I have a crappy Sneaky Pete that I fart around with. No matter how flat I faced the ferrule and tip, the tip would eventually popped. Figured out the ferrule was some cheap soft material, along with the through-tenon of the shaft, so when I try to hit an extreme spin shot with some speed, the tenon would deform, causing the tip to pop off. I have tons of phenolic sheet laying around so I made myself a pad for the tip, and that seems to have solved the issue.
As said before it's a good idea to let the glue wick into porous materials before bonding together. It may require a second application. I also agree that too tight a clamping force can starve the joint. The wicking action we call in woodworking as "sizing" the joint. I do prefer the gel to water-thin CA because the set time is slower, like 15-30 seconds, as opposed to instantaneous with water-thin. If the fit is perfect there is a trick you can do with water-thin CA. Size the tip with water-thin CA, let it almost dry, then lightly press or clamp the tip onto the ferrule dry, and take the tip of the CA applicator and touch the seam of the ferrule and tip. Capillary action will pull the CA into the joint.
I used to build a lot of models, and currently I build acoustic and electric guitars part-time. The hobby store CA (ZAP is a great brand) is far superior, and cheaper, than the hardware store crap... I've used them all and it's no contest. A 1/2oz bottle of thick CA could likely do hundreds of tips, and cost $5.