Q:

I recently bought a spalted maple pen blank. One end was fairly soft and punky, so I tried to stabilize it with cyanoacrylate glue. But that generated a wisp of white vapor that smelled like pure chlorine. What caused the glue to behave that way?

Bob Myers, Cupertino, CA

A:

The vapor and smell are well-known to wood turners. The quick-setting cyanoacrylate adhesive is ideal for filling small cracks and stabilizing wood on the lathe.

The vapor was probably nothing more problematic than a small puff of steam. Cyanoacrylate glue cures through a chemical reaction, and it can give off steam when it reacts with moisture in the wood. (Moisture helps trigger the curing reaction. If a cyanoacrylate bond doesn’t hold, you can often kick-start it by separating the joint and breathing on it.)

Cyanoacrylate contains no chlorine, but it does have a pungent odor that’s mainly unpleasant. The odor from small amounts of glue used in a well-ventilated shop isn’t likely to pose a health problem.

Photo: Kelly J. Dunton

Fine Woodworking Recommended Products

Craftsman Random Orbit Sander

While this sander is among the least expensive models in the test, its performance ranks among the best. The stock removal was excellent, and dust collection was solid when used with a vacuum. It handles really smoothly, too, and has a tall body that fit my hand nicely whether I was holding it from above or around the waist.

Buy at Amazon

Preppin' Weapon

The Preppin' Weapon allows you to use a 1/4 of a sheet of sandpaper, incredibly comfortable to use, and you can switch out sandpaper easily.

Buy at Amazon

3M Blue Tape

One of the most versatile accessories to have in the shop: from layout to seaming veneer. It has enough stretch to pull joints together.

Buy at Amazon