storage – New, unopened containers of any instant glue may be stored in the freezer. This will easily double the shelf life. When you’re ready to use it, you should always allow the container to warm to room temperature before opening it. Opening it while the container is still cold allows warm air (and moisture) to enter the bottle, resulting in condensation inside the bottle.
Once it’s open, never return it to cold storage! Moisture is one of the catalysts that tells CA glue to cure. Placing an open bottle back into cold storage causes the warm air which has entered the bottle to condense the moisture into water. This causes the glue to thicken, and eventually harden. As it thickens, spouts clog more frequently. (Note: This does not mean that the gap filling glues clog more frequently).
2. Application – Keep the tip from touching the work, especially if dust from sanding is present. Each time the spout touches foreign matter, the glue is being told to cure. If foreign matter is sucked into the spout, it can also cause the contents of the bottle to thicken and eventually harden.
3. Sealing – use the overcap to reseal the bottle between uses. This keeps dust or debris from settling on the spout. Similarly, never wipe the spout tip with anything. Lint from cloths or paper products sticks to the tip and causes clogging.
4. Accelerator overspray – Always make sure that accelerator overspray doesn’t touch an exposed spout. Set the glue aside, or better, reseal the spout with the overcap before spraying accelerator.
5. Foreign Material – Avoid putting pins or nails or anything into spout to try to keep it clear. All these items carry minute traces of moisture into the spout and makes clogging more frequent. Instead, trim off the tip a little.
6. Age – Shelf life is determined, to a great extent, by the quantity in the container. As a general rule, a 2oz bottle has a 1 year shelf life at room temperature. However, if you purchase a 2oz bottle and use half the contents immediately, you should not expect the remainder to last a year. Less quantity means lesser lifespan. As a bottle ages and passes its expected useful lifetime, it begins to thicken. As it thickens, it clogs more frequently.
In most cases, clogged spouts can be eliminated by understanding these few things. Simply being diligent and careful to take care of the spouts can prevent a lot of headache later. In the event that a spout is ruined, most glues have replacement spouts available. It is always a good idea to have an extra one on hand; just in case.
The 2009 World Taxidermy and Fish Carving Championships were just held a few weeks ago in St. Charles, Missouri. Taxidermists are true artists (some of which happen to use Hot Stuff glue) and these mounts prove it. Take a look at some of the magnificent displays at this years Championships!
