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KiteSquid

I am not a fan of cyanoacrylate (CA) because it has poor shock load strength.

Do this test.

Take a coin with a thick profile, like an US 5 cent piece, and bond it to a piece of glass with your favorite CA adhesive.

Allow the bond to cure

Try to pry it up... you can’t.... but whack it stoutly on the edge with a metal ruler and it pops right off.

Clean off residue with Acetone.

So when I bond together kite parts (Carbon or Fiber Glass tubes mostly) I rough em up with some sandpaper to give em a tooth, brush em inside and out (or wipe with an acetone soaked rag) to remove any leftover release agent that was used to manufacture them. I then bond with 5 minute epoxy that comes in the double syringe type tubes from Wall-Mart for about $2 or at the hobby shop for $5.

I prefer the double syringe type tubes over single toothpaste type tubes as you can more accuratly measure small batches to get a good bond.

Be sure to mix well.

I am not a fan of it, but if you want to buy some of the best CA on the market go to Model Research Labs to find out more.

I am not affiliated with them, but I do buy their CA and store it in my freezer when not in use.
_________________
VR/
KiteSquid
AKA TakoIka
AKA Harold
King George VA

P.S. Yet another post by the Squid..... Shocked

Doesent he ever shut up???

P.P.S. The wind is like the air, only pushier.

Stan · Joined: 18 Nov 2003 Posts: 598 Location: San Diego

As luck would have it, I had to shorten a spar with a ferrule CA glued to each end. I soaked for two days in acetone with no luck. I whacked it and pulled the Ferrels until the spar broke.
Back to epoxy, since it falls off with heat.

Stan

Progcraft · Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2004 12:31 pm Post subject:

To remove CA Glue, use CA Debonder. That's what it's called. Absolutly fantastic stuff. One time I accidentaly glued a golden rod together (one plastic tube inside another plastic tube used as control rods for airplanes). After about an hour of dripping the debonder down the tubes, they came unstuck and worked fine ever since. I've had one 2 oz bottle for a couple years now and it's still over half full.
I CA all my fittings to my other kites, and when I need to replace a spar, a few drops of Debonder and a few minutes of waiting then the fitting comes right off.
CA Debonder, I live by this stuff. Especially after several years in the R/C hobbies.

P.

Stan · Joined: 18 Nov 2003 Posts: 598 Location: San Diego

I tried CA debonder before then two-day acetone soak.
A chemical mystery!
I still use CA for almost everything but Ferrels and knots, since it can be abrasive against moving fibers. A lighter loosens my epoxied metal Ferrels like clockwork, but others tell me this doesn't work for them.
I guess different brands are the key.

Stan

wdrwilson · Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2004 1:33 pm Post subject:

How much heat are we talking here? have you had incidents of a hot day in the hot sun causing your epoxy to loosen... just curious.

--Bill

Stan · Joined: 18 Nov 2003 Posts: 598 Location: San Diego

Not at all.
I heat the ferrule with a lighter until too hot to touch then slide it off with pliers.

Stan

stevef · Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2004 2:59 pm Post subject:

Ever apply too much heat and break down the epoxy that holds the Graphite together?? Shocked

_________________
Steve Ferrel
Go Build a Kite!
Measure once, buy twice!

KiteSquid · Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2004 4:08 pm Post subject:

I have and it is NOT a pretty sight (or smell)

I try not to recycle parts if possiable. I get new ones.

I try to buy in bulk to save on shipping and I now have quite a collection of kite spars...
_________________
VR/
KiteSquid
AKA TakoIka
AKA Harold
King George VA

P.S. Yet another post by the Squid..... Shocked

Doesent he ever shut up???

P.P.S. The wind is like the air, only pushier.

Stan · Joined: 18 Nov 2003 Posts: 598 Location: San Diego

I've never had that problem using a Bic lighter. The spar emerges from the ferrule just warm to the touch, as the aluminum ferrule holds the heat.
Harold must be using an oxy-acetylene rig to get them that hot! Very Happy

Stan

marty · Joined: 22 Jan 2004 Posts: 128 Location: Arlington, MA USA

I have assembled a bunch of arrows and there is a method to make sure that you have not overheated an arrow shaft, works for kite spars since many Graphite kite spars are really arrow seconds.

Grab the spar about an inch away from the metal ferrule. Heat the ferrule and then pull it off. If you can't hold onto the spar, then you have heated the spar too hot.

Folks have been using polyurethane glue with good results to glue arrow components to shafts. That's a pretty good test of a glue joing since an arrow can go from over 250 feet per second to 0 over about 4 inches.
_________________
Gentle breezes...

Marty Sasaki
Arlington, MA USA