Super Glue and fumes...

[Steve Vaughan]

Yup, I'm gonna do the DC thing next time round. Makes good sense and definitely agree - if it burns it ain't good.

[David Gilbert]

Recently I was using CA glue to seal and finish some buttons and the CA vapors were pretty strong. My 3M mask with the default charcoal packs was in a drawer (so it wasn't on my face). That night I had a very plugged up nose when I went to bed. After a couple of days my nose was back to normal and when I treated some additional buttons I used my charcoal mask and had no problems. I never got a whiff of the CA and I didn't get a plugged up nose either.

I asked my dermatologist about using CA glue for cracks on my fingers and he said the only thing to watch out for was that some people become allergic to CA. That would be a serious problem for a wood turner!

Cheers,
David

[Dave Lehnert]

This story goes back about 25 years when I was in a Law Enforcement program.

We were in the lab lifting finger prints off an item. The process involved placing the item in a small tent, then using a CA glue type product placed on a pad, The vapors would fill the tent and stick to a finger print.
The girl I was working with put the glue on the pad and was looking to see what reaction was taking place. She looked a little too close. The fumes welded her contact lenses to her eye ball. She was hurting BAD.

So if you have contacts, be careful.

[Keith Westfall]

don't know if you are an AAW member, but the most recent American Woodturner has an article on CA glue by Bill Blasic

Any chance of getting this posted on here for the rest of us?

[Jim Heikes]

As stated several times above, CA is considered to be non-toxic. However it is an irritant to membranes and a small % of users experience sensitizaion from continual exposure. The off gassing is composed of cyanoacrylate monomer released during the exothermic (heat generation) polymerization process.

[John McCaskill]

When you become sensitive to the fumes, a DC or fan isn't enough (DAMHIKT). The mask with carbon filters is a necessity for me when using CA or anything with VOC vapors. I have found some odorless CA glue, and it doesn't cause me any problems. Most of my finishes nowdays are water based.

[Jim Burr]

CA is an organic compound...a formaldehyde distillate...I really don't remember if it's a phosphate, so the use of a VOC filter in the respirator you are using will stop you from having a surgeon remove your lungs. Fans are great...really, but the stuff is still reacting after you leave the shop. CA will react with almost anything...for some reason; the tannins in paper towels/any wood cause a caustic reaction. If you see it smoke and feel the heat of a reaction, you're busted. The fan will help, but if you smell it, it's was way to late. Several people mention a DC as a solution...really?? The filters are rated at best, 1 micron...CA fumes are not are particulate...they are a reactive gas. A recent article on CA in a magazine was a little off in a quote from an "expert". A NIH study showed that CA in normal form for household purposes was far to reactive to be used for topical use and had to be reformulated to be less reactive due to the high rate of skin reaction.