Removing cyanoacrylate bloom

[Mike Harrison]

An idiot subcontractor decided that instead of using the glue we supplied, it would be quicker to use cyanoacrylate to fix an internal part on a 1 metre long x 40mm dia custom polycarb LED fixture tube. All 200 of them...

We now have a very visible patch of white haze in the centre of the inside of the tubes.

I've tried some RS cyano debonder I had to hand, which does appear to make a fairly good job of removing it, but we will need something resembling a 2 foot long cotton-bud to get to it....

Just wondering if there were any other magic tricks (apart from using low-bloom cyano!), or particularly good brands of debonder that anyone has found to remove the bloom.... something that doesn't need wiping off to leave a reasonably transparent finish would be particurlarly good due to the access issues....

[Colin Wilson]

Ouch...

"Can you give me details of your liability insurance please, these will all need to be replaced using the special glue we provided, told you about, and you ignored"

[Andy Dingley]

Make it their problem. They replace or pay for the tubes and contents, then it gets done again.

e a fairly good job of

ud to get to it....

2 foot cotton bud? Probably double ended strings to a swab that's pulled through.

[Mike Harrison]

That's for another day - we discovered the problem on Friday and there's a truck scheduled to pick them up on Monday to take them to the other side of Europe, and a whole bunch of other logistics (flights, visas, build facility bookings) dependent on them arriving on time..... We also don't yet know if the original supplier has stock of replacement material.

[The Natural Philosopher]

fairly good job of

to get to it....

acetone, and pretty much ONLY acetone, apart from custom debonders will pull CA off.

I cant see the OP, but if you can soak the part in acetone somehow, it will take off all teh CA.

[Bill]

My only concern with all of this would be, is the cleaning going to cause more damage than the original bloom? As they say on the adverts, try it on an inconspicuous area first.

[Mike Harrison]

the special film inside the tubes is polycarbonate so acetone is not an option...

[The Natural Philosopher]

acetone doesnt attack polycarbonate I dont think.

[Mike Harrison]

From Wikipedia : Acetone is a good solvent for most plastics and synthetic fibres including those used in laboratory bottles made of polystyrene, polycarbonate and some types of polypropylene.

[Steve Firth]

Yebbut TNPs last three words were accurate.

[The Natural Philosopher]

those used in laboratory

oh bugger. Cancel that then.

[The Natural Philosopher]

That is SUCH a useful post, I have decided that you are in the plonk file

Bye.,...

[Steve Firth]

What a plonker!