Mighty Putty Question

mattnbecs · 01/02/2009, 08:58 AM

Can Mighty Putty be used to attach corals? Has anyone tried it? Does it work well?

jenglish · 01/02/2009, 10:08 AM

I have been told that aquamend is the same thing as a 2 part epoxy stick sold at local big box home improvement store like Lowes and will work to attach coral though most people tend to have better luck w/ superglue.epoxy will make your skimmer go marginally bonkers for awhile. I have not tried epoxy and am a superglue guy myself. hopefully someone w/ firsthand experience will come along

cczarnik · 01/02/2009, 10:11 AM

I think it's just a common epoxy stick wrapped up in a nice infomercial. Would prob work, but so does the one from lowe's (at less $$).

On superglue / epoxy, I use both. SG is great for gluing down mats / small frags (I also use a dab of baking soda to help accelerate the cure. I use the epoxy if I need to glue / shape a base for a frag that won't encrust (candy cane corals for example).

BrassMonkey · 01/02/2009, 11:07 AM

i like the locktite epoxy better cause it sets in five minutes.

smsreefer · 01/02/2009, 12:21 PM

CCZARNIK :
expand a little on the baking soda accelerant technique .
not to hyjack the thread ..unless this is common knowledge , it sounds like good info to me .

mattnbecs ,
hyped up epoxy IMO , if it's safe for drinking water it should be ok.

cczarnik · 01/02/2009, 12:47 PM

SMS, re: baking soda... This is a trick I learned from my model aircraft building days...

The thicker the CA, the longer it takes to set. Also, water will interfere with the curing process- in the process of gluing frags, you can end up with a gloppy mess.

Dry the spot on the rock and the bottom of the frag as much as possible. Put a dab of CA on the back of the frag, put just a little (few grains) of baking soda (or alk buffer) on the rock where you want to glue it. Stick them together. The soda accelerates the cure, the more you use, the faster it will bond.

You can also glue your specimen as usual, and sprinkle a little soda around the joint where the glue seeps out.

The soda is obviously reef safe, but be careful not to get it on the tissues of the corals (just like care should be taken not to get glue on the tissues).

CA joints using this method require far less glue, and IMHO are much stronger. I've written about this in a couple of posts before, but this doesn't seem to be common knowledge. For the model aviation guys nearly 100% of them use some type of accelerant with CA (either commercial sprays or DIY balsa dust / baking soda / etc.). It can also be used to build fillets of CA around larger corals - using layers - ca / soda / set / ca / soda / etc. But I just use epoxy for that.

smsreefer · 01/02/2009, 01:08 PM

cczarnik ,
ok ,thanks for the trick .
[ caught the area your at also, up by hobby lobby ..great shop ..ordering a telemaster there soon.]

sorry for the sidetrack on the thread..great tip though !

stanlalee · 01/02/2009, 01:21 PM

I asked this once before. this stuff looks EXACTLY like marinelands expoxy right down to the packaging tube but is alot cheaper. would love to know for sure.

reefergeorge · 01/02/2009, 01:46 PM

I use aqua-mend from Home depot. Almost positive it is the same as billy's mighty putty.

mattnbecs · 01/02/2009, 06:40 PM

Thanks for all the input, not just the mighty putty. All great insider info

Zestay · 01/02/2009, 08:02 PM

i use loctites. same thing except my stuff is blue not green. dont know if theres a diffrence. but my tank is still alive and well.

it takes a while for the coraline to grow on it from my experiences. maybe i could mix some kalkpowder in it to encourage it..

mattnbecs · 01/04/2009, 06:10 PM

I used the Mighty Putty. It set pretty quickly (hardens in 20min), but it really stinks.... No adverse effect on the tanks as yet

otrlynn · 01/04/2009, 07:28 PM

Can this baking soda accelerant technique only be used when you are using CA out of water? Or can you dry the frag, put the glue on the frag, put the baking soda on the CA thats on the frag, then stick the frag to the submerged rock?

Quote:

Originally posted by cczarnik
SMS, re: baking soda... This is a trick I learned from my model aircraft building days...

The thicker the CA, the longer it takes to set. Also, water will interfere with the curing process- in the process of gluing frags, you can end up with a gloppy mess.

Dry the spot on the rock and the bottom of the frag as much as possible. Put a dab of CA on the back of the frag, put just a little (few grains) of baking soda (or alk buffer) on the rock where you want to glue it. Stick them together. The soda accelerates the cure, the more you use, the faster it will bond.

You can also glue your specimen as usual, and sprinkle a little soda around the joint where the glue seeps out.

The soda is obviously reef safe, but be careful not to get it on the tissues of the corals (just like care should be taken not to get glue on the tissues).

CA joints using this method require far less glue, and IMHO are much stronger. I've written about this in a couple of posts before, but this doesn't seem to be common knowledge. For the model aviation guys nearly 100% of them use some type of accelerant with CA (either commercial sprays or DIY balsa dust / baking soda / etc.). It can also be used to build fillets of CA around larger corals - using layers - ca / soda / set / ca / soda / etc. But I just use epoxy for that.

01/02/2009, 08:58 AM	#1
mattnbecs Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Seattle Posts: 142	Mighty Putty Question Can Mighty Putty be used to attach corals? Has anyone tried it? Does it work well?

01/02/2009, 10:08 AM	#2
jenglish Marquis de Carabas Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Evansville, IN Posts: 2,523	I have been told that aquamend is the same thing as a 2 part epoxy stick sold at local big box home improvement store like Lowes and will work to attach coral though most people tend to have better luck w/ superglue.epoxy will make your skimmer go marginally bonkers for awhile. I have not tried epoxy and am a superglue guy myself. hopefully someone w/ firsthand experience will come along __________________ Jeremy Brown liquor never hurt anybody “Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse" Pierre-Simon Laplace I should want to cook him a simple meal, but I shouldn't want to cut into him, to tear the flesh, to wear the flesh, to be born unto new worlds where his flesh becomes my key. Current Tank Info: broken and dry

01/02/2009, 01:46 PM	#9
reefergeorge Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: St Louis MO Posts: 4,222	I use aqua-mend from Home depot. Almost positive it is the same as billy's mighty putty. __________________ $35-50 for a <1" frag of some stupid named thing that came from a colony you bought for $40-60 wholesale and chopped into 20-40 pieces? No thanks. "JasonH" Current Tank Info: 125 aggressive reef, DIY led lighting, swc cone skimmer, 33 gallon sump, posiden Ps3 return.

01/02/2009, 10:11 AM	#3
cczarnik Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Franklin, TN Posts: 433	I think it's just a common epoxy stick wrapped up in a nice infomercial. Would prob work, but so does the one from lowe's (at less $$). On superglue / epoxy, I use both. SG is great for gluing down mats / small frags (I also use a dab of baking soda to help accelerate the cure. I use the epoxy if I need to glue / shape a base for a frag that won't encrust (candy cane corals for example).

01/02/2009, 11:07 AM	#4
BrassMonkey Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Palm Beach Posts: 950	i like the locktite epoxy better cause it sets in five minutes.

01/02/2009, 12:21 PM	#5
smsreefer Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Trussville,Al Posts: 329	CCZARNIK : expand a little on the baking soda accelerant technique . not to hyjack the thread ..unless this is common knowledge , it sounds like good info to me . mattnbecs , hyped up epoxy IMO , if it's safe for drinking water it should be ok.

01/02/2009, 12:47 PM	#6
cczarnik Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Franklin, TN Posts: 433	SMS, re: baking soda... This is a trick I learned from my model aircraft building days... The thicker the CA, the longer it takes to set. Also, water will interfere with the curing process- in the process of gluing frags, you can end up with a gloppy mess. Dry the spot on the rock and the bottom of the frag as much as possible. Put a dab of CA on the back of the frag, put just a little (few grains) of baking soda (or alk buffer) on the rock where you want to glue it. Stick them together. The soda accelerates the cure, the more you use, the faster it will bond. You can also glue your specimen as usual, and sprinkle a little soda around the joint where the glue seeps out. The soda is obviously reef safe, but be careful not to get it on the tissues of the corals (just like care should be taken not to get glue on the tissues). CA joints using this method require far less glue, and IMHO are much stronger. I've written about this in a couple of posts before, but this doesn't seem to be common knowledge. For the model aviation guys nearly 100% of them use some type of accelerant with CA (either commercial sprays or DIY balsa dust / baking soda / etc.). It can also be used to build fillets of CA around larger corals - using layers - ca / soda / set / ca / soda / etc. But I just use epoxy for that.

01/02/2009, 01:08 PM	#7
smsreefer Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Trussville,Al Posts: 329	cczarnik , ok ,thanks for the trick . [ caught the area your at also, up by hobby lobby ..great shop ..ordering a telemaster there soon.] sorry for the sidetrack on the thread..great tip though !

01/02/2009, 01:21 PM	#8
stanlalee Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: hampton roads, va Posts: 1,799	I asked this once before. this stuff looks EXACTLY like marinelands expoxy right down to the packaging tube but is alot cheaper. would love to know for sure.

01/02/2009, 06:40 PM	#10
mattnbecs Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Seattle Posts: 142	Thanks for all the input, not just the mighty putty. All great insider info

01/02/2009, 08:02 PM	#11
Zestay Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: gainesville, FL Posts: 1,622	i use loctites. same thing except my stuff is blue not green. dont know if theres a diffrence. but my tank is still alive and well. it takes a while for the coraline to grow on it from my experiences. maybe i could mix some kalkpowder in it to encourage it..

01/04/2009, 06:10 PM	#12
mattnbecs Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Seattle Posts: 142	I used the Mighty Putty. It set pretty quickly (hardens in 20min), but it really stinks.... No adverse effect on the tanks as yet