CA Glue - Its Pros And Cons by Paul Eccardt

CA glue is an amazing new advance for our trade. I've saved significant time by not having to go back to customers' houses for second service calls. For example, I'm able to fix a bass bridge that is completely off its apron, put the strings back, and bring them back up to pitch, all without a return trip. Other examples of handy CA tricks are repairing loose ribs that buzz without drilling holes, or using clamps and screws; fixing cracked keys, shanks, legs, pedal boards, case parts, benches, ect., not to mention gluing grand damper flanges, the ones without screws. I've even stopped a bass string from buzzing by placing a drop of it on the end of the copper winding, after twisting it and everything else I tried had failed to work. It works well with things in the shop also. Still more examples: fixing loose hammer heads, jacks, catchers,etc., without taking them off; setting up temporary jigs, fast and easy. There are many more things that it can be helpful with in the shop.

On the negative side, ever since I've been using CA glue my eyes have lost their 20/20 vision. I can't be 100% sure that this has caused it, because I've recently reached my forties, and they say that that is the normal age for losing some vision. It's still a good idea to keep a fan in the trunk of your car, so you can circulate air while you use it. I've also heard stories that it causes cancer. Everything causes cancer nowadays. Learning how to handle the glue is a lot harder than it looks. The first time I glued a key together I didn't hold it in the correct spot on time, the glue dried, and I had to break it again. It turned into a nightmare. To make a long story short, the key ended up working, but it ended up partially made of glue, and I needed to use lots of paper punchings under the felt punching. Another time I tried to glue two pieces of wood together and my finger got glued to one piece, and when I tried to break my finger free, the piece that I glued broke, but my finger stayed glued. Make sure you don't drop any glue on the finish of a piano, because you might save time, but you'll lose money calling in a refinisher. Using it every day and carrying it in your tool box isn't fun either, because the cap always gets clogged, and every time you use it, you have to break the cap off, make a new hole, or change the cap. Then you might need a new bushing reamer. If the glue gets too old or too warm it stops working. If you need to store it, you should put it in the refrigerator or freezer.