DIY Cyanoacrylate Accelerator

DMS General
#1

Has anyone experimented and/or had any success with DIY cyanoacrylate (i.e. super-glue) accelerator? From MSDS, it appears it is mostly acetone dissolved in water? I see that basic alcohols will potentially work as well. At least one site indicated that dissolving some washing soda or sodium bicarbonate might be beneficial to the any mixture, too, by supplying more hydroxide ions.

Usually these products come in a spray can as aerosol, but I suppose a DIY solution would have to be applied via a pump bottle/mister…right?

#2

All of the small bottle CA accelerants I have bought for woodworking have been in pump bottles / misters.

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#3

Good to know.

It’s shocking to see how expensive a bottle of water and alcohol/acetone is!

Wait…no it’s not:

image

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#4

Some hobbyist accelerators are nitromethane. Normally sold as power booster additive at the auto store.

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#5

Are you planning on making some and trying it out? I’ve been just buying the bob smith mister bottles of the stuff and never looked at the ingredients (assuming it has it labeled). A bottle lasts me like 6 months but still, any chance to save money and I’m there.

#6

I am. Just wondering what best or proven DIY mix might be. I did search via DuckDuckGo for a recipe, but forgot to check Google results as well, which I am doing now.

#7

Awesome, let me know if you need an extra Guinea pig to test. I’ll find something that needs an inlay…

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#8

Does it have to look nice at the end? Or do you just want it to hold stuff? The commercial accelerants usually have additives that make it not could as bad.

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#9

Didn’t have much of that in mind, I guess. Although I can imagine that at some point it could be a consideration. But @lordrook might care if it was being used for inlay.

#10

depends on the project. clouding can be part of the feature if its consistent throughout the inlay. if its just to glue up brass tubes or what not, then no big deal. Or if my inlay is using glow powder, clouding won’t matter then.

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#11

The commercial ones I’ve used (zip kicker and bob smith brand) didn’t smell like acetone, IIRC. It has been several years since I’ve huffed, er, used CA accelerant.

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#12

It was only one MSDS that indicated primary ingredient was acetone. I think most use alcohol (isopropyl? methyl? not sure)

Great. I am just happy to hear you are on the mend :slight_smile:

#13

Zip Kicker is Nitromethane and Ether. Sniffffff ooooohhhhh wooooooowwww

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#14

It wasn’t quite 12 steps but I had to give up building scale models. Well, I had to stop collecting them The building part, I never got around to that.

#15

I just sniffed researched the bottle of CA accelerant I have. The SDS says:

21 PM
Screen Shot 2018-05-16 at 2.40.21 PM.png899×171 16.8 KB

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#16

I was doing a little research on this last month (kicker not diy ones), I’d never heard of it. A lot of the descriptions I read said it had a very cloying smell to it or used to. Not sure what would cause that but, since I’m pretty sure it’s bottled unicorn piss, because magic is an acceptable answer.

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#17

I found the actual MSDS for Zip Kicker.

It’s mostly VM&P Naptha.

And the MSDS for Bob Smiths version.

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#18

yeah…it appears almost any solution that breaks down into OH groups, i.e. basic (right?) will have the approximate same effect for CA curiing acceleration purposes.

I think I’ll just mix some of everything together and get best of all worlds. :boom:

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#20

Baking soda also works as a kicker for CA glue. It also works great for building up shapes or gap filling with CA glue.

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#21

Thank you, I knew the were some white powder other than coke that had a use! It was on the tip of my tongue but could not remember it

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