On Thu, 9 Dec 2004 22:40:47 -0000 "N Cook"
wrote:

I was talking to a mechanical engineer today and he mentioned
that he stores super glue in the fridge - fair enough- I do also.
But he removes the top so the air can get to it .
Anyone do the same so it doesn't go off of its own accord when
excluded from air ? Apparently he's done it for years ever
since asking the Permabond rep why they never sell full bottles.

These adhesives need a bit of humidity to catylize the reaction that
causes them to harden. You'll find that they don't harden as quickly
on extremely dry days, like indoors here in the winter. You can get
around this by breathing heavily on the parts just before applying the
glue.

Storing in the frig helps, because the air in the frig is dehumidified
by virtue of passing over the freezer coils. The moisture is pulled
out of the air and eventually leaves the freezer when the defrost
cycle runs.

The downside of storing like this is that if you take a cold bottle
out of the freezer and open it. Moist room air that gets inside will
precipitate water out which can be counterproductive. I prefer to
store such adhesives in the frig part, not in the freezer. The dew
point is almost as low there, but water is not as likely to settle out
inside the container when you use it.

Many manufacturers recommend storing in the frig, but letting the
bottle come up to room temp before opening. I'm afraid I'm never
patient enough, or organized enough, for that.

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Jim Adney
Madison, WI 53711 USA
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