CA Glue............hear me out

I didn't know where to post this but thought this might be the best spot.   I have never glued holds on a route or chipped holds but there is a route I am working on that has some really fragile dime edges that are pretty crucial to the route and I am looking for ways to strengthen them.  Epoxy is out of the question as its just way too thick and I want it to be invisible.  I was wondering if squeezing thin CA Glue and let it run into the rack and then hitting it with accelerator might work?  Anyone every used it?  It might be to brittle to be any good.  I tried it on my wall at the house, glueing a rock to the cinder block, I was able to break it but it took off a fine layer of cinder block so the weak link wasn't the glue but the block.

In CA, gluing holds is only allowed if you use viscous fluids produced by your own body and only if you eat a 100% plant-based organic diet.  And such fluids may only be placed on the rock whilst on lead.  

bob steed wrote:

In CA, gluing holds is only allowed if you use viscous fluids produced by your own body and only if you eat a 100% plant-based organic diet.  And such fluids may only be placed on the rock whilst on lead.  

I hear pineapple juice makes it more palatable.  At the very least makes it smell better.

I have a friend that's had pretty good luck with regular old super glue. He mainly used it to repair minor cracks in home wall climbing holds but realized it might be good for tiny edges. Not sure about longevity but the application would be easy since it has a low viscosity. 

bob steed wrote:

In CA, gluing holds is only allowed if you use viscous fluids produced by your own body and only if you eat a 100% plant-based organic diet.  And such fluids may only be placed on the rock whilst on lead.  

This is kind of ironic, as I've actually said to myself that some of the best "glue" is the thick black solidified (mineralized?) rat poop so common under overhangs here in Colorado. It's amazing what that shit will glue together! Not kidding, I learned more about it last year and according to experts in this field, the rats use it for exactly this purpose (nest building).

Epoxy comes in clear and low viscosity varieties- I've seen them marketed as "LV".  MAS makes some.  Your local Fastenal or other industrial hardware store or boat supply store should be able to advise.  Even the common clear, 5min, 2 part stuff can get super super runny if you warm it up to like 80-100F. You can warm the rock in question too for max penetration.

IME CA glue doesn't hold up well to thermal cycling- too brittle- so if you're in an area where the rock will be freezing in the winter and baking in the sun in the summer I wouldn't expect great results. The rock and the glue probably have very different CTE values (coefficient of thermal expansion) and CA has poor elastic qualities.  I think you can find some CA compounds that are rated for higher elasticity, but epoxy is just better suited for the job.

bob steed wrote:

In CA, gluing holds is only allowed if you use viscous fluids produced by your own body and only if you eat a 100% plant-based organic diet.  And such fluids may only be placed on the rock whilst on lead.  

Just know; 

WARNING!
Exposure to chemicals in plants is known to the state of California to cause cancer, birth defects and other reproductive harm.

For more information, go to;

Www.P65Warning.ca.gov

Update.   It works.   I used it on some edges that were still attached but would flex when pulling on them.  I first sprayed the hold with accelerator then dripped the CA into the crack then hit it again with accelerator.  Let it sit for less than a minute and all flex was gone and was essentially invisible.  I think it would only work on those flexing potato chip type holds but who knows, I'll keep messing with it and see what its limits are.

Salamanizer Ski wrote:

Just know; 

WARNING!
Exposure to chemicals in plants is known to the state of California to cause cancer, birth defects and other reproductive harm.

For more information, go to;

Www.P65Warning.ca.gov

Only when you cross the border into California though, everywhere else they’re good for you. 

Climbing Weasel wrote:

Only when you cross the border into California though, everywhere else they’re good for you. 

Well duh! That’s why I’ve been trying to get them to change it to; It’s known to the state, and ONLY the state of California…..  ;-)

Kevin Mokracek wrote:

Update.   It works.   I used it on some edges that were still attached but would flex when pulling on them.  I first sprayed the hold with accelerator then dripped the CA into the crack then hit it again with accelerator.  Let it sit for less than a minute and all flex was gone and was essentially invisible.  I think it would only work on those flexing potato chip type holds but who knows, I'll keep messing with it and see what its limits are.

Very cool! Any pictures of before and after application? 

To add: 

Accelerator is know to weaken the glue.

Jabroni McChufferson wrote:

Very cool! Any pictures of before and after application? 

Sorry, I didn't get any shots. 

 I will say that this application is for a very specific circumstance and I don't see myself doing it very often.  I see it as only valuable on dime edges that are key to a climb and are starting to flex.  The super thin almost water thin viscosity worked great because the crack behind the edge wouldn't take anything thicker wouldn't absorb into the crack.  After I applied it and let it set for a minute I couldn't get the hold to flex at all, it was solid.  Now I'll just have to see how the longevity is and how it holds up.

Salamanizer Ski wrote:

Just know; 

WARNING!
Exposure to chemicals in plants is known to the state of California to cause cancer, birth defects and other reproductive harm.

For more information, go to;

Www.P65Warning.ca.gov

I was a fireman for 30 years so I am for sure dying from cancer, I don't think a little exposure to glue is going to be the thing that gets me.

bob steed wrote:

In CA, gluing holds is only allowed if you use viscous fluids produced by your own body and only if you eat a 100% plant-based organic diet.  And such fluids may only be placed on the rock whilst on lead.  

You  forgot that the gluing person has to look good in Lycra.

Chiming in to confirm it does indeed work - saw this thread and grabbed some of the non-gel harbor freight super glue. Worked as advertised - literally applied, mouthed breathed on it a bit(moisture is the accelerator), waited 30 seconds and all flex was gone. Can’t really tell at all that it’s glued. Will for sure come in handy for these thin granite face climbs

A two-part hybrid CA probably has better resistance to temperature cycling than consumer CA. It would be interesting to find out how two-part hybrid CA, consumer CA, and epoxy compare over time.

bob steed wrote:

In CA, gluing holds is only allowed if you use viscous fluids produced by your own body and only if you eat a 100% plant-based organic diet.  And such fluids may only be placed on the rock whilst on lead.  

I wasn't pissing my pants up there I was just strengthening the holds/cleaning lichen?