CA or CyA
Readers of model magazines have probably noticed that they are split down the middle on how their editors prefer to abbreviate cyanoacrylate. They use CA or CyA. BSI will always use the proper designation, which is CA. One editor says he uses CyA to avoid confusion with the postal designation for the state of California. Since we are talking chemicals and not states, CyA is the symbol for Cyclosporine A. Case closed.

Hollywood Connection
BSI's Los Angeles area dealers have the advantage of counting the wizards from Hollywood's special effects shops as their regular customers. BSI adhesives are used by the technicians that created the miniatures in such favorite movies as Batman, Speed, Jurassic Park, U571 and 13 Days. Next time you see miniatures used in a movie (of course, if they are done right you won't know they aren't full size), chances are they were created with the help of Bob Smith Industries adhesives.

Household Repairs
If you are like the average household, it is rare that a week goes by that something doesn't break. Instead of throwing an object away and buying a new one, cyanoacrylates allow you many times to do the environmentally friendly alternative: recycle by repairing it. Ceramic and porcelain objects are probably the most common broken items. If the article is in two or three pieces, MAXI-CURE™ works best. If the object is hollow, the CA should be applied to the inside edge of one piece. When brought together tightly, the excess CA will ooze out on the hollow side and form a bead over the joint. INSTA-SET™ can then be sprayed inside the hollow area to quickly cure the excess CA while it is on the joint, thereby reinforcing it. Any excess CA on the outside of the object can be removed with a paper towel soaked in UN-CURE™. This should be done within the first twenty minutes of curing to make it easier.

If a cup, plate or other object has shattered into more than three pieces, gluing it back together one piece at a time just doesn't work. The last sections will rarely fit just right. To overcome this, a cup, for example, can first be put back together without any adhesive. Masking tape can be used along the joints on the inside of the cup to hold it together. As the last pieces are put into place, some of the masking tape can be lifted to make adjustments so that every joint is so tight they are virtually invisible. INSTA-CURE™ super thin, with either an extra-fine extender tip or Teflon tubing on the end of the nozzle, is then applied sparingly along the outside of each joint. The INSTA-CURE™ will penetrate completely through to the inside surface and bond instantly. The outside of the cup can be sprayed with INSTA-SET™ to cure any excess CA so that the cup can handled immediately. UN-CURE™ is then used to remove any excess CA on the outside, the tape is removed from the inside and the excess CA is cleaned off. You should be able to barely tell that it was ever broken. Areas where small chips are missing can be disguised by coloring them with an appropriately colored felt tip pen.

The earthquakes in California provide extra opportunities for repairs. Cracks in the walls of our homes, which in most cases were tears in the texture coat on the sheet rock, were easily fixed by running SUPER-GOLD™ thin along the crack and applying pressure. Its slightly longer curing time allowed long stretches to be repaired at one time without worrying about premature curing. An 1/8" crack in a ceiling was filled with IC-GEL™ three years ago and has not reappeared. BSI adhesives give ordinary consumers the bonding power used by industrial giants at a fraction of the cost. Every Lancair homebuilt and production full-size aircraft has incorporated INSTA-CURE+™ and INSTA-SET™ in their construction.

Thinning Epoxy
The one question that is answered most often by the technical experts at BSI is what can epoxy be thinned with. Isopropyl alcohol that is 90-99% pure is what works best. It is available from most drug stores at a reasonable price. Rubbing alcohol contains only 70% isopropyl with the other 30% being water, which can become trapped in the cured epoxy. Denatured alcohol (which is ethanol with an additive to make it undrinkable) has also been used to thin epoxy. Acetone will thin epoxy but will sometimes change the curing characteristics. Also, epoxy thinned with acetone can have an adverse effect on white foam. Epoxies can be colored with the various tinting compounds designed for acrylic and latex paints, which are available at many hardware stores. Colored FINISH-CURE, thinned with isopropyl alcohol, has actually been applied with a spray gun to form a beautiful final finish on several models. Of course, the immediate clean up of the spray equipment is extremely important.

Safe Use of Adhesives
Before using any adhesive, adequate ventilation of your work area needs to be addressed. A window or door should be open and/or a small fan placed to circulate the air over your workbench. When using CA, especially super-thin INSTA-CURE, always loosen the top and then retighten it before carefully cutting off the end of the nozzle. This relieves any pressure that may have built-up inside the bottle that could cause the CA to spurt out. This is definitely an issue when CA is used at higher altitudes. Never have the bottle pointing close to your face while opening it.

The fumes produced by CA are an evaporated form of the CA itself. Develop a habit of never having your face above the objects that you are bonding together. Always keep them well in front of you. The fumes that rise during the curing process, while not toxic, can be very irritating to the eyes and nose. Repeated heavy exposure can cause some people to become sensitized to the fumes. For these people, any exposure to CA fumes can result in cold or flu-type symptoms. If you find yourself falling into this category there are two options. First, you can switch to another adhesive such as BSI's odorless SUPER-GOLD. Second, you can use protective gear such as a respirator. 3-M makes a dual-cartridge paint spray mask (R-6211) with #6001 Organic Vapor Cartridges that works very well in preventing adverse reactions to CA. 3M 5010 pre-filters can be attached for additional protection.

Cyanoacrylates do not have an adverse effect on body tissue. The heat that is generated when CA comes in contact with human skin can result in some burning, however. Do not wipe-off CA that gets on your hands with a dry paper towel! Most paper towels seem to have just the right chemistry to instantly set off CA with a resultant burst of heat. While not dangerous, this can be very uncomfortable. The primary difference in CA's developed for medical use is the very low heat that is produced when they cure.

Surgical gloves for your hands are recommended when using slower curing epoxies. This is a matter of both convenience and safety. It is a rule that you will have some epoxy on your hands when the phone rings or you need to open a door. It is a nice feeling to know you can just peel off a glove and have a clean hand. While protective creams safeguard your skin, they still can result in epoxy coated doorknobs. Hand protection is much less an issue with faster curing epoxies such as BSI's QUIK-CURE since they are thicker and are less likely to run and they remain sticky and gooey for a much shorter period of time.

Lancair
BSI adhesives are used by numerous companies in the automotive and aerospace industries. Neico Aviation, the makers of the Lancair series of homebuilt all composite kits, has used INSTA-CURE+ and INSTA-SET in all their products since 1990. The Lancair IV-P is the fastest and most advanced general aviation aircraft on the market today. BSI is proud to be a supplier to Neico Aviation and wishes them the best of luck with their new Columbia production aircraft and their latest kit, the Legacy 2000.

Bonding Plywood
The manufacturing process that produces plywood can sometimes leave a tiny layer on the outside surfaces that inhibits bonding. Plywood should therefore be lightly sanded before bonding to produce the best results. Lite-ply is the most difficult plywood to bond. It soaks up thin CA like a sponge. Thicker CA's such as MAXI-CURE are what achieve the best results with plywood. Strength tests of such bonds usually result in the plywood delaminating before the glue joint gives way.