TOPIC: Better than CPES ?

I have had mixed results with Smith's CPES for sealing & waterproofing wood. I have had excellent results using it on surface grain prior to painting. The paint holds very well, in spite of Sun and rain.

I have not had good results trying to seal plywood end grain with CPES. This is with applying the product to the end grain until it will not absorb it any longer. After full cure - which can be weeks, in some cases, the plywood WILL absorb water on the end grain. I would expect the same results with lumber end grain.

After doing a lot of research online, and some experimentation with various glues, I decided to try using Ethyl Cyanoacrylate.

What's that, you ask? It's "Crazy Glue" or "Super Glue"

It can be purchased in large bottles at hobby shops, and online. I have been experimenting with EZ Bond THIN Ethyl Cyanoacrylate. I bought a 16 Ounce bottle for about $25.00 online.

It is water - thin, and it wicks into end grain instantly. This product is advertised as bonding in 3 seconds. But I have not had problems "feeding " the product directly into the end grain of dry lumber or dry plywood. I am using a "Ketchup bottle" type tip and just applying it directly to the end grain until it won't take any more. Come back a day later and see if the end gran will absorb more. I apply it until the product won't wick in anymore.

It has completely sealed the plywood end grain I have applied it to. It can also be painted or over coated with anything you want to use on it. It does NOT present the bonding incompatibility problems that Epoxy has.

Lots of wood workers use the stuff for turning wood bowls in lathes and other unique projects. Some use it as a top surface in place of varnish, shellac, or epoxy.

Cyanoacrylate is a moisture cure adhesive. This is why it bonds skin instantly - it's the moisture and heat of your skin. The lumber needs to be dry to get good wicking - and to prevent the Cyanoacrylate from instantly kicking.

Back in May, I used super glue from the Dollar Store, to seal and reinforce the transom through - holes on my recently acquired Hydrowsift. This is before I bought the large 16 ounce bottle. I used blue Painter's tape to cover the transom bolt holes for the engine (bolts and motor removed) then
I poked a hole in one side of the tape with a finishing nail. I squirted the glue into the empty holes until they were full. waited a few minutes, then added more. Repeated this process as long as each hole would accept more super glue. I left the tape on for a few days so all the glue would be hard. The glue turned rock hard in a day or two. Had to drill out the holes to put the bolts back in. The wood had become soft about 3/8" beyond the holes - but after the application of the glue - the surrounding wood is hard as rock. The glue wicked into the punky wood and "plasticized" it. It does the same thin with new end grain - and I believe it is better than Smith's for this application.

Has anyone else experimented with it?

Bruce

www.e-zbond.com/Product.htm#Cyanoacrylate

Here is what I did with the Hydroswift transom holes to seal them. This before I purchased the 16 Ounce bottle of thin glue. Anyone that wants to do this - go to your nearest dollar store and see if they have crazy glue for cheap. Our Dollar Store here in Redding had a 3 pack of the little .1 ounce tubes for a buck. I believe i used twenty tubes to seal the holes on the Hydroswift. I can't overstate how well it worked to seal and strengthen the wood around the holes. The transom was otherwise solid feeling - no flex - even when hammering on the big old Merc 700 hanging off the back of it. This will not fix a bad transom - but it will help a good transom from getting wrecked.

I seal the ends of plywood with 3M 5200. If I'm laying a plywood deck, the 5200 goes between each piece. I have no proof but I seriously doubt that the ends will absorb water.

Bruce, never too old to learn. Thanks for the info.

I use a lot of CPES to seal end grain. But I have moved onto adding a coat of Min-Wax Polyurethane Spar varnish as the CPES just starts to set. When it's tacky to the touch, but not runny. The Varnish finishes the sealing job and the two are nearly inseparable

However, always nice to know about a new process. This is good info and gladly accepted. One more more tool to add to the chest