I build almost exclusively with various CAs and find them perfectly fine for virtually everything. .I only used to use epoxy for the motor mounts of gas engines. Since I use electric power now, I don't even need it for that anymore.
Does burning glue on the T-pin create any harmful fumes? I would also be interested in hearing your thoughts on gluing with a microapplicator and directly from the bottle.
I'm not sure how harmful the fumes are, but I would only do that if you have a large, well-ventilated space. Any technique that can accurately and quickly apply glue is good. I've never tried applying glue directly from the bottle. I would think that wouldn't be fast enough, but if you get good at it, maybe it'd be fine.
Thanks for video. I am not a big fan of CA for smell and skin irritation reasons. What would be your second choice of glue for general balsa model building?
I don't really have a second choice if it's for these Science Olympiad builds where weight is super critical as well as cure time. If you are gluing larger pieces together and can clamp them, wood glue would be fine. Maybe something like a quick cure epoxy would be OK, but that will most likely smell worse than CA. See if you can set up a fan in a well ventilated room before using CA. Wearing latex gloves is also an option. I've seen some students do this, but it's usually not worth the hassle as if you are careful, you can avoid touching it altogether.
Your videos helped me so much in getting started :) I'm wondering if there is a different place to buy glue. (I looked up the one you used in the video, it's quite expensive for us and we probably won't use that much). Also, can you recommend a blade for wood-cutting?
I'm glad my videos have helped you out! You should be able to find similar CA glue locally or even on Amazon in much smaller amounts. Just a quick search turns up something like this which is 40 cps and under $13: www.amazon.com/Premium-Grade-Cyanoacrylate-Super-STARBOND/dp/B00BUVAS9Q/ref=sr_1_8?crid=JEPPYZUR5F99&keywords=CA+glue+thin&qid=1698013255&sprefix=ca+glue+thin%2Caps%2C106&sr=8-8 I use and recommend getting the miter cutter from these folks: www.fourmostproducts.com/our-products/construction-tools/
@@balsaengineering6686 A quick follow-up, when cutting the balsa sheet into sticks, what blade/tool would you recommend using? If a table saw (which I probably can't afford) is needed/highly recommended, would it be better to just go for balsa sticks then?
@@suziel5523 Oh no, definitely not a table saw or any power tool. This is the balsa stripping tool I use: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000WS5OQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Check out this video when you get a chance to see how I use that tool to strip sheets of balsa: th-cam.com/video/bLsTOpmozGI/w-d-xo.html
You can also use the much thicker CA glue for better gap filling properties. The gel based stuff works pretty well. Of course, the downside is that amount of glue tends to be heavy. Ideally, your entire build will only add a couple tenths of a gram of weight to your entire device. It good to compare the bare material weights to your final device to see how much glue you are using and only use the minimum necessary.
This is the glue and accelerator I'm using: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DK19W6M/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NH4AJV6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Hi! I try to only use accelerator if absolutely necessary, but mainly because it's a bit messy. I haven't ever seen a problem with the joint strength when using it
Yep, that should be fine. I don't think the brand matters at all. The only real difference is the viscosity. You can buy CA glue anywhere in thickness from almost water thin to gel. Most likely what you have a medium viscosity and that will work great
My glue keeps drying before i can press the two pieces together in the right spot, what should I do? Normally I wouldn't care but on my bridge I've noticed a couple of failures at the joints between major parts(like longer beams, those are really hard to line up :/)
There is no easy answer except to be faster and practice. It helps if you mark the piece exactly where you are going to glue and make sure the piece you are gluing is immediately ready to go. Perhaps practice by pretending to apply the glue and see how fast you can get the piece into position. Once you are confident in being able to do it fast, then apply the glue. If you are talking about the complex "L" joint I used for one of the designs for this year's bridges, I recommend checking out my Div C full-build video at around the 34 minute mark to see how I do it: th-cam.com/video/7W839KEcKes/w-d-xo.html
Hello, had a question about making a tower & gluing it on the 3D printed model that you have shared. We tried making it on the 3D model & the tower is stuck? Can you please share techniques on how to glue it on the 3D model & take it off easily? We tried taping the entire 3D model with clear tape but that's not helping either. Maybe you have a video on how to take it off successfully that I have not viewed yet? Any help you can provide would be amazing. Thanking you in advance. Mehdi
Hi! Yeah, getting your technique down so the tower doesn't get stuck to the jig takes some practice. I do have a couple suggestions. Once you have the legs taped to the jig, build the cross-members with the jig on its side like I show in a lot of my latest videos. This really helps limit the amount of glue being used and there is less of a chance it drips on to the jig. If you want to try the barrier method, use wax paper. I would try taping long strips of wax paper in place on the jig before putting the legs in. Honestly though, this isn't necessary if you focus on reducing the glue. Finally, if your tower does get stuck, the best way I've found to get it off is to find a small block, or I 3d printed one 30x30x5mm. Temporarily tape it to the very top of the jig and carefully turn the entire over and put it on a hard flat surface. Then firmly press at least 2 legs at once from the bottom and with any luck, your tower will pop free. The key is to push from the bottom instead of trying to pull it off from the top. Good luck!!
@@MichaelIsaac-kd1ki Sure, if that works for you, go for it! I've never used CA that is that thin, but it should be fine if you can work effectively with it
It's good to watch the bridge guys.
You really have figured out the strongest ways to do things.
Helps us RC immensely.
Very good explanation of CA glue! I've been using it since the 80s!
Very interesting!
I build almost exclusively with various CAs and find them perfectly fine for virtually everything. .I only used to use epoxy for the motor mounts of gas engines. Since I use electric power now, I don't even need it for that anymore.
Does burning glue on the T-pin create any harmful fumes? I would also be interested in hearing your thoughts on gluing with a microapplicator and directly from the bottle.
I'm not sure how harmful the fumes are, but I would only do that if you have a large, well-ventilated space. Any technique that can accurately and quickly apply glue is good. I've never tried applying glue directly from the bottle. I would think that wouldn't be fast enough, but if you get good at it, maybe it'd be fine.
Thanks for video. I am not a big fan of CA for smell and skin irritation reasons. What would be your second choice of glue for general balsa model building?
I don't really have a second choice if it's for these Science Olympiad builds where weight is super critical as well as cure time. If you are gluing larger pieces together and can clamp them, wood glue would be fine. Maybe something like a quick cure epoxy would be OK, but that will most likely smell worse than CA. See if you can set up a fan in a well ventilated room before using CA. Wearing latex gloves is also an option. I've seen some students do this, but it's usually not worth the hassle as if you are careful, you can avoid touching it altogether.
Your videos helped me so much in getting started :) I'm wondering if there is a different place to buy glue. (I looked up the one you used in the video, it's quite expensive for us and we probably won't use that much). Also, can you recommend a blade for wood-cutting?
I'm glad my videos have helped you out! You should be able to find similar CA glue locally or even on Amazon in much smaller amounts. Just a quick search turns up something like this which is 40 cps and under $13: www.amazon.com/Premium-Grade-Cyanoacrylate-Super-STARBOND/dp/B00BUVAS9Q/ref=sr_1_8?crid=JEPPYZUR5F99&keywords=CA+glue+thin&qid=1698013255&sprefix=ca+glue+thin%2Caps%2C106&sr=8-8 I use and recommend getting the miter cutter from these folks: www.fourmostproducts.com/our-products/construction-tools/
@@balsaengineering6686 Thank you so much for the quick response!!
@@balsaengineering6686 A quick follow-up, when cutting the balsa sheet into sticks, what blade/tool would you recommend using? If a table saw (which I probably can't afford) is needed/highly recommended, would it be better to just go for balsa sticks then?
@@suziel5523 Oh no, definitely not a table saw or any power tool. This is the balsa stripping tool I use: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000WS5OQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Check out this video when you get a chance to see how I use that tool to strip sheets of balsa: th-cam.com/video/bLsTOpmozGI/w-d-xo.html
I personally find that CA glue is a great gap filler. It work amazing filling grain on wood and if you do it in layers you can fill pretty large gaps.
You can also use the much thicker CA glue for better gap filling properties. The gel based stuff works pretty well. Of course, the downside is that amount of glue tends to be heavy. Ideally, your entire build will only add a couple tenths of a gram of weight to your entire device. It good to compare the bare material weights to your final device to see how much glue you are using and only use the minimum necessary.
Could you post the exact CA glue and accelerater that you used?
This is the glue and accelerator I'm using:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DK19W6M/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NH4AJV6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Hi there! I’m new to balsa building. Are there any drawbacks of using accelerator? Weaker joints or something like that?
Hi! I try to only use accelerator if absolutely necessary, but mainly because it's a bit messy. I haven't ever seen a problem with the joint strength when using it
Hi great video I am a beginner could you share the jig to cut the pieces .
Thanks! Do you mean the miter cutting tool? www.fourmostproducts.com/our-products/construction-tools/
All I have is generic super glue like the original super glue brand and loctite super glue. Would this still work effectively for the Div C bridge?
Yep, that should be fine. I don't think the brand matters at all. The only real difference is the viscosity. You can buy CA glue anywhere in thickness from almost water thin to gel. Most likely what you have a medium viscosity and that will work great
@@balsaengineering6686 thank you
My glue keeps drying before i can press the two pieces together in the right spot, what should I do? Normally I wouldn't care but on my bridge I've noticed a couple of failures at the joints between major parts(like longer beams, those are really hard to line up :/)
There is no easy answer except to be faster and practice. It helps if you mark the piece exactly where you are going to glue and make sure the piece you are gluing is immediately ready to go. Perhaps practice by pretending to apply the glue and see how fast you can get the piece into position. Once you are confident in being able to do it fast, then apply the glue. If you are talking about the complex "L" joint I used for one of the designs for this year's bridges, I recommend checking out my Div C full-build video at around the 34 minute mark to see how I do it: th-cam.com/video/7W839KEcKes/w-d-xo.html
@@balsaengineering6686 Ok-thank you so much for your reply!!!
Hello, had a question about making a tower & gluing it on the 3D printed model that you have shared. We tried making it on the 3D model & the tower is stuck? Can you please share techniques on how to glue it on the 3D model & take it off easily? We tried taping the entire 3D model with clear tape but that's not helping either. Maybe you have a video on how to take it off successfully that I have not viewed yet? Any help you can provide would be amazing. Thanking you in advance.
Mehdi
Hi! Yeah, getting your technique down so the tower doesn't get stuck to the jig takes some practice. I do have a couple suggestions. Once you have the legs taped to the jig, build the cross-members with the jig on its side like I show in a lot of my latest videos. This really helps limit the amount of glue being used and there is less of a chance it drips on to the jig. If you want to try the barrier method, use wax paper. I would try taping long strips of wax paper in place on the jig before putting the legs in. Honestly though, this isn't necessary if you focus on reducing the glue. Finally, if your tower does get stuck, the best way I've found to get it off is to find a small block, or I 3d printed one 30x30x5mm. Temporarily tape it to the very top of the jig and carefully turn the entire over and put it on a hard flat surface. Then firmly press at least 2 legs at once from the bottom and with any luck, your tower will pop free. The key is to push from the bottom instead of trying to pull it off from the top. Good luck!!
Do you think I could use glue with 2-3 CPS?
I am using this glue for a division c tower build.
@@MichaelIsaac-kd1ki Sure, if that works for you, go for it! I've never used CA that is that thin, but it should be fine if you can work effectively with it
Thank you, I appreciate it! I will tell you how it goes.@@balsaengineering6686
very helpful. checkout my video of my trixter beam build. getting ready to start a bellanca cruisemaster!