Some things about CA...
If your local hobby store carries the "Bob Smith"-made product, buy it with confidence. I've read a few reviews and comments that said it's very high-quality stuff. Of course I suppose it depends on how quickly your local store turns over their stock.
I read an interview in a woodworking magazine (wish I could remember which one) with the head of the "Hot Stuff" company. He said that old CA doesn't loose its bonding capabilities, just its fast drying time. I tried some old CA to test it out, and sure enough, it didn't want to dry. I tried again, this time prepping the area with accelerator, and it dried pretty quickly. The bond seemed just as good as with the fresh product. I wouldn't trust it with bindings or any structural application, but for gluing wood slivers, etc., it seems that the old stuff may be useful for longer than we thought.
If you've been frustrated with the shotgun approach of accelerator spray bottles, or the tediousness and odor of dipping Q-Tips into the bottle, I saw a useful tip, I think in one of Stew-Mac's Trade Secrets books, to get better control. Take a small plastic bottle with a standard applicator tip, and put a piece of cellulose sponge in it. Pour in enough accerator to soak the sponge, but no more than that. When you have a small area that needs accelerator, you can then uncap the tip of the bottle and hit the spot with accelerator fumes. It apparently works!
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