How does one clean needle applicators for CA glue?

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**Ouze**

Hey, I was thinking about getting one of these bottles for doing rivets.

It says it comes with a "cleaning wire", which means... nothing to me, really.

If the CA dries in the applicator, how do you fix it? Is this a disposable item?

**SalamanderMarine**

If you get glue stuck in them then heating with with a gas hob or lighter/match clears it out easy, i don't know if it will work for any other things though.

**Dheneb**

I'm assuming the cleaning wire is to prevent the glue drying in the applicator. I've had it happen with my plastic cement, and Salamander's way cleared it right up.

**Deunstephe**

The cleaning wire is for exactly that purpose. If the glue dries in the tube, stick the cleaning wire in and you have an open airway again. You could also do Salamander's way if you don't want to stick a wire down your glue.

**Ouze**

Dheneb wrote:
I'm assuming the cleaning wire is to prevent the glue drying in the applicator. I've had it happen with my plastic cement, and Salamander's way cleared it right up.

Sure - sometimes I use my pin vise to clear a channel in my CA and then I use a lighter to burn it off.

But I'd be concerned that heating a needle that's mounted in plastic, as opposed to my all-metal pin vise, would melt the way the uh needle housing or whatever. Have you guys actually done this? With plastic cement, I imagine it wouldn't adhere to the metal wire, but with CA....

**chromedog**

Or, since it's a steel needle, soak it in acetone to dissolve the dried superglue first.

**Deunstephe**

I use copper wires to clean out my plastic cement, since I have one bottle of GW's crap left and I don't want to buy more until it's all gone. The cement still sticks to the wire, but it's not that big of a deal. With superglue it's basically the same until you have an encrustation of it on one end, and then you'll have to do what chromedog said and dip it in acetone.

**Ouze**

Thanks for the advice. A++, would ask again.