Superglue and activators

[SimonCornes]

Like most of us I've used CA glues for years but I'm after some advice/opinion please.
 
I have a rigged RE.8 to repair (bought on eBay in this state) - the top wing has been knocked off and all the struts detached but the EZ line rigging is still in place. My idea was to use CA glue to re-attach the centre section struts and to then reattach the interplane struts. The model is in a rigging jig to get the correct height and rake for the top wing.
 
I'm using Zap medium. I've had it for a few years and have been using a CA gel most recently so the Zap doesn't come out very often - it normally lives in the fridge. I had run out of kicker/accelerator so I went to my local model store with my bottle of Zap as I though it was quite runny but I compared it with a new bottle and it was just as runny! I bought a bottle of Zap accelerator and went home. I then spent all afternoon trying to attach 2 struts. I gave up when I felt that the frustration was overcoming my efforts but I can't understand why the accelerator/kicker/activator wasn't really making the CA go off any quicker.

Am I doing something wrong?
 
I've put the 'job' to one side until I can summon up the patience to have another go!
 
Any advice/opinion please?
 
Thanks
 
Simon

[kensar]

I would throw away the old CA and get some fresh stuff.

[SimonCornes]

Thank you, you are not the first person to say that!

Actually I have some glue which is activated by a blue light, I wonder if that would be a good CA alternative?

[jeroen_R90S]

Yes, new bottle usually helps.
I do keep the old slower-drying stuff for mixing with talcum powder, as it does not dry so fast it can be left to cure a little longer, and will also self level a bit more, but that aside.

Was there any old CA on the parts? CA will stick to a lot of things, but in my experience not much to it's own. If there was CA on the parts that could also be the cause?

Jeroen

[SimonCornes]

It’s possible Jeroen. Having tried several times to bond the parts then there must be a residue. I’m going to buy a new bottle of Zap medium today. Someone also said that Sap’s kicker is not the best which, if true would be disappointing. I think the greatest frustration is to achieve a bond after a lot of trying and for it to then fail minutes later!! Sometimes the job seems to fighting against you!! It’s at times like this that you wish that you were using metal, not plastic components!!