Baking Soda & Super Glue for Repairs?

[Shuey]

Received a tip for repairing . . . almost anything that needs to be "glued" back together . . . using Super Glue and Baking Soda. What possessed someone to try this out to begin with? Amazing.

Lots of YouTube videos about this technique which include not only attaching things together, but also fabricating parts, filling voids, . . . you get the idea.

Something breaks while on that long adventure ride, baking soda and super glue are available nearly everywhere!

Thank you Uncle Phil for bringing this to my attention.

Enjoyed this video in particular where Super Glue brands were compared to see if one was better than the rest. One was!

Shuey

 

[SMSW]

Received a tip for repairing . . . almost anything that needs to be "glued" back together . . . using Super Glue and Baking Soda. What possessed someone to try this out to begin with? Amazing.

Something breaks while on that long adventure ride, baking soda and super glue are available nearly everywhere!

Interesting. My first reaction when watching this was, why not use accelerator and any of a zillion other fillers? Sawdust might not be available on the road, but sand is. Next question I had was what is really happening?

While one quick search is not a definitive answer, this guy offers some more info:

https://boostuphome.com/tools/adhesives/super-glue-and-baking-soda/

In the video you posted, the first Loctite try on metal failed pretty quickly, but the narrator seemed to ignore this. His shear test of scraping with the screwdriver was also less than convincing. And he dismissed the slow setting other two samples. If the key criteria here is fast setting, get super glue accelerator. It works as expected and the glue sets up instantly.

As for availability, sure in towns large enough for a Home Depot, but how about in Why, AZ? I've never been convinced that super glue is the answer to all gluing problems, and it absolutely is not. It has specific uses that work very well and completely fails in other applications. You have to tailor the glue to the project.

Sounds to me like a roll of duct tape in your top case will serve you better.

Btw, I know nothing about the dangerous fumes you get when adding baking soda. CA glue to begin with is not as benign as other adhesives. Were I to use this combo, I'd do more research to find out exactly what advantages this mixture yields over, say, a tube of gelled super glue and accelerator (if needed).

 

[Uncle Phil]

You can usually get Super Glue of some sort and baking soda at pretty much any grocery store or hardware store. We 'reassembled' a ST1100 mirror cover that was in a bunch of pieces using this method and it lasted the rest of the trip - over 5,000 miles. I still have that mirror cover tucked away in the garage.

Uncle Phil - West 2009 Day 05

I had major issue in Ireland and used the same method (very small town in Ireland had it at a local grocer).

Uncle Phil - Ireland 2010 Day 04

I'll take experience over theory every time.

 

[Shuey]

Sounds to me like a roll of duct tape in your top case will serve you better.

Great response, thank you. Very informative.

"Baking soda adds solidity to the gap, and the super glue provides the actual strength. The added bonus is the quicker drying time than usual."
- Well . . . this is good enough for me to consider it as a on the road problem solution if needed.

"People usually only focus and talk about the fast-setting result that you get from mixing the two substances but don’t mention the extremely dangerous vapors that this mixture produces. As we previously mentioned, the exothermic reaction is responsible for these fumes and not only produces heat but is dangerous for health when inhaled."
- Well . . . gas fumes are also toxic, but I still fill up at gas stations without donning protective equipment. So little super glue is used and I can't focus to see what I'm doing if I move my face so close to the gluing site that I don't think this is a concern for me.

Lastly, "The results are usually quicker than with baking soda and don’t produce harmful fumes" using an activator.
A model that we recommend . . . is the Stick Fast Aerosol Activator. This spray works wonders on super glue and will make any amount of super glue magically cure! You can get it on Amazon . . . !"
- Hmmmm . . . in my experience, Amazon just can't get the order to me quick enough when I'm in need.

FYI: I no longer own any duct tape (gave it all away) as I've switched to . . . Gorilla Tape in my bike kit and at home. It holds better, tolerates high heat (hot weather, not exhaust pipes), can be removed without leaving sticky adhesive behind, and can be reused. It's only disadvantage, IMO, is the lack of color choices.

Shuey

PS: In general, Gorilla Tape and Epoxys solve most of my 'problems'.

 

[Oldbikefixr]

My other 'job' is building r/c airplanes. Super glue is good stuff, in general. Be aware that it is brittle in some applications, usually when joining thin materials or where there is a gap between the parts. In the first case, epoxy with a glass cloth backup is quite durable. Same with gaps between along the break. It is more flexible than CA's and not so likely to snap from vibration or another whack. Thicker plastics can be repaired solidly with any method that melts the material so it intermingles....hot tool or an solvent adhesive that will soften the plastic. Years of general observations....your experience may differ a bit.

 

[skinl19]

I used the glue and soda method last year to repair a side cover post that had cracked off. So far it's holding up fine.

 

[bdalameda]

Instead of baking soda you can also buy Micro Spheres - these are micro sized glass bubbles or balloons. These are a bit stronger and easier to shape than baking soda.

https://www.amazon.com/Glass-Bubbles-Filler-Epoxy-Polyester/dp/B07KPL163Y/ref=sr_1_2?crid=KM26H4IVURQR&keywords=microballoons&qid=1641263786&sprefix=micro+ballons%2Caps%2C163&sr=8-2