Hello there,

Not sure if anyone also tried this but it is an interesting way to repair electronic as well as non electronic stuff that needs glue or epoxy. The example here is getting a screw to stay in the hole in the handle of one of those plastic spring clamps.

I find that if you put a long screw into the hole in the handle of a spring clamp you can the clamp the clamp onto a shelf and then hang stuff on the protruding screw body. The problem is that the screw does not always stay in the hole very well and moves around a lot. You can epoxy it and that holds it firmly, but this is a faster method that dries in a matter of seconds. It's hard to believe without trying it yourself.

Picture -01 is a pic of the spring clamp handle with just the screw screwed into the hole, and you can see the protruding threads and the pointed end of the screw sticking through the handle.

Picture 02 is a pic of several drops of super glue applied to the threads and filling part of the gap between the threads and handle plastic.

Picture 03 is a pic of the same with a lot of baking powder dumped into the area where the screw threads and super glue were, covering the whole area where the glue is. I had to doctor this pic a bit to get it to look like it did in real life, where there was a ton of baking powered applied.

Picture 04 is about 10 seconds after applying the baking powder, and brushing the excess baking powder off and out of the handle. What is left is a lump of what seems like hard plastic, and it is completely dry, and remember it's only been about 10 seconds since the super glue was first applied. The screw is not firmly attached to the handle and it would take a lot of force to break it loose.

The trick is that the baking powder makes a large blob of liquid super glue harden very fast i would think because it reduces the space between adjacent areas of super glue, and super glue hardens fast in smaller gaps. There could be other reasons too though, but the whole blob hardens in seconds and it turns into what looks and acts like very hard plastic.

I dont know what the properties are of the finished repair as to heat resistance and the like, but for some things it works well enough. For the spring clamp i would think it would last for a long long time.

The normal repair above would have also included an extra measure of super glue applied before brushing off the excess powder, and possibly enough such that there would be no powder left that could be brushed off, thus making an even larger block of plastic.

There is one somewhat serious drawback, and that is it takes a lot of super glue to make a repair like this because you have to apply several drops to get a pool of super glue applied and ready for the powder, and if you apply more super glue after that you need to use even more super glue. Super glue usually come in small tubes or bottles so you might end up having to use up a bottle much faster than usual. The advantage of course is that it seems to act like hard epoxy but cures in just seconds so it's very fast and appears to be very strong.

If you try this perhaps you can post some results and comments.

(see attached pictures)

 

I'm assuming you meant baking soda. The baking soda catalyzes the polymerization of the cyanoacrylate monomers. That trick works good, I use it to repair my glasses.

Heres another neat trick. Those single-use superglue tubes that come 5 for a dollar, those are the best (unlike those twist top ones) because all you need is a hot glue stick and a lighter to make them last forever. Heat the end of the glue stick and use it to seal the tip of the super glue. The hot glue peels off easily when the superglue is needed again and the glue will not dry at all.

 

I'm assuming you meant baking soda. The baking soda catalyzes the polymerization of the cyanoacrylate monomers. That trick works good, I use it to repair my glasses.

Heres another neat trick. Those single-use superglue tubes that come 5 for a dollar, those are the best (unlike those twist top ones) because all you need is a hot glue stick and a lighter to make them last forever. Heat the end of the glue stick and use it to seal the tip of the super glue. The hot glue peels off easily when the superglue is needed again and the glue will not dry at all.

Oh yes baking soda ha ha.

Interesting to hear that you used it already. I just tried it for the first time yesterday and now i need to buy more super glue (ha ha).

Oh that hot glue trick is interesting too, as i have used that many times in the past. I used it for silicone glue because the tubes kept drying out on me and i only need to use small amounts now and then. I used my hot glue gun it heats up quick. That stuff is nice because it must be so air tight unlike some plastics which allow some air through anyway.
I never tried it on super glue though maybe at some point i'll try that. I did find small plastic bottles of super glue that have a much better sealing top system though. Locktite brand. The ones i use have a very long top that screws down and seals the container. I've been using the same bottle now for over a year and still hasnt dried out.
For these bottles the top is as long as the body of the bottle itself. The spout is long also and the top covers the entire spout. That must be what makes it seal so well.

I see other companies trying to improve the tops too on other glue products. I see that Elmer's glue for outside work uses a different top now looks like a tongue rather than a point tip. The tongue slides into a slot on top and makes a better seal. I had one bottle of that too for some years now hasnt dried out.
The brand is Elmer's and the name is 'carpenters glue' and one is for outside use so that hardens and doesnt get bothered by moisture. The other is for inside use but it's got the same tongue top, and it's pretty good glue too. Mostly for wood and the like.

 

hi Al,
Also used the method for repairing plastic and wooden items.
Works OK.
Useful for securing threaded rod into wood/plastic bases.

E

 

hi Al,
Also used the method for repairing plastic and wooden items.
Works OK.
Useful for securing threaded rod into wood/plastic bases.

E

Hi Eric,

Oh wow ok i did not realize this technique was so widely used already. Im just finding out about it now

I like the threaded rod idea, i can use that for threads that get stripped which happens in wood more often than i would like especially in that particle board (composite board). Many self assembly cabinets get shipped with unusual fittings that depend on the integrity of wood holes that are pre-drilled into the wood and so if one is not quite right it has to be repaired right off.

What is kind of amazing is how strong this material ends up being after it cures, which of course is really fast and that in itself is very handy.

Thanks for the reply.

 

Have you discovered polymorph or instamorph yet? It is a plastic that can be melted in hot water and shaped. When it cools, it is incredibly strong.

 

Have you discovered polymorph or instamorph yet? It is a plastic that can be melted in hot water and shaped. When it cools, it is incredibly strong.

Yes thanks for reminding me.

I had a few problems come up with that stuff though, although i would still use it.

For one, i had one piece snap in half. I did not expect that at all because it seems sort of pliable when cooled.
Another problem was if a piece is handled on a regular basis, it gets 'dirty' maybe from the skin oils.
I dont think you can paint it? Maybe you know a way.
Can not use it in an automobile application because it will get too hot when the car is sitting in the sun.

For the snap in half problem i would wonder if it would function as a coat hanger hook for example, which i think was one of the things someone made on the web as an example.

I would still use it though, just be more careful with what i used it for.

 

Hello there,

Not sure if anyone also tried this but it is an interesting way to repair electronic as well as non electronic stuff that needs glue or epoxy. The example here is getting a screw to stay in the hole in the handle of one of those plastic spring clamps.

I find that if you put a long screw into the hole in the handle of a spring clamp you can the clamp the clamp onto a shelf and then hang stuff on the protruding screw body. The problem is that the screw does not always stay in the hole very well and moves around a lot. You can epoxy it and that holds it firmly, but this is a faster method that dries in a matter of seconds. It's hard to believe without trying it yourself.

Picture -01 is a pic of the spring clamp handle with just the screw screwed into the hole, and you can see the protruding threads and the pointed end of the screw sticking through the handle.

Picture 02 is a pic of several drops of super glue applied to the threads and filling part of the gap between the threads and handle plastic.

Picture 03 is a pic of the same with a lot of baking powder dumped into the area where the screw threads and super glue were, covering the whole area where the glue is. I had to doctor this pic a bit to get it to look like it did in real life, where there was a ton of baking powered applied.

Picture 04 is about 10 seconds after applying the baking powder, and brushing the excess baking powder off and out of the handle. What is left is a lump of what seems like hard plastic, and it is completely dry, and remember it's only been about 10 seconds since the super glue was first applied. The screw is not firmly attached to the handle and it would take a lot of force to break it loose.

The trick is that the baking powder makes a large blob of liquid super glue harden very fast i would think because it reduces the space between adjacent areas of super glue, and super glue hardens fast in smaller gaps. There could be other reasons too though, but the whole blob hardens in seconds and it turns into what looks and acts like very hard plastic.

I dont know what the properties are of the finished repair as to heat resistance and the like, but for some things it works well enough. For the spring clamp i would think it would last for a long long time.

The normal repair above would have also included an extra measure of super glue applied before brushing off the excess powder, and possibly enough such that there would be no powder left that could be brushed off, thus making an even larger block of plastic.

There is one somewhat serious drawback, and that is it takes a lot of super glue to make a repair like this because you have to apply several drops to get a pool of super glue applied and ready for the powder, and if you apply more super glue after that you need to use even more super glue. Super glue usually come in small tubes or bottles so you might end up having to use up a bottle much faster than usual. The advantage of course is that it seems to act like hard epoxy but cures in just seconds so it's very fast and appears to be very strong.

If you try this perhaps you can post some results and comments.

(see attached pictures)

Never knew of this technique before. Would love to see a video someday.

 

hi b,
Here you go.
E
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=super+glue+and+baking+soda+gas+tank+repair

 

This superglue and baking soda thing has been around for a long time. The first time I saw it was on a lutherie website ,probably 5 or10 years ago, to repair guitar nuts, the top of the fingerboard where the strings go. To get better "action" on a guitar they file the grooves lower and sometimes you can go to far. Instead of replacing the nut they use the superglue/baking soda.

Here's a link from 2009 talking about it, but did see it before then. https://www.tdpri.com/threads/can-someone-detail-the-baking-soda-super-glue-nut-fix.140541/

 

Never knew of this technique before. Would love to see a video someday.

It's actually very very simple. You apply some superglue to something creating a small pool of the liquid, then before it dries (and it will take a long time to dry when it a pool because super glue only dries fast when it is applied in a very thin layer) dump some baking soda onto the pool and let it soak in either by itself of pank it down a little with something like the other end of a artist paint brush or toothpick or something. The thing is the baking powder gets absorbed by the super glue and then almost immediately the whole thing hardens into a sort of plastic which appears to be very hard and very strong. So it is easy to do and once you do it yourself you see how it works. All it takes is some super glue and some baking soda. You can even just apply some super glue to some surface as a test, just a small pool of it and then dump on some baking powder. After a few seconds brush off or blow off the excess baking powder and then note how the blob underneath hardened. It's quite amazing.

As i said also, you will need a large amount of super glue for a big repair. It may be worth it though because this is the fastest curing glue or resin i have even seen. That means quick repairs.

What needs to be done next is to try to find out the complete properties of the hardened mass. Is it chemical proof, and which chemicals can it handle without too much trouble. Obviously it appears that water wont hurt it for example, but long term i dont know. Can gasoline or alcohol hurt it, i dont know.
I would think the temperature characteristics are similar to super glue itself. This could of course be a problem for some repairs, but then again many epoxies can not handle too much heat either.
Maybe we could find this information on the web somewhere.

 

It's actually very very simple. You apply some superglue to something creating a small pool of the liquid, then before it dries (and it will take a long time to dry when it a pool because super glue only dries fast when it is applied in a very thin layer) dump some baking soda onto the pool and let it soak in either by itself of pank it down a little with something like the other end of a artist paint brush or toothpick or something. The thing is the baking powder gets absorbed by the super glue and then almost immediately the whole thing hardens into a sort of plastic which appears to be very hard and very strong. So it is easy to do and once you do it yourself you see how it works. All it takes is some super glue and some baking soda. You can even just apply some super glue to some surface as a test, just a small pool of it and then dump on some baking powder. After a few seconds brush off or blow off the excess baking powder and then note how the blob underneath hardened. It's quite amazing.

As i said also, you will need a large amount of super glue for a big repair. It may be worth it though because this is the fastest curing glue or resin i have even seen. That means quick repairs.

What needs to be done next is to try to find out the complete properties of the hardened mass. Is it chemical proof, and which chemicals can it handle without too much trouble. Obviously it appears that water wont hurt it for example, but long term i dont know. Can gasoline or alcohol hurt it, i dont know.
I would think the temperature characteristics are similar to super glue itself. This could of course be a problem for some repairs, but then again many epoxies can not handle too much heat either.
Maybe we could find this information on the web somewhere.

Thank you. Gotta try someday.

 

I've yet to try the CA/soda trick, but when it comes to resealing adhesive tubes, I squirt a generous amount on the inside of the cap before screwing it down. Then it hardens/dries along the outside of the tube nozzle and creates a more effective seal to keep air out and solvent in. The amount wasted is negligible compared with the risk of losing an entire tube.