Glue masters strength and curing time

[mjw011689]

Ok I’ve got 2 questions I’m having a hard time finding answers to on here. First, how much weight can this stuff hold? Specifically for gluing rock together. I’m planning to also use the Marco mortar but to start I’m just using the glue to get everything in place.

Second, how long does it take to cure without the accelerant? Best I can find is 60 second curing time from their website, but is that a complete cure? Or is that just till it hardens a bit?

 

[reefbandit]

What method are you using? If you haven't seen it check out this video below, and use this method.The bond this creates through the reaction of the thin superglue and the powdered rock dust basically welds the rock together, you don't need any marco mortar.

 

[reefbandit]

This is the glue you want for this method.

Glue Masters Cyanoacrylate (CA) Super Glue - 16 OZ (453-gram) Ultra Thin 05 CPS Viscosity Bottle with Protective Cap

FREE Shipping on Orders Over $110! Product Description ★ SIMPLY THE BEST SUPER GLUE: You Will Instantly See the Difference Between Our Super Glue and Other Brands - Industrial strength, Extended Shell Life, Fast Cure, Strongest Bond on The Market. Made in USA. ★ 4.9 OUT OF 5 STAR RATING ON...

gluemasters.com

 

[Chee-tomorpha]

I've done this method too for my 250 rebuild after the epoxy and cementing powders didn't work, maybe was user error. But this method you can't mess up. I crushed some of the rock into powder and use it as the welding powder. Sets instantly, just be careful as it creates a lot of heat and can burn. It also makes a lot of fumes too so do it in a well ventilated area.

Been close to 8 months since initial weld, been in water coming up on 4-5 months now.

 

[reefbandit]

Here's a couple examples of what you can do with this method. After living with the rock work I wish I had gone a little further with some overhangs, but you can really defy gravity using this method its pretty cool. This has been setup for a year and nothing has fallen apart.

 

[Gtinnel]

I just finished gluing together my aquascape and I just used cheap thin super glue and baking soda. It is plenty strong enough. Each piece is around 25 lbs and I can pick them up from any piece and it didn’t break apart. I also started throwing some rock dust on the joints to hide the white baking soda.

With baking soda or rock dust it sets nearly instantly. I was going to use gluemasters since I have only heard good things about it, but I was too impatient to wait on shipping so I just used the cheapest glue I could find locally.

 

[ZombieEngineer]

If you use rock dust it cures in like 10 seconds and is really strong. 3 or 4 tac welds of that and it's stronger than the rock itself. I'm never trying the Marco mortar again after learning this method.

 

[mjw011689]

Wow thanks for all the feedback everyone. Great info. Yeah I’ve seen a few things about the baking soda… there’s so much info out there it’s almost overwhelming to be honest. And yeah, being in the auto industry for so long, I’ve learned that most glues and epoxies will burn. Some even smoke they get so hot.

as for the baking soda, is it necessary to mix it with water and make a spray, or does it work as is and just need to be sprinkled on there? I’ve seen a few people making sprays with it. And I’m assuming the baking soda leaves white residue where it lands in the glue but the rest will come off the rock with a rinse I’m guessing?

i was really only considering the mortar to hide the joints and make it look more like one solid piece… was gonna put some rock powder on it to blend. But if y’all think the superglue will be enough then I’ll just add a bit more with rock powder to blend it.

 

[ZombieEngineer]

Wow thanks for all the feedback everyone. Great info. Yeah I’ve seen a few things about the baking soda… there’s so much info out there it’s almost overwhelming to be honest. And yeah, being in the auto industry for so long, I’ve learned that most glues and epoxies will burn. Some even smoke they get so hot.

as for the baking soda, is it necessary to mix it with water and make a spray, or does it work as is and just need to be sprinkled on there? I’ve seen a few people making sprays with it. And I’m assuming the baking soda leaves white residue where it lands in the glue but the rest will come off the rock with a rinse I’m guessing?

i was really only considering the mortar to hide the joints and make it look more like one solid piece… was gonna put some rock powder on it to blend. But if y’all think the superglue will be enough then I’ll just add a bit more with rock powder to blend it.

It needs to be a powder. And it gets HOT. Wear protective gear because this stuff has the same kind of sticky burn effect as napalm if it lands on bare skin.

 

[mjw011689]

Yeah I’ve already got a fair bit on my fingers. It was warm but not the worst I’ve dealt with. Although I didn’t get in on my hands with baking soda and im sure it gets hotter with that. I did however, find that acetone (wife’s nail polish remover) works great to remove it from hands. It’ll be gloves from now on though, this stuff was runny and I got the thick one too

 

[Chee-tomorpha]

My rebuild is going through the ugly phase right now and I am seeing something pretty cool - not sure if others are seeing this.

It appears that the sections that I covered in glue grew Coraline a lot faster. These areas also inhibited GHA growth vs. areas where there were no gluing.

I used the liquid glue in excess. I nearly soaked it to ensure the joint sizzled and smoked - I did this thinking the more reactions I made the more secure it would be. I think the liquid glue may have sealed the dry rock from leaching phosphates and other nutrients and may explain what I'm seeing.

 

[KStatefan]

I have noticed the same thing the areas with glue were bare for a long time and now coraline is starting to grow. I used sand at my joints then accelerator to make it cure instantly. I did reinforce with mortar under the joints.

 

[Magic031707]

Yes, it works wonders. I busted some macro dry rocks to powder form and it bonded with the glue with no problems..like the others said it will get hot. Here is a pic of what mine did to the aquascape and my hand...went through the gloves.

 

[Gtinnel]

Yes, it works wonders. I busted some macro dry rocks to powder form and it bonded with the glue with no problems..like the others said it will get hot. Here is a pic of what mine did to the aquascape and my hand...went through the gloves.

I used baking soda with my glue and several times while working with it had to set the rock down and frantically try to get the quickly hardening glue off my hands. It was really hot but never actually burned me.

 

[Chee-tomorpha]

I have noticed the same thing the areas with glue were bare for a long time and now coraline is starting to grow. I used sand at my joints then accelerator to make it cure instantly. I did reinforce with mortar under the joints.

Since you're seeing it as well, I may try to experiment further on my current peninsula 500 build. I wonder if I can spray the liquid super glue out of a pump spray to coat everything once the aquascape is done. Will try this and see since I ordered two large bottles.

 

[Chee-tomorpha]

Pix of current coralline growth on two large sections. The third pix is a newer section that I added about a month after the other. As you can see, algae growth is taking over, but the weld section is pretty clean. This section is further from the light, so I think it has some impact on the coralline growth.

 

[RichReef]

It works great. I can pick up any of my formations by the smallest pieces. I used Carib Sea special grade sand and the GlueMaster's thin. I found the baking soda and powder methods good but a lot more messy. The sand was perfect. Put some sand on the joint, use the glue, then throw some more sand on it ASAP to cover it. Add more on top of that if needed. I couldn't believe how strong it is. It sets very fast but on heavier applications you should wait longer before moving the structure. I am not on a PC that has my pics but you can look at my build thread. The structure with the plate coral has about 1 inch of bond and I can pick that entire structure up by the plate and shake it violently. Same for the rock ring on the same structure. It's really unbelievable.

Do yourself a favor and pick up a box of nitrile gloves.

As for your question it sets fast but cure time is 24 hours.

 

[DeniseAndy]

I loved this method. As stated before, be sure to wear proper PPE. Thick gloves were necessary for me as well as glasses and some sort of mask for fumes.

I also did this with my live rock. Pulled out of tank, glued,sand,glue,sand,etc and rinsed in saltwater and put back into tank. No issues. I let them sit out a bit to cure before rinsing and then rinsed well.

My go to method now.

 

[Kathy Floyd]

Can you use gluemasters glue to a piece still underwater? Or do you have to pull the whole thing out? I have a rock I want to put on top of a rock already in the tank.

 

[ZombieEngineer]

Can you use gluemasters glue to a piece still underwater? Or do you have to pull the whole thing out? I have a rock I want to put on top of a rock already in the tank.

No. You need gel consistency super glue or 2 part epoxy or it will immediately cure underwater before you can press the two together.

Underwater your best bet is a 2 part epoxy sandwich where you apply super glue, then a piece of 2 part epoxy, then super glue on top of that, then squish the pieces together.