# What can I use to keep CA from sticking to a jig?



## wildbill001 (Feb 28, 2008)

I've built a wooden jig to make some parts with. I have to use CA to glue to various parts together with but don't want to end up glueing them to the jig. Is there anything I can put on the jig to keep the CA from sticking the parts to the jig?

Right now I'm being(in your best Elmer Fudd voice) very, very, very careful when I do the glue up.



Thanks!

Bill


----------



## John McGuyer (Jan 2, 2008)

One of the things I use is a little stick of Teflon. I drill holes in it and make various small jigs. Not only will glue not stick, but you can also solder on it. 

John


----------



## Havoc (Jan 2, 2008)

I tought polyethylene would also be a possible choice.


----------



## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Alas. It will stick your parts to the jig, but not each other


----------



## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Regular old waxed paper is what I've always used. Cut it into smal strips (sized as required), fold it for a tight crease, and lay it into the jig.


----------



## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

What about "PAM DRY FRY"? We use to spray the front of our 18 wheelers to keep the bugs from sticking.

Also what about ARMORAL ?


----------



## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Delrin. 

NOTHING sticks to that stuff.


----------



## wildbill001 (Feb 28, 2008)

Delrin sounds like a good idea if this jig looks to be something I want to use a lot. I'll keep that in mind. However, since I don't have any I think I'll try the wax paper trick first. I gotta say though, I'm *really* tempted to try the PAM spray.










Bill


----------



## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

Pam won't help. There's enough moisture in it to bind the CA even faster than normal. The waxed paper is your best bet short of re-engineering your jig in delrin or teflon (polytetraflouroethylene)..


----------



## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By wildbill001 on 11/26/2008 11:29 AM
I've built a wooden jig to make some parts with. I have to use CA to glue to various parts together with but don't want to end up glueing them to the jig. Is there anything I can put on the jig to keep the CA from sticking the parts to the jig?

Right now I'm being(in your best Elmer Fudd voice) very, very, very careful when I do the glue up.



Thanks!

Bill

Try this *FIRST* on a scrap piece of wood of the same type as your jig so you don't mess up your jig. Wet the wood so it absorbs in, but wipe off the excess. Now try doing some CA'ing on this piece of wood and see if you have a problem with your work sticking to the wood. Though I've never tried this, I'm betting you won't.


CA is not compatable with water. If you want to "seal" the end of a piece of string, you can apply a drop of CA. But, it will normally "wick" up the string. But if you put a drop of water on the string, leaving the tip dry, it will not wick past the start of the water thereby sealing the tip, but leaving the string supple. I'm thinking this same principal can be applied to your wood.


----------



## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

Cyanoacrylate is an acrylic resin which rapidly polymerises in the presence of water (specifically hydroxide ions), forming long, strong chains, joining the bonded surfaces together. If you wet your wooden jig first then add CA you will rapidly bond everything to the jig. In essence, water acts as the bonding accelerator. Once the glue has polymerised and cured, the reaction is over, it is impermaeble to water, thus the "sealing" effect on the string mentioned above. 

Basically, if you are looking for a surface that CA will not bond with it needs to be non-porus, anhydrous and inert. Smooth, dry and non reactive. 

Basically your choices are metal, teflon or delrin.


----------



## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By Dave F on 11/27/2008 2:21 PM
Cyanoacrylate is an acrylic resin which rapidly polymerises in the presence of water (specifically hydroxide ions), forming long, strong chains, joining the bonded surfaces together. If you wet your wooden jig first then add CA you will rapidly bond everything to the jig. In essence, water acts as the bonding accelerator. Once the glue has polymerised and cured, the reaction is over, it is impermaeble to water, thus the "sealing" effect on the string mentioned above. 

Basically, if you are looking for a surface that CA will not bond with it needs to be non-porus, anhydrous and inert. Smooth, dry and non reactive. 

Basically your choices are metal, teflon or delrin. 




My thinking here is that he is not intentionally bonding to the jig, but is more worried about the excess and ooze. As you note, the water causes the CA to instantly bond, but it seems to me to create a white crystaline-layer with no real strength that would impeed further bonding and allow him to lift the work out of the jig. Guess I'll need to try this myself and see what actually occurs.

That's why I said to try it on a scrap piece.


----------



## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

I've had some success using car wax on a jig. It's not a cure-all but it does seem to provide a tiny bit of protection. You'll still have to be very careful about excess glue.


----------



## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

Car wax makes sense.. It's hydrophobic (repels water) and once dry is non-porus..


----------



## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Maybe drill holes right where the joints will land so there's no jig to stick to where you're gluing? 

(I'm at Mom's and I miss my wide keyboard. Can barely type.)


----------



## Doug Tome (Jan 2, 2008)

I have used a paste wax applied to wooden clamps to keep glue from sticking to the clamps. You may need to use several coats and buff/polish the wax when dry.
SC Johnson makes a paste wax. That is what I have used in the past. I also use it on all my cast iron work surfaces in my shop to keep them from rusting. The paste wax may also work as a release agent when you need to get the part out of the jig.
The paste wax was first used for wood parquet floors to protect the wood surface.


----------



## railgeek (Jan 15, 2008)

Waxed paper does the job


----------



## wildbill001 (Feb 28, 2008)

I've tried the wax paper and it does ok. However, what I'm putting together has lots of sharp corners and keeping the wax-paper in place is real tough. Next up is the car-wax.

I read about something called Ultra High Molecular Weight. Sounds a lot like Delrin. Does anyone know if they are indeed the same?

Bill


----------



## Trains West (Oct 4, 2008)

high density plastic is white and NOT the same as delrin ...... almost nothing sticks to it as it has oils that come out of the plastic and a film forms on the surface ..... it is very easy to machine but the surface will deform if hit or pushed hard ....


----------



## Havoc (Jan 2, 2008)

UHMWPE (or HMPE) is a polyethylene variant. Bit easier to machine and more abrasion resistance. Neither are important for your application.


----------

