Storing CA, Wood glue and Epoxy

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AfterBurners

AfterBurners

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How do you store your adhesives?

Tonight went through some of my adhesives that I haven't used in awhile and realized that my wood glue has gone bad. It's actually orange. I went on Titebond's website and they recommended a cool dry place for proper storage and actually did mention you can store it in the refrigerator. I store all my CA whether it's open or not in the frig in a glass jar, but my epoxies such as Rocket epoxy and the hobby-line type epoxies I have kept in the garage in a cabinet. The rocket epoxy and the two part foam epoxy have never been opened and they appear to be okay. We did have a heat wave last summer, but not sure if that would make a difference in the way they perform? Just to be on the safe side I brought them in the house and now keeping them in one of the closets to avoid anything happening to them.

Any idea on the self life on some of these adhesives?
 
Most consumer epoxies have a very long shelf life. I just filled a crack in my driveway with a mix of 15-year-old epoxy, filler, and 25-year-old curative. They had not been stored in any special fashion, just on a shelf in a garage or workshop.

With two-part foam, the isocyanate is the limiting part. It should be stored at or near room temperature. Low temperatures can cause crystallization that *may* be reversible by gentle heating. Moisture degrades it, so if it's not in a metal can with a good lid I would store the bottle inside one of those tall metal paint cans, or a metal bucket. Most plastics are permeable to moisture, albeit very slowly.
 
My CA just disappears over time, in mourning the empty bottles form a white coating on the outside.
 
I took a break from rocketry for ~6 years and while the kits stored well, some of the adhesives didn't. 😆

  • Wood glues (Elmer's): Kept in the living room and all were AOK.
  • CA: Kept in the living room and many/most had dried out and hardened (including large bottles and Foamsafe CA) 🤬
  • Epoxies: Kept in the living room and most had some solidification or crystallization, but a few seconds in the microwave usually restored them.
  • 2 Part Foam: Kept in my basement (40F in the winter and very humid in the summer) and had "1 year shelf life from date listed: 3/15/15", but I just used it and it seemed to work fine.
Good lesson to not quit rocketry! ;)
 
Last edited:
prfesser said:
Most consumer epoxies have a very long shelf life. I just filled a crack in my driveway with a mix of 15-year-old epoxy, filler, and 25-year-old curative. They had not been stored in any special fashion, just on a shelf in a garage or workshop.

With two-part foam, the isocyanate is the limiting part. It should be stored at or near room temperature. Low temperatures can cause crystallization that *may* be reversible by gentle heating. Moisture degrades it, so if it's not in a metal can with a good lid I would store the bottle inside one of those tall metal paint cans, or a metal bucket. Most plastics are permeable to moisture, albeit very slowly.
Click to expand...
metal cabinet?
 
KenECoyote said:
I took a break from rocketry for ~6 years and while the kits stored well, some of the adhesives didn't. 😆

  • Wood glues: Kept in the living room and all were AOK.
  • CA: Kept in the living room and many/most had dried out and hardened (including large bottles and Foamsafe CA) 🤬
  • Epoxies: Kept in the living room and most had some solidification or crystallization, but a few seconds in the microwave usually restored them.
  • 2 Part Foam: Kept in my basement (40F in the winter) and had "1 year shelf life from date listed: 3/15/15", but I just used it and it seemed to work fine.
Good lesson to not quit rocketry! ;)
Click to expand...
does any of these conditions make a difference if the bottles are still sealed and not open? The other thing I could see that went bad was my wood glue. I also had a few jars of Aeroglass balsa filler and sanding sealer that seem fine. Brought those in too.
 
AfterBurners said:
does any of these conditions make a difference if the bottles are still sealed and not open? The other thing I could see that went bad was my wood glue. I also had a few jars of Aeroglass balsa filler and sanding sealer that seem fine. Brought those in too.
Click to expand...
Not that I noticed with the exception of CA (that stuff just wants to disappear lol).
 
I haven't built anything for a few years. I have found a few dried up CA, a couple bad TBII (Orange is bad) and I have a set of 5min epoxy out in the garage that have crystalized.
Found some epoxy in the bottom of a storage tote a couple years ago. All over the bottom of the tote and some RC boat hardware as the bottles had leaked...... Make sure you at least store your chemicals in a manner that prevents them from ruining other stuff.

Somewhere I have several bottles of Aerogloss products. Fairly certain they have reached an inert stage by now.
 
You can buy bags of about 100 silica gel packs on Amazon for pretty cheap. I keep some in the airtight containers I store motors in. Should start keeping one in an airtight glass jar with my CA.

Metal containers are the best. I did a study of brake fluid that had been stored poorly and for a long time awhile back. The stuff that came in a metal container had even been opened for several years. But it looked new and the boiling point measured exactly what was on the can for dry boiling point. Plastic containers, even those that had not been opened - not so much.
 
T-Rex said:
I haven't built anything for a few years. I have found a few dried up CA, a couple bad TBII (Orange is bad) and I have a set of 5min epoxy out in the garage that have crystalized.
Found some epoxy in the bottom of a storage tote a couple years ago. All over the bottom of the tote and some RC boat hardware as the bottles had leaked...... Make sure you at least store your chemicals in a manner that prevents them from ruining other stuff.

Somewhere I have several bottles of Aerogloss products. Fairly certain they have reached an inert stage by now.
Click to expand...
I have them stored in plastic bags, at least the ones I brought in, but like I said they are still sealed
 
AfterBurners said:
I have them stored in plastic bags, at least the ones I brought in, but like I said they are still sealed
Click to expand...
Same here.

I have found that the epoxy hardener hardens over time. I heat it in a bottle warmer, and it gives me the ability to use it at least. It does harden faster when I use it from that point forward.
 
Yellow wood glue has limited life, I think I read that it can only last a year. I do some woodworking so my wood glue gets used up and replaced regularly. I haven't had a problem with epoxy lasting a few years or more. I've never gotten into CA.
 
bjphoenix said:
Yellow wood glue has limited life, I think I read that it can only last a year. I do some woodworking so my wood glue gets used up and replaced regularly. I haven't had a problem with epoxy lasting a few years or more. I've never gotten into CA.
Click to expand...
Of all my adhesives, my Elmer's Carpenter's Wood glue has lasted the best with no change that I can discern. All was stored at home and some of it may be 6-7 years old.
 
AfterBurners said:
I have them stored in plastic bags, at least the ones I brought in, but like I said they are still sealed
Click to expand...
I bought some reusable vacuum bags to store my 3D printer filament. It comes with a little hand vacuum pump. When I seal the bag/filament I have a small canister of desiccant in the bag too. When I want to use the filament I just pop the valve open & then open the bag. When I'm done with the filament I put it back in the bag with desiccant and pump the air out. These work amazing well. So I wonder it CA could be stored the same way?

https://www.amazon.com/eSUN-Printin...uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl
 
Last edited:
Greg Furtman said:
I bought some reusable vacuum bags to store my 3D printer filament. It comes with a little hand vacuum pump. When I seal the bad/filament I have a small canister of desiccant in the bag too.
Click to expand...
Off topic, but I'm thinking those might be good for storage of reloads, especially 18 and 24mm that come in multi-packs.
Apologize for the hijack, please return to the thread topic.
 
Greg Furtman said:
I bought some reusable vacuum bags to store my 3D printer filament. It comes with a little hand vacuum pump. When I seal the bad/filament I have a small canister of desiccant in the bag too. When I want to use the filament I just pop the valve open & then open the bag. When I'm done with the filament I put it back in the bag with desiccant and pump the air out. These work amazing well. So I wonder it CA could be stored the same way?

https://www.amazon.com/eSUN-Printin...uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl
Click to expand...

Time to break out Momma's meat sucker!

(Vacuum sealer but I got my daughters to call it meat sucker.)
 
Greg Furtman said:
I bought some reusable vacuum bags to store my 3D printer filament. It comes with a little hand vacuum pump. When I seal the bad/filament I have a small canister of desiccant in the bag too. When I want to use the filament I just pop the valve open & then open the bag. When I'm done with the filament I put it back in the bag with desiccant and pump the air out. These work amazing well. So I wonder it CA could be stored the same way?

https://www.amazon.com/eSUN-Printin...uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl
Click to expand...
what a great idea!
 
T-Rex said:
Found some epoxy in the bottom of a storage tote a couple years ago. All over the bottom of the tote and some RC boat hardware as the bottles had leaked...... Make sure you at least store your chemicals in a manner that prevents them from ruining other stuff.
Click to expand...
yep!

can get the goo out of the tote with white vinegar. I buy it by the gallon.
 
With CA...I typically get smaller, 1oz, bottles so I don't have them open longer than necessary. This obviously depends on the thickness and what I'm expecting to build or repair at the time.

Wood glue does thicken over time so again...I tend to only purchase or open large bottles when I know I'll get thru it in a reasonable amount of time.

Location and conditions matter too. I'm very fortunate to have a pretty dry and climate controlled basement so that's where I keep most adhesives.
 
cwbullet said:
Same here.

I have found that the epoxy hardener hardens over time. I heat it in a bottle warmer, and it gives me the ability to use it at least. It does harden faster when I use it from that point forward.
Click to expand...
Yes, hardener may not be as stable as epoxy. All epoxies have the same functional group (epoxide, hence the name) but curatives are many and varied. Most are amine- or amide-based (fishy smell). 5-minute sometimes has a sulfur-based curative. And there are carboxylic acids, acid anhydrides, and some oddball ones, all with different properties and probably shelf lives. But if it liquefies when warmed it should be useable---though I'd check the cure ratio to see if it has changed.
 
I store my Dollar Tree medium CA Super Glues in my refrigerator door.
I have some that are a few years old - still flow fine.
 
Every time I see this thread title, a part of my brain is wondering "where the heck is Storing, California?"
 

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