Just spreading the gospel

Well this forum is about sharing knowledge so I thought I'd share a little that I've learned. When I first was doing installs, everything was hot glue or liquid nails. However when I went on to custom install I learned that there was cA+accelerator. This tool has made many things way easier for me and it's too bad I didn't learn about it earlier.

So who else has cA in their too box?

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Tell the Snap-On guy I'm not here!

Where do you purchase this little bit of magic?

This is why I never really learned about it till later! You can get it at pretty much any hobby store but it's hard the get it anywhere else. You gotta try this!

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Tell the Snap-On guy I'm not here!

I keep some krazy glue around, but hardly use it for anything.

Mike

The thing is crazy glue take too long to dry. cA is strong and you use the accelerator and it drys almost instantly. When you need to hold 2 things together without screws accept no substitues.

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Tell the Snap-On guy I'm not here!

CA stands for Cyanocrylates which is the scientific name for it. Krazy Glue is just a brand name. By the way Parts Express has this stuff as well if you don't have any local hobby shops around:

https://www.partsexpress.com/webpage.cfm?&Webpage_ID=3&DID=7&CAT_ID=38&ObjectGroup_ID=3&SO=2

Edit: Still a good suggestion for others to pick some up though I'm not trying to shoot that down or anything!

Mike

Haven't tried myself but was told by a electronics technician that Krazy glue with a pinch of baking soda causes it to harden quickly and is sandable.

isn't it easier to jsut not break stuff?

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it is used for almost anything you can think of. it is not for fixing broken panels and stuff. you can use it like spot welding sor wood to see if things will fit or will work how you want.....hold fleece to places you cat staple, hold things to plastic while being molded.......the list is endless

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yeah I have that issue...but, the only thing about that is that (just like every other how to article) they don't explain the product in depth like where they got it, how much it costs, how to apply it...know what I mean?

so are you sayin that this is used to see if things work in the place you want them, and it shouldn't be used for a permant install, or can you use it to install items permantly?

audiomechanic wrote:

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it is used for almost anything you can think of. it is not for fixing broken panels and stuff. you can use it like spot welding sor wood to see if things will fit or will work how you want.....hold fleece to places you cat staple, hold things to plastic while being molded.......the list is endless

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it should have read the it is not JUST for fixing broken panels....

it CAN be used in the final install....there are numerous styles and brands of this type of glue. one of the most common is BSI adhesives ( https://www.bsiadhesives.com/Pages/hobby/hdealer/index.html ).

the most used is the gap filling. but the others will work too it just depends on your needs. I usually have 3 styles on-hand all the time....thin,gap filling and extra thick. and lots of activator.
it is about 20+ dollars for a 8 oz bottle i think. and the activator is about the same. if you use it on ABS just rough it up a little with some 80 or 120 grit and it sticks great.

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alright, sweet, thanks that helps a bunch

I write how to articles for Speed, Style, and Sound magazine. The articles that have been written in 98% of the magazines I have read show 50-75% of the actual process and are there to give the reader insight into the process of what they are doing. most of the time there are steps that are not shown, materials that are not disclosed and sometimes they are not even techniques that are the most efficient...... if they gave you all the tricks, you wouldn't have to ever pay for their services. This is also done for space reasons.
I have found that if you read an article on something you should do a little more research on the subject. forums like these and other magazines are GREAT resources for knowledge, but getting your hands dirty and just doing it is the best way. you will run into problems on the first attempt.....then you go and find/ ask why that problem occured. then on the next attempt, you may have a different issue.....then you can combat that one. it is all a process. i know a lot of you might be saying "NO SH*T" but also a lot of people think that if they read everything they can and know a bunch of different ways that they CAN do something, that there is no need to practice.

dont get me wrong here, i am not trying to piss anyone off, but if you want to learn something.....go and do it. it will give you a lot better idea of the things that you need to work on or learn more about. and use your resources, talk to people you know. everyone knows someone that can help them out. or if you dont know someone directly, maybe there is a friend of a friend that can help.

Custom car audio is a combination of a lot of industries, so there are a lot of things to learn. in my opinion there is a lot of stuff that most people dont think they should know that can help them in the long run. if you are doing it on your own (not for a shop) it involves woodwork,autobody,metal fabrication,electronics,upholstry,OEM integration, budgeting money, bolt on accessories,acoustics,knowledge of how music is recorded,and dont forget art to name some things.

if you are at a shop, those things are still involved, but there are also things like advertising/marketing, other financial issues, employees/coworkers, buisness resources/networking, knowing the most efficient techniques and materials, outsourcing some parts of the projects, time managment and orginazation, having the proper tools and making sure the parts,equiptment and materials are inhouse to complete the job on time and as efficiently as possible.

all of these are things that can and should be learned. the more you know and can do, the more valuable and marketable you are. there is ALWAYS something to learn or get better at and there is ALWAYS someone who knows more than you do.

so do some research and get out there and try something or work on some of the things that you might not be as good as you can be.

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I wasn't downing the how-to articles...I think people have taken my comment a little personal. Those articles are great, I have learned an ass load from them. I was just saying that they didn't mention were the products were bought from or how much they applied. I know that they can't show EVERY step because then they won't have business. But, audiomechanic, thanks for writing great articles and I know I can always count on people here for help.