Gluboost mini review (a MUST have!)

[fazool]

This is an unsolicited, un-requested objective product review:

I have a variety of cyanoacrylate glues, with varying viscosities. Like most, I've done a lot of drop-filling with these. I was looking for a more flexible option, more compatible with a polyester finish and found a web-advertisement of GluBoost Fill N' Finish.

I read the info and liked what they said so I bought a bottle of Fill N' Finish and a can of their aerosol accelerator.

The Fill N' Finish is an instant adhesive that acts like CA but is fairly viscous and sets up very quickly. I used this for the first time and was so impressed at how well this works. It is so easy to control and it sets up so fast and remains flexible (not brittle) when cured. And it is smooth, bubble free and perfectly clear.

When drop filling with CA, it always runs and leaves a sink-hole in the middle so I have to build it up - even the high viscosity and gel CA's do that.

This Fill N' Finish completely maintains its height so I was able to drop fill with one application.

Their accelerator works so incredible with this as well. It instantly skins over, then fully cures in a couple minutes. The aerosol stinks - it smells exactly like ant-killer bug spray. It's nasty smelling. But....it just works.

I have a huge gouge in a cedar top. This is the deepest wood gouge I've ever had to repair in a guitar. I was able to fully level this with two applications of this pair of glue+accelerator.

I will never use CA glue for drop-fills or touch ups ever again.

If you are doing a ding/nick/scratch touch up I urge you to try this stuff - you'll probably never touch CA again.

[Fret-O'File]

Originally Posted by fazool

This is an unsolicited, un-requested objective product review:

I have a variety of cyanoacrylate glues, with varying viscosities. Like most, I've done a lot of drop-filling with these. I was looking for a more flexible option, more compatible with a polyester finish and found a web-advertisement of GluBoost Fill N' Finish.

I read the info and liked what they said so I bought a bottle of Fill N' Finish and a can of their aerosol accelerator.

The Fill N' Finish is a instant adhesive that acts like CA but is fairly viscous and sets up very quickly. I used this for the first time and was so impressed at how well this works. It is so easy to control and it sets up so fast and remains flexible (not brittle) when cured. And it is smooth, bubble free and perfectly clear.

When drop filling with CA, it always runs and leaves a sink-hole in the middle so I have to build it up - even the high viscosity and gell CA's do that.

This Fill N' Finish completely maintains its height so I was able to drop fill with one application.

Their accelerator works so incredible with this as well. It instantly skins over, then fully cures in a couple minutes. The aerosol stinks - it smells exactly like ant-killer bug spray. It's nasty smelling. But....it just works.

I have a huge gouge in a cedar top. This is the deepest wood gouge I've ever had to repair in a guitar. I was able to fully level this with two applications of this pair of glue+accelerator.

I will never use CA glue for drop-fills or touch ups ever again.

If you are doing a ding/nick/scratch touch up I urge you to try this stuff - you'll probably never touch CA again.

Thanks Fazool, I just ordered some after your review and watching some videos. The fact that it can be used on nitro finishes sold me. Hopefully, that is indeed the case.

[Hot Vibrato]

Originally Posted by fazool

I urge you to try this stuff - you'll probably never touch CA again.

You mean it's not CA? I assumed it was their own proprietary formula of CA.

Originally Posted by fazool

It is so easy to control and it sets up so fast and remains flexible (not brittle) when cured.

IME, CA is softer than modern catalyzed finishes, which can cause uneven sheen when polishing, and can cause the surface to become uneven the more you polish. I would assume that since fill'n'finish is more flexible than CA, then that means it's even softer, in which case the problems I just mentioned would be even worse than with CA. What are your observations?

[Hot Vibrato]

Originally Posted by Fret-O'File

The fact that it can be used on nitro finishes sold me. Hopefully, that is indeed the case.

Of course, nitro works very well for repairing nitro finishes. The only drawback is curing time. For that reason it would be nice if this stuff works well for drop fills on nitro finishes.

[Fret-O'File]

Originally Posted by Hot Vibrato

Of course, nitro works very well for repairing nitro finishes. The only drawback is curing time. For that reason it would be nice if this stuff works well for drop fills on nitro finishes.

Exactly! I find the time it takes to drop fill with nitro to be a drawback.
And, if it doesn't turn out up to expectations you have to do it all over.
If this works well on nitro and doesn't come out great the first time, it should be quick enough to give it another go.

[Frank Ford]

As with any repair, technique is all-important, and in general, it comes with experience. CA can make good finish repairs, but it's important to learn how to handle the range of difficulties - difference in hardness, surface prep, leveling, buffing.

"Invisible" finish repairs are typically very difficult to pull off, and even the description of the quality of the result can vary depending on the observer.

[Sam VanLaningham]

Wow one helluva review Fazool! I too bought it to try out. Thanks for sharing.

Sam

[fazool]

Some clarifications and answers.....


My understanding is that this is their own modified cyanoacrylate. I will never go back to plain ordinary CA for drop fills.

No dissimilar finish repair will be invisible because the refractive indices are different so there is usually a transitional area visible from certain angles.

Nitro is easy to work with because it melds into the base layer and bonds "perfectly", however it is slow to fully cure before leveling/sanding/polishing.

This is noticeably more flexible and less brittle than "normal" CA, but I have not seen any finish issues after polishing.

[WaddyT]

I agree that it is a great product. I have asthma, and most CA glues and accelerators will completely put me in full asthma mode, but the Gear Up products do not bother me at all. YMMV! I use it regularly without fear of it foaming or going white. It's great.

[Quickstep192]

It seems like it might be ideal for infilling around inlays.

Seems pricey at $15/oz. Has anyone found a cheaper source?

[Frank Ford]

Originally Posted by Quickstep192

It seems like it might be ideal for infilling around inlays.

I, for one, have been using CA for filling inlay for well over two decades, andI agree - it is ideal. It sets up rigid, never shrinks or swells as epoxy can.

[Sam VanLaningham]

Originally Posted by Quickstep192

It seems like it might be ideal for infilling around inlays.

Seems pricey at $15/oz. Has anyone found a cheaper source?

It's $15/2oz, which is not much more than hot stuff CA etc, right? I'm excited to try it because I'm sensitive to CA and this gluboost stuff is apparently non-carcinogenic. they state they have removed the chemicals found in most other CA glues (that are irritants) meant for prolonging shelf life. We shall see!

Sam

[Quickstep192]

Originally Posted by Left of Sam

It's $15/2oz, which is not much more than hot stuff CA etc, right? I'm excited to try it because I'm sensitive to CA and this gluboost stuff is apparently non-carcinogenic. they state they have removed the chemicals found in most other CA glues (that are irritants) meant for prolonging shelf life. We shall see!

Sam

You're right. I thought I saw that they were 1oz bottles, but not the case. $15 for 2 oz isn't bad. I wonder if it has less tendency to cure in the bottle than regular CA.

[Quickstep192]

Originally Posted by Frank Ford

I, for one, have been using CA for filling inlay for well over two decades, andI agree - it is ideal. It sets up rigid, never shrinks or swells as epoxy can.

I've used CA for inlay filler too, but I've never been able to use accelerator because it would make the cured CA cloudy. Supposedly, Gluboot accelerator doesn't do that which would be a big plus.

[Frank Ford]

If you alternate light spray of catalyst between thin applications of CA, you can avoid the problems of heat build-up, white spots, foaming and cloudiness.

Inlay filler has pigment or other additive to make it opaque - mostly lampblack for ebony filling, so cloudiness isn't an issue. I don't use catalyst for deep inlay filling very often - only if I'm in a super hurry. In that situation, I'll apply the catalyst first, so the cure starts at the bottom of the hole.

I buy catalyst in fairly large bottles, and have a cheap airbrush loaded with it nearby, although for most uses, I dispense it from a tiny needle dropper bottle. Also, I get the 1/2 oz. bottles to make sure my open bottle is good to the last drop (sorry, Maxwell House).

Remember that if you do a thick or deep application, the catalyst will cause a rapid cure at the surface only, and it can take a right smart while before the bottom sets up if you apply it on top.


To quote myself, "As with any repair, technique is all-important, and in general, it comes with experience."