Superglue Leads Woodworker Online Comments
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Superglue Leads Woodworker Online Comments

Online readers posed questions on Bioformix Nexabond high viscosity, water-free adhesive for wood products (aka, ‘Superglue for wood’), with answers provided by the manufacturer’s CEO Adam Malofsky.

As a woodturner, I’ve been using superglues for finishing pens and gluing layered bowls. I’ve been hearing that turners who sell their super-glued work in galleries have had pieces returned with failed joints. Now galleries are refusing to take any work bonded with superglue. How will you assure woodworkers in general, and woodturners specifically, that this glue is different? How can we be assured this bond will not deteriorate? Woodturner George, Georgia, USA

Malofsky responds: Turners are using those brittle adhesives for a purpose for which they were never intended. The new Bioformix cyanoacrylate adhesives undergo extensive humidity and thermal cycling testing, and results are excellent versus conventional cyanoacrylate and white glue adhesives. This is the first time such adhesives have been formulated specifically for wood and for how woodworkers assemble joints. We work with well-known turner, David Heim [pictured above at AWFS Fair 2013].

I’m curious as to what the shelf life is and storage requirements for Nexabond. Would the performance of this product be affected if it were to freeze? Glenn Weagle, Instructor, Hopkinton High, Georgia

Malofsky responds: It should not be, as long as it is not open and accumulating moisture. I store the competitive products and ours in a refrigerator for maximum shelf life, but cold adhesive will take longer to cure. Let it warm a bit. Our current well sealed shelf life at ambient temperatures is at least two years.

Let’s do that math on this...16 oz is the largest bottle at $54.96; 5 gallons would cost $2,198. Even the most expensive Titebond is only $200 for 5 gallons. They need to figure out how to make this less expensive. Jim, Georgia

Malofsky responds: Your point is on target and the math does work. First, you use about 80% to 90% less adhesive in much tighter joints than with white glue, so glue costs come down to $219 to $400. The process savings is where the real money is. No water means no waiting - immediate finishing, no swelling, no sanding, no work in process. At one shop, the time to build a door dropped by 80% and to finish it completely by over 90%. For a joint using 5 cents worth of our adhesive, the time savings is in the 50 cent to a dollar range. Now the cost is negative, something white glue cannot do.

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