A few years ago saw a compilation release of all the best stuff from Messrs Jagger, Richards et al. A selection from it on the iPod still makes compulsive listening during a workout on any bit of equipment in the gym.

knowledge-workshop-zapgap

But what, you may rightly ask, have the Rolling Stones to do with the urbane and rather more refined world of fine woodworking?

It’s almost inevitable that during the course of a project, minor errors and gaffs occur. Sometimes I’ve been planing too aggressively on the shooting board and caused a little bit of ‘break out’ at the fence end of the wood, or maybe there was a slight moment of inattention (it has been known) and perhaps I partially chiselled away something that I ought not to have done.

C’est la guerre...these things happen. But how do I fix it?

Previously, what I would have done is to open the offending splinter or tear and try and force in a smear of PVA after which I’d then attempt to pull it back together with some masking tape. The job would have to be left until the glue had set, all of which was slightly irritating as it would take a few hours for the glue to set properly.

I’ve also in the past tried to speed up the whole process by using a cyanoacrylate or so called ‘superglue’, but without much success - maybe because it was a cheap and cheerful adhesive I was using. In any event, I gave up the struggle.

By some chance, I happened to be nattering to a turner last year who recommended a much better superglue together with a can of accelerant, which is in fact, very similar to our Zap-a-Gap and Zap Zip Kicker, the combination of which results in an almost instant bond. It’s also ‘wunderbar’ for making wood filler, by mixing a little very fine sawdust with the glue and forcing into the crack or split with a spatula. Give the area a quick blast with Zap Zip and you’ve got an instant and matching filler!

Nothing is ever perfect and the downside is of course that elegant digits generally end up covered with the stuff, which then instantly sets hard forming a layer of transparent armour plating over the ends.

Despite giving them forty licks to try and get the glue off, I still end up with sticky fingers and those of a certain age won’t need to give that too much thought.

Feel free to leave your comments below as I’d be very interested to hear of any other superglue applications.