BSI Product Manuals

Adhesives Selection Chart and Information

Quik-Cure™ Epoxy

QUIK-CURE™ 5 min. epoxy cures to a slightly flexible consistency. This lack of brittleness allows it to form a lasting bond in areas subjected to high vibration or stress. QUIK-CURE™ shouldn’t be used in areas that are subject to long-term immersion in water; however, it works fine for the internal structure of wood-framed boats. QUIKCURE™ is our only epoxy on which you can apply polyester resins. It can be mixed with microballoons to form a quick setting putty. Items bonded with QUIK-CURE™ can be handled after 15 minutes. Full strength is reached in 1 hour.

Mid-Cure™ Epoxy

MID-CURE™ 15 min. epoxy is used in larger areas where more working time is needed. It is more water resistant and can be used as a substitute for QUIK-CURE™ in most applications. MID-CURE™ is our most flexible epoxy and is ideal for gluing to fiberglass surfaces. Allow 45 minutes before handling parts and 2 hours for full strength.

Slow-Cure™ Epoxy

SLOW-CURE™ 30 min. epoxy works best for forming reinforcing fillets on joints. It has the highest strength of our epoxies. It is waterproof and more heat resistant. SLOW-CURE™ can be used for bonding if you’re willing to wait overnight. Fillers such as microballoons can be mixed with SLOW-CURE™ and FINISH-CURE™ to form a putty-like consistency. Such fillers will usually decrease the working time by about 25%. Bonded objects can be handled after 8 hours and the cured epoxy reaches full strength within 24 hours.

Finish-Cure™ Epoxy

FINISH-CURE™ 20 min. epoxy is an excellent, low-odor substitute for polyester resins. It can be used for applying fiberglass cloth to wood or by itself to give wood a surface ready for primer and paint. FINISH-CURE™ can be sanded the easiest of all our epoxies and is excellent for the sheeting of foam core wings. Allow 8 hours for full curing. For best results, FINISH-CURE™ should be heated to a temperature above 85 degrees F or applying light weight fiberglass, lay cloth on balsa first, then brush on FINISH-CURE™. When fully saturated, go over the surface with a heat gun, and then squeegee off excess epoxy with a playing card from an old deck. Heat and remove excess several times for a lightweight finish. If the room temperature is below 70 degrees F use a heat gun on the surface several times for the next 2 hours. When dry, lightly sand, then fill the surface with a low-weight spackling compound, scrapping off excess with a playing card. Sand to a smooth finish ready for primer. For heavy-weight fiberglass, apply the epoxy before and after laying down the cloth. FINISH-CURE™ is best mixed in a disposable cup.

Super-Gold™Odorless Foam-Safe CA

SUPER-GOLD™ Thin and SUPER-GOLD+™ gap filling medium thickness are our odorless foam-safe CAs. They are non-frosting and take only 2 or 3 seconds longer to bond compared to Insta-Cure and Insta-Cure+. There are no fumes that irritate the nose and eyes. The SUPER-GOLD™’s do not attack white foam; therefore, they can be used in the building of foam core wings and the assembly and repair of plastic and foam ARFs. They will not fog clear plastic. SUPER-GOLD+™ is ideal for attaching clear canopies in plastic model kits; however, MAXI-CURE™ is still recommended for assembling the rest of the plastic kits. Wood can be bonded to the white foam with SUPER-GOLD +™ in less than fifteen seconds. For bonding foam to foam, spray a very light fog of INSTA-SET™ to one piece and apply SUPER-GOLD+™ to the other before joining. Excess INSTA-SET™ may create too much heat, which can melt the foam. Both SUPER-GOLD™’s cure to a more flexible consistency for better shock absorbtion. Whenever a large amount of CA is to be used in such applications as saturating fiberglass or Kevlar, SUPER-GOLD™ eliminates the irritating fumes from the evaporating monomer that make repeated use of CA unpleasant at times.

Insta-Flex+™ Flexible CAClear Rubber-toughened

Insta-Flex+™ clear rubber toughened has similar qualities to our black IC-2000™ but can be used in applications where you do not want the adhesive to be seen. The carbon component of IC-2000™ that gives the CA its black color also contributes to its unsurpassed strength. Since INSTA-FLEX+™ has this carbon removed, its strength is a little less than IC-2000™ but still superior to standard CA's. When esthetics are important and a flexible bond is required, INSTA-FLEX+™ is your best choice. It forms superior bonds to soft urethane and vinyl plastics. Both INSTA-FLEX™ and INSTA-FLEX+™ work well when bonding R/C car tires. When a joint has a larger than normal gap, flexible CA's provide superior shock resistent bonds.

Insta-Cure™

Insta-Cure™ has a water-thin viscosity that wicks deep into joints by capillary action and cures in a matter of a few seconds. Surfaces to be bonded must be tight fitting and should be held together while you apply the CA around the edges of the seam. At the moment CAs cure, they give off a vapor that can irritate the nose and eyes, so be prepared. Thin CAs work very well on balsa since they penetrate the wood and form more than just a surface bond.

Insta-Cure+™ Super Glue, CA

Insta-Cure+™ is a higher viscosity CA for loose fitting joints in which the adhesive must bridge gaps. Normally, the thicker CA is applied to one surface and then the parts are held tightly together for about 5 to 15 seconds. For large surface areas, including those with close-fitting joints such as laminations, INSTA-CURE+ ™ should also be used. To prevent premature curing, don’t spread the glue into a thin film. Lay down a serpentine bead with about 1" separations on one surface, then assemble the parts, letting the pressure spread the CA out.

Maxi-Cure™ Super Glue, CA

Maxi-Cure™ extra thick CA is the best CA for most plastics, including GE’s Lexan MAXI-CURE™ is the best choice for plastic model assembly. When used with INSTA-SET™, it works better than any putty for modifying or filling voids. It can be carved with a knife or razor blade and sanded and feathered to form a finish indistinguishable from plastic. MAXI-CURE™ bonds fiberglass, hardwood, metal, and rubber better than any other hobby adhesive. For gluing to the inside, clothtextured surface of fiberglass, scrape the area to be bonded with a razor blade or coarse sandpaper before using MAXI-CURE™ or any other adhesive. It also is best for bonding the tires for R/C cars.

MAXI-CURE™ has proven to be very popular in the archery business for the fletching of vanes onto aluminum and carbon arrow shafts. Along with being the strongest, MAXI-CURE™ is usually the least expensive option for this application.

IC-2000™ is a rubber-toughened cyanoacrylate that forms superior shock-resistant bonds on non-porous surfaces. The black-colored CA has added flexibility for the bonding of metals, fiberglass, rubber, carbon fiber, and other advanced materials. For model use, IC-2000™ is ideal for the bonding of bulkheads, formers, and servo rails to the inside of fiberglass hulls and fuselages. Setup time is 20-40 seconds, which can be accelerated with INSTA-SET™. When cured, IC-2000™ is pliable enough to be carved with a hobby knife. IC-2000™ is the best adhesive for R/C car tires.

IC-2000™Rubber-toughened CA

IC-2000™ has found many uses in industrial applications, such as rubber to rubber bonding by Beechcraft, carbon composite bonding by Boeing, rubber door seals by Volkswagen, speaker and subwoofer assembly in the audio industry, and many others that need the most durable, shock resistant fast bonding adhesive that is available.

IC-Gel™ CA Paste

IC-GEL™ is a cyanoacrylate paste that is extremely thick and comes in an applicator tube like toothpaste. It has the same bonding and curing time characteristics as MAXI-CURE™. IC-GEL™, however, can be applied to a vertical surface and will stay in place. It will not run. This can be very convenient for some assembly applications. Applying CA to the bottom of a horizontal surface, such as a ceiling, can be very difficult with anything other than a full standard CA bottle. IC-GEL™ can be applied at any angle with just a squeeze of the tube. The gel does, however, tend to continue to come out of the tube for about a second after pressure is released, so this must be taken into account to apply the exact amount of IC-GEL™ that you want.

Insta-Flex™ Flexible CA

Insta-Flex™ flexible thin CA is ideal for many applications, including the installation of CA hinges. When cured, INSTA-FLEX™ does not turn brittle and remains clear, even if accelerated with INSTA-SET™. It has superior shock resistance. Although not as thin in consistency as INSTA-CURE™, INSTA-FLEX™ still has good penetrating qualities and its application can be easier to control. For CA hinges, we recommend drilling a 1/16" hole in the center of the hinge slots to insure the complete saturation of the hinge when INSTA-FLEX™ is applied. INSTA-FLEX™ has a different, less irritating odor compared to regular CA's, but still can not be used on white foam. INSTA-FLEX™ has also proven to be superior when bonding anodized aluminum.

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