Does cascamite go off?

[flanajb]

I had a tub of cascamite type adhesive powder, but when I mixed up a batch over the weekend it never went off and when it did dry it dried really powdery with zero adhesive properties. Very strange as I thought it would last indefinitely.

Anyone else experienced this?

 

[marcros]

It certainly has a shelf life- temperature and exposure to air dependant. I have seen many recommendations to immediately decant it into several containers on opening it so that the exposure to air is minimised.

 

[flanajb]

The powder did seem very dry with no lumps, but maybe you just cannot tell if moisture has affected it

 

[Peter Sefton]

Yes UF does go off it will tend to last between 1 or 2 years in the container above 5 degrees but if it is opened often or moisture gets into the tub the chemical reaction starts to take place and you get this gritty feel to the powder and it won’t cure or bond.

I am afraid the best thing to do is dispose of it and start again, as a matter of interest which make of UF are you using as they are not all the same quality.

Sorry if this is bad news

Peter

 

[CHJ]

Yes that is a typical of the stuff left in its original container with a large volume of air, moisture uptake I presume.
At the rate I use it I find I get away with decanting it into approx. 100gram batches in small sealed jars.

 

[Steve Maskery]

I had the same experience just last week. One of the guys at the Community Workshop where I help out brought in a tub of the stuf (although it was called something beginning with P, I think - Prestomite? Prontomite? I forget, but it was Cascamite really). It felt strange when I mixed it up and it didn't wet the timber. It went in the bin.
Pity really as I have a very large tub of the stuff that has been in an unheated barn for the last 2 years. I suspect I'm paying good money to store garbage.
S

 

[barkwindjammer]

Thanks for the 'heads up' , I thought it stored indefinately too :shock:

 

[xy mosian]

You can extend the shelf life a little by keeping the un-used, obviously, powder in a tightly screwed up plastic bag. If this bag is in the original container you will know what is in it. I probably don't need to mention this, but always use a dry measure for the powder, sorry if you already do that.
xy

 

[flanajb]

Thanks all. I will bin it and buy some new stuff. Shame as it is nearly a full container!

 

[rafezetter]

I decant mine into babyfood jars inside the house soon as I buy it and keep most of them inside a large plastic sealable tub (readymade concrete tub) with some of those silica gel small packets you get from some things you buy thrown in for good measure... so far so good.

 

[ossieosborne]

You could decant small quantities into those re-sealable freezer bags that are available in a range of sizes.

Oz