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I recently saw that a guitar manufacturer was using CA glue for the braces in the guitars. I had never heard of this and wanted to ask if anyone who builds instruments here does that as well.

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I don't. I would not like to be in the same room with someone gluing braces with CA glue. Toxic fumes. Nothing beats hot hide glue...

Im with Roger , CA stinks , it is very handy for certain minor or cosmetic repairs but its not very strong , I don't know how many cheap asian guitars Ive seem with bridges peeling off after being quickly stuck to the lacquered top with CA .

Absolutely. I use it all the time for the proper application but I was in question as to why a guitar manufacturer would use it to glue the braces in their guitars. I don't view it as a proper application. I would use Titebond or hot hide glue. I love the hide glue. 

If I may clarify something, the fumes of curing CA are classed as an irritant. Neither the cured or uncured adhesive, nor the fumes, are toxic. It is, after all, widely used as a surgical adhesive.

Greg

Hi all,

CA glue is suitable for joinery in woodworking and a number of purpose designed CA wood glues are available from major adhesive houses (Titebond is one you are all familiar with).  The need to match viscosity and type of CA with the type of woods to be glued is important but not really well understood.  A lot of luthiers have managed to get a good bond between their finger but a poor bond between the intended surfaces.   Like any adhesive system it requires knowledge of what is going to glued together and preparation etc. 

Discovered that nitromethane is an excellent solvent and CA bond breaker  (better than acetone) - so don't assemble your Top Fuel Drag car with this stuff.

A little bit of research indicated that its generally not used due to cost, not because of any inherit unsuitability or lifetime of joint limitation.    In the case of bridges separation and cheap Asian guitars mentioned its likely that the coneheads using the glue are not using the particular CA glue specifically designed for glueing oily woods (such as "wet" rosewood) to other things like lacquered surfaces (which my CA eats)  or in the case of two pac and UV cure surfaces its going to be a stretch to get a CA that'll be suitable for adhering to both these disparate surfaces.      

Main advantage of CA is speed of assembly - hence its use in high speed mass production applications such as Asian Guitar Manufacturing.   Limitations are shear strength (the shock resistance type) but that would not be an issue with  braces and such.   I can see no reason not to use it for braces apart from disassembly problems, which to be practical, are generally not going to happen with $250 cheap guitar. 

The use of Titebond types or dead animal glue is a matter of choice for high end luthiery and general day to day stuff, but I can see why a high volume manufacturer would use it for guitar assembly and if done to specification it will perform as advertised.

Regards,

Rusty.

that's something i've never been able to get a clear answer on, whether CA done right is as strong as "proper" wood glues for structural wood-to-wood stuff.

the times i have used it for structural repairs (narrow cracks that need thin wicking glue, on guitars with poly finishes so the CA could be safely cleaned up afterwards) i would just treat it like regular glue and clamp overnight, and that seems to work.

Quoting Wikipedia: "Cyanoacrylates are a family of strong fast-acting adhesives with industrial, medical, and household uses. Cyanoacrylate adhesives have a short shelf life if not used, about one year from manufacture if unopened, and one month once opened. They have some minor toxicity."

I really don't like to inhale the fumes or get them into the eyes. Having to cut through the skin with a razorblade when I glue fingertips together is not that nice either!

I use Stewmac 20 CA for gluing small things and frets. The slightly gelantine glue don't rush away everywhere as the thin one does. I use the thin glue (number 10) for reinforcing wood around screw holes and to fill voids with wood dust and glue.

Another Wikipedia quote: "In general, cyanoacrylate is an acrylic that rapidly polymerises in the presence of water". The glue actually adds plastic to the wood! To get the glue to harden fast I wet one wood surface and put glue on the other. A quick way is to lick one of the wood surfaces ;-)

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