James River Branch: Tools and Supplies

Supplies: Thin & Thick Cyanoacrylate

Cyanoacrylate, or "super glue," has been around a long time. Invented in the early 40s, it was released as an adhesive in the 70s, and just as white LEDs are transforming aspects of the hobby today in a major way, CA was a seemingly miraculous boon to the hobby when it was introduced. That said, it's not the adhesive panacea some may claim; there are as many things it can't bond as it can, and it also has the curious and aggravating propensity of being, for lack of a better term, unpredictably bipolar—bonding perfectly one minute, and refusing to bond the same materials the next.

Equally frustrating is the problem of reliably dispensing cyanoacrylate. Many bottle designs have come and gone, and nearly all of them fail at some point. Between ruining models and disposing countless bottles of CA prematurely, I've sometimes felt it's almost not worth it—and I've tried just about all of them, trust me. But when it does work, CA is quite invaluable, and so finding a combination of the right formula and the right dispenser is worth continuous investment and testing.

Having worked with CA since its introduction, I'm often asked by other modelers what types I prefer, as there's a dizzying array of brands and flavors. Perhaps ironically, I'm inclined to avoid those products specifically marketed to the hobby, such as Zap-A-Gap, mostly due to their worthless dispensers. I always steer clear of "economy-sized" bottles, too, which tend to go bad long before I get even halfway through them (I imagine part of this issue is due to my living in the more humid Northeast, as moisture will cause CA to degrade, eventually rendering the rather costly liquid useless).

Recently I've come across two products that hit the mark in all respects. One is an innovation in dispensing that I'm surprised wasn't invented quite a long time ago: a brush. Made by one of the oldest cyanoacrylate brands, Krazy Glue, it's become my staple general-purpose CA product. As an example of just how much I use it, I average a bottle a month—and thanks to the brush, I use every last drop. The brush is fantastic, allowing perfect control over its application, and when I need finer control, I simply brush it onto a knife tip or needle. Among other things, it's great for assembling laser-cut wood kits, which go together like lightning as a result.

The other type of cyanoacrylate I'm using increasingly is a flavor I've only discovered a few weeks ago. It's made by Gorilla Glue (the brand that popularized polyurethane glue, which is not my favorite type of adhesive). This formula performs better than any other thickened CA I've found so far. It cures a little more slowly than similar products, but it's remarkable strength makes up for the wait. Plus, the bottle cap has a steel pin embedded in it to help keep the tip clog-free.

Just getting started? I obtain my supply of Brush-On Krazy Glue from Michael's—most big craft stores should carry it; and the Gorilla Super Glue is available at Lowe's and likely most home improvement stores. Naturally there are online options, but I like being able to run out and get it on an as-need basis.