CA is short for Cyanoacrylate, which is the chemical name for super glue. A CA finish is made by building up many really thin layers of super glue on your pen, then polishing them to a high-gloss. It is the most durable finish I’ve found and can be used on virtually all woods, stabilized woods, and even acrylics.

What is cyanoacrylate glue? They are all clear, waterproof, and require no clamping, so you can simply hold parts in place until the glue sets.

Super glue, cyanoacrylate, and CA glue are all different names that describe the same adhesive — Cyanoacrylate. However, they all refer to the same kind of adhesive. Super glues bond through reaction with moisture both on the material surfaces they are bonding to and moisture present in the air.

It refers to when excess cyanoacrylate monomers vaporize or become airborne, reacting with moisture in the air. The monomers then cure into small particles that fall onto the area around the bond line. This is the white residue you often see on darker parts bonded with a cyanoacrylate.

Newly manufactured, sealed tubes of glue can last between 8 and 12 months.

One of the easiest and surest ways to remove cyanoacrylate adhesive is to use fingernail polish remover. However, you need to make sure that you choose a fingernail polish remover that contains acetone. Acetone eats away at these types of adhesives like nothing else.

Cyanoacrylate will stick to finish, but applying paste wax will block the glue. On the other hand, you can glue to a finished surface, something few adhesives will do. It will stick to old glue, so it’s ideal for repair work.

A variety of formulations exist of CA glues from ultra-thin to thick gels, and with setting times that vary from just one or two seconds to over a minute. They are all clear, waterproof, and require no clamping, so you can simply hold parts in place until the glue sets.

Finishing expert Michael Dresdner takes a closer look at this interesting glue. Cyanoacrylate (or CA in shorthand) is the fastest setting of all adhesives. A variety of formulations exist of CA glues from ultra-thin to thick gels, and with setting times that vary from just one or two seconds to over a minute.

Start with a clean, dry surface. Apply CA to one side of the joint, then quickly press the parts together and hold them until the glue sets, usually in less than a minute. Don’t spread out the drop or bead, but instead let it squash when you join the parts. The more CA is spread out, the faster it will cure, and it won’t cure in a large puddle.