Whats wrong with cheap superglue?

The Continental Op · 02-09-2025 09:51AM #1

I've started using a lot of superglue in hobby projects. I can't see any reason to buy a brand name like Loctite when I can get 4 times as much for less than a quarter of the price in a "Pound Shop".

I'm only using it on balsa wood so I don't need guaranteed industrial quality but is there any difference between cheap superglue and a brand name?

NIMAN · 02-09-2025 09:59AM

Ive bought a few super glue recently in the cheap shops, and its generally been terrible.

I have tried my best to get continued use out of it, but the cheap ones dont last. They often become difficult to open after 1 or 2 uses, and I find its not super at all in terms of its strength.

Buy cheap, buy twice.

10-10-20 · 02-09-2025 10:10AM

Many of the cheap ones are watery as they don't have a thickener added, and yes they might 'go-off' quicker than others as a result.

But at the end of the day they are all just cyanoacrylate, they go-off in the presence of moisture, so close-up work near your breath may cause them to react quicker.

The wiki page is a good reference:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanoacrylate

Alun · 02-09-2025 10:32AM

It's a long time since I did anything with balsa wood, building model aircraft mainly, but always used balsa cement for that.

Anyway, as 10-10-20 said most superglue in retail shops is pretty runny so would probably soak into the balsa wood before it got the chance to do it's job. If you go to a place that caters to woodturners, they use it for repairing cracks in wood before turning, so there's a variety of different thicknesses available, from thin for hairline cracks to thick for wider cracks.

Cyanoacrylates Superglues | Chestnut Products - First for Finishes

Mr321 · 02-09-2025 10:35AM

The Gorilla super glue and gel glue are as good as a weld in some cases whee I've used them. Cheaper stuff no good only for sticking match sticks together

The Continental Op · 02-09-2025 11:02AM

With balsa wood the thin watery stuff is advantageous. I often pre assemble parts and then apply the glue to the joints and the glue wicks up into the gap. I thought it would but I've had no problem with the superglue soaking into the wood.

I've got joints here on the desk I made as a test last night and they are all much stronger than the surrounding wood. In my particular application I haven't jet found a downside to the cheap stuff.

Whats wrong with cheap superglue?

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