Super Glue vs Miracle Glue

For the last half century or so the conventional wisdom for gluing something together when you really needed it glued now was to go out and buy a small tube of superglue.

Super glue or Krazy glue have been used for repairing a thousand different things - From broken toys, to fingernails, to skin.

But it has had its problems. I?ve heard just about every complaint out there about superglue or krazy glue. Often, it just doesn?t work or, the biggest complaint seems to be that when you are ready to use it there is nothing to use ? it has dried up. My unsubstantiated theory is that is why the containers have gotten smaller over the years. One never gets more than one use out of a tube of super glue because the cap glues shut and you can?t get at the rest of it. So, the manufacturers have now made the tubes a one shot deal.

Approximately ten years ago another product hit the market on this side of the Atlantic - an industrial version of this type of glue that has been marketed mainly through trade shows and events. The main ones available are Miracle Glue, The Last Glue, Pasco Fix and Lighting Bond. You can invariably find these glues being demonstrated at Home Shows and Boat Shows around the country. Most can now be found more easily on the internet.

Technically, the difference is this: The base of all of these adhesives is something called cyanoacrylate. If you move in the hobby circles, it is commonly referred to as CA. The latter, newer glues are far superior. The main difference is in the distillation process ? the number of times the product is distilled. Super Glue and Krazy Glue can be considered your raw form. They are your ?crude oil?. The newer products: Miracle Glue, The Last Glue and the others are the ?refined oil?. They are distilled several times. The solvents are distilled out. Solvents make super glue dry out too quickly and get brittle and discolor once cured.

In application here are some of the differences. The newer glues come in larger bottles which generally last much longer ? a year or two if kept refrigerated or in the freezer. You can get literally hundreds of uses if you take care of a bottle. Because there are no solvents, they will not dry out quickly when exposed to the air. If you forget to put the lid back on for even a couple of hours it isn?t a problem ? as long as you don?t knock it over. They bond extremely quickly depending on the material being adhered. And for the most part once glued the item will stay glued. The better ones dry both clear and flexible. For all the fishermen out there ? you can mend your waders with these types of glue as well. Because there are no solvents, you won?t melt the neoprene. Super glue or krazy glue will eat a nasty hole right through your waders or wetsuit.

So, the next time your are visiting a Home Show, Boat Show and sometimes the state fair, have a look for the person demonstrating the ?miracle glue?. Quite a show! You will be impressed, I?m sure.

Go to the website and you can learn lots more information about the various applications of Miracle Glue.

Embroidery Digitizing Software

Embroidery Magic 2 software is very easy to use to make lettering, it is also easy to learn to use the digitizing part of the program but to digitize a good design takes learning, skill and practice. An example of what I am saying is that - for a artist to paint a picture, all it takes is some canvas, paint and brushes (these supplies and tools are easy for anyone to use but it takes learning, practice and artistic skill to paint a beautiful picture. The EM 2 program is easy to use but to digitize a good design takes learning, practice and skill.

By the way, one of the best ways to actually learn how to digitize a good design (not the same as how to use the software program) is to watch a good design stitch out and see/learn why the digitizer does this and that as the design stitches - we have lots of good designs (learning tools) as you may have noticed or our web site.

Embroidery Magic 2 is a free standing digitizing software program - ie - it works on it's own on your computer and saves designs on/to your computer in the dst format - dst is a standard format that converts well to almost any format or can be used directly by most software that sends a design to an embroidery machine via a memory card, floppy disk or direct connect. Most any software or boxes that send a design to a card and can use the dst format will work. If the software that sends the designs to the machine can use dst then conversion is not required, otherwise the design or lettering must be converted to a right format for the machine so it can be sent to a card or machine. There is a very good conversion program available for free if you need it. Just email us for the link after purchasing the EM 2 software.

Sandy Carter is the author of embroidery articles at embroidery designs by Thread Artist. She has an article about embroidery software for digitizing and lettering fonts at embroidery software. There is free embroidery digitizing Tutorial at this web address - embroidery by Thread Artists

Divide and Transplant Perennials Love Fall Planting

Autumn is approaching and the perennial flower garden is looking kind of bedraggled. Most of the flowers are finished blooming except for the chrysanthemums and Autumn Joy Sedum. Now is the time to begin the fall cleanup of the flower garden to ensure that the perennials are ready for their winter sleep and emerge in the spring raring to go.

Fall is the ideal time to look over the perennials and note which ones are crowded, which are overgrown and which ones are in the wrong spot. Fall is the best time to transplant and divide the plants, as the cooler temperatures put less stress on the plants. Plants moved in the spring are trying to put out new root growth at the same time they are trying to produce leaves and maybe flowers. This puts a lot of stress on the plant, and many simply succumb. By doing the planting in the autumn, it removes this stress. The root system is established in the fall before the frigid winter temperatures come. During mild spells in the winter when the ground thaws, the perennials will continue root growth and when spring finally comes the plant can emerge with fresh vigor, ready to grow and bloom. Fall planting essentially helps you gain almost a full season on establishing new plants.

Division is necessary for many perennials to keep them vigorous and healthy. Veronica, Coneflower, Coreopsis, Lychnis and Salvia are some plants which need to be transplanted fairly frequently to keep them strong. Indeed, some of these may die out after two or three years if not divided and transplanted at least every other year.

Other perennials rarely need transplanting. Peonies, daylilies, heuchera, geranium and astilbe belong in this group. But even these need it occasionally. Dividing the perennials has the nice advantage of giving you more plants either for your garden, or to give to friends for theirs. An established plant should give you at least four new plants, and maybe many more.

Fall cleanup in the perennial garden should always include listing some perennials to divide and transplant. Getting them established in the fall will pay dividends in the spring with bigger, less stressed plants trying to do too much in the spring. The extra plants generated can plug up holes in your beds, or make wonderful gifts for family and friends. So get out the shovel and start digging!

Paul Wonning is a writer for Gardens and Nature.com, a web site about gardening, hiking and other ways to enjoy nature.