If tou are thinking of sticking a small washer to the end of a rod, to be able to thin the washer down, or similar usage, I would just get a small tube of cheap stuff from the pound shop or similar. Get the proper stuff when you need it, it’s expensive and usually has a short shelf life. Cheap stuff also will often release just with hot water but ample strength in short term.

Wolfie,

 

The adhesives sold under the Loctite brand fall into two main types, and they are entirely different in their capabilities.

 

The first type are called retaining compounds or anaerobic adhesives. These were the type for which the brand became well-known, and when most MEs refer to “loctiting” something they are usually referring to these. They are designed for one thing: retaining shafts or male threads in holes or female threads. They remain liquid in the presence of air, but in the absence of air (e.g. in a tight-fitting joint) they polymerise to something akin to perspex. This forms an interference fit, and with the stronger grades you would probably destroy the parts if you tried to pull them apart. There are weaker grades for holding screws in place to stop them vibrating loose but allowing them to be undone with tools. What these subsrances are useless at is forming butt joints. They have poor to very poor peel strength, that is to say they do not bond very strongly to the metal or whatever you are joining. However, they are excellent at what they are designed to do.

 

The other type is cyanoacrylates* or “superglue”. These are designed to stick well to the substrate and form conventional joints. The joints have decent peel strength provided the surface is well prepared beforehand. The joint can be broken down by heat (as can the anaerobics). I dislike them, as they are a b****r to get in the right place, set too quickly when and where you don’t want them to (e.g. your fingers) and too slowly when you do.

 

Obviously for the purpose you mentioned the second are the type to try. I would however suggest that you try putting a layer of paper between chuck and workpiece to make it easier to separate them (obviously with glue on both sides) wheron a sharp blow with a hide mallet should separate them. I would be wary of using epoxy on your chuck, it could be hard to remove.

 

I also suggest you read a copy of Tubal Cain’s “Workholding in the Lathe” in the Workshop Practice series. If you think I go on about these too much, well to be honest most of the series are mediocre to reasonably good, but the half dozen by that author are all first rate and should be in every serious new ME’s collection.

 

David

 

*Actually the anaerobics are also based on cyanoacrylates, but presumably different ones with different qualities and/or different extra ingredients.

Wolfie,

 

Perhaps I wasn’t clear enough, the retaining compounds are very much what you don’t want to use for that application. You need the bond to stand up to the shear force of turning, but be capable of being broken to remove the finished product. The retaining compounds just do not have the shear/peel strength.

 

However, there’s nothing to stop you trying it, with very light cuts you might just get away with it.

 

In the past, turners used to use wax to hold things on to faceplates, and others have been successful using hot glue guns. You have to take greater care to get the thing flat with those though.

 

David

 

 

Get a 20g bottle for a quid from pound land and see how you get on

 

Spend any money saved on wine wimmen and song (hic)

I have limited my Locktites down to just two, forgot the numbers off hand but can get them.

The blue i use where screws are to be adjusted or removed.

The green bearing retainer you can do the same but have to work the thread whilst its going off.

 

That aside and down to nitty gritty, been using retainers ie bearing lock to bond two parts together whilst being able to heavilly machine the two parts. I dont mean a p…y cut either.

Show it some heat until smolders the part will come away after, i use it all the time.

 

Superglues as in cyanoacrylates never ever had any joy and no shelf life when opened.

I don’t think it is a good idea to keep Loctite in the refigerator. The specifications for optimal storage are 8C to 21C and the product sheets say that storage below 8C or above 28C may adversely affect the product properties.

 

I stored mine in the the workshop (beer) fridge. I recently built up a crankshaft using 609 and straight dowels with attention to gaps and cleaning and curing time and it came loose when I put it in the lathe to cleanup. I know that others have used it successfully for this purpose and have assumed that the low temperature caused the problem.

 

I have tossed out all the stuff from the fridge and replaced it with fresh (muttering about the cost all the time). I am now about to try again using 638 which appears to be the strongest.

 

This time I will also use taper pins (if I can find somebody to sell less than 100).

 

For what it is worth.

 

Jim

 

Cleanliness is paramount with loctite, there is a spray that pre-conditions the surface before you apply the loctite.

Clean the surfaces with cellulose thinner and allow to dry and then assemble.

gap filling adhesives do need a gap! its no good assembling with a tight fit if it cannot have a gap to fill!

Thread locking types only need to be used if there is vibration or you have long intervals between maintenance or in places that you would have to dis-assemble lots of parts to get at the loose screws.

 

Clive

Jason,

 

OK, I was thinking 500ml can (2.1 kJ/K), a 20 K temperature drop, and of course your original memory of 10 seconds, so we’re about in agreement, Still a pretty powerful Peltier device though.

 

David

Hi happy new year, (Ive been off the air cause my computer and ISP both crashed earlier last month). Anyway I use super glue gel, It lasts longer, easier to spread cause it does not go off straight away and is easier to cean of the excess,

John Holloway