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cigarette filter and super glue not working

h1234

Member
Joined
7 Sep 2018
Messages
25
Location
uk
So I have been trying to attach some wood to rocks using the superglue and filter method. how long do they take to form a strong bond?
they don't seem to be bonding quickly they take like 5 minutes....... the filters seem to harder but only after a considerable about of time.
 
It should be an almost instantaneous reaction. You'll know if it's working 'casue it's exothermic and starts to smoke. The filters you buy in packets for roll ups don't work so well. Most are paper wrapped. Try rubbing them across sand paper first, it roughens the surface and takes some of the paper off.

If you can get hold of UHU liquid super glue that might work a little better. But be warned it's really nasty stuff I spilt a few drops in my jeans and it would have burnt my leg if I hadn't pealed them away.
 
its not instant its about 3 minutes before is see any smoke and they harden, i unwrapped the paper from them anyway
 
Don't use the high viscosity super glue as this does not soak into the filter tips well.
 
yh I'm using gorilla super glue.
the filters seem to just harden out but don't stick both surfaces together.
really irritating...
 
Superglue (cyanoacrylate) actually only reacts/bonds when there is moisture present. :)
Doesn't mean it should be wet, but it needs some low percentage of humidity.

https://www.hotmelt.com/blogs/blog/what-is-cyanoacrylate-glue

Then if all surfaces you use it on are dry to the bone, then the air humidity is the only thing it has to react with. If this is rather low at the time you use it, then it can take a while... Then you can also experience it reacts faster to your skin than the surface you like to glue... I guess some of us did experience superglue not always being so super after all and refusing to bond. I know I did... :)

That's also the reason why it turns white in colour when you glue plants to hardscape. It's the excess moisture from the plant making it react to fast actually.

Also read the articles last part about shelf life...
 
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I recently had difficulty making the superglue + cigarette filter method work. It would just form a gooey mass that didn't seem to harden as it should.
When I looked at the filter packet it said "Now plastic free - biodegradable". As I understand it, the plastic is important in the reaction that makes this method work.

I looked around the house for an alternative plastic-based fibre.. What I found to work were synthetic fibre terry cloths - the type that you'd use to buff your car. You can just cut small squares of the cloth and use them in the same way as filter tips. The cloths I have are 80% polyester 20% polyamide, but I'd imagine any synthetic fabric would do.
 
I've always just stolen my partners cotton make-up pads. Tear them up, roll into a ball or cylinder. I've found that anything but liquid superglue makes this process very difficult as gel glues will not penetrate the cotton/cig. filter enough. IME, the glue is the problem if it's not working. The medium needs to be completely saturated to work at its best.
 
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