Gluing Silver to Trustone ....

[Kaspar]

I need to glue thin pieces of 26 gauge sterling silver to trustone for a segmented pen.

What do I need to use? Will CA do it? Two part epoxy? What?

 

[DCBluesman]

Yep, that's your best bet.

 

[Kaspar]

Which? The two part epoxy?

 

[vick]

I have found that 2 part epoxy is best for metals. The type listed for plastic and metal but not wood has woorked best for me when glueing silver and aluminum to resin. Not sure for tru stone since I have never used it if it is a plastic. Make sure to scuff up the silver with sandpaper before glueing.

 

[ctEaglesc]

I have had better luck with CA than epoxy, but that's just me.
I don't trust epoxy anymore for intricate glue ups.
I think the reason behind it is that I need the glue joints TIGHT and to do so squeezes out the epoxy.
I do like the open time, good luck.

 

[leehljp]

What Eagle said. One of the problems with epoxy is that on many colors and situations, it will show the glue line. The tighter it is squeezed to remove the glue line (eliminate being able to see it) the more epoxy is squeezed out. Epoxy's strength is weakened in this case. That is my (and others) experience with epoxy in flat work. Where the glue line is overshadowed by natural colors and it does not have to be squeezed too tightly, it works well and fills voids well also.

 

[DCBluesman]

In speaking with Brian and Mark Gisi, both of whom have vastly more experience with glueing metal to plastic, they told me that epoxy works much better. Others who have responded here have significant experience as well so I guess you'll have to do a little trial and error.

 

[btboone]

I wonder if CA can oxidize silver like it does aluminum. I have some downstairs, I should try it.

 

[gerryr]

If you want really tough epoxy, get some "Rod Bond." The bond this stuff produces is much stronger than any other epoxy I've tried. The downside is that it has to set for about 24 hours.

 

[Kaspar]

Thanks all. I was especially interested to hear what Gisi uses since it is the style of one of his scalloped pens I have become interested - obsessed really - in reproducing.

I'm going to try Berea's Flexible CA, and the Rod Bond also sounds promising. At the Rod Bond website, I cannot get the "find a dealer" page to work. I have found a site that sells it over the internet, but surely Bass Pro Shops would have the stuff. I shall find out today.

 

[LanceD]

Originally posted by Kaspar
<br />Thanks all. I was especially interested to hear what Gisi uses since it is the style of one of his scalloped pens I have become interested - obsessed really - in reproducing.

I'm going to try Berea's Fexible CA, and the Rod Bond also sounds promising. At the Rod Bond website, I cannot get the "find a dealer" page to work. I have found a site that sells it over the internet, but surely Bass Pro Shops would have the stuff. I shall find out today.

Check mudhole.com They have it in stock. I recently started using it to glue tubes when I have more than 15 sets to glue up. Depending on shop temp. you have around an hour of working time. It's a paste type epoxy and takes 24 hours to cure. It's great for filling gaps if your hole id a little larger than your tube. I use around three gallons of it a year for gluing up fishing rod handles. It's the strongest glue I've ever used.

 

[ctEaglesc]

Originally posted by DCBluesman
<br />In speaking with Brian and Mark Gisi, both of whom have vastly more experience with glueing metal to plastic, they told me that epoxy works much better. Others who have responded here have significant experience as well so I guess you'll have to do a little trial and error.

In reading Lou's response alomg with others in this thread something did occur to me that I had considered.
The epoxies I use( very seldom) are "short cure time" epoxies.I believe the longest open time epoxy I use is 20 minute.I have started using "Stick Fast" 5 minute epoxy because it is clear and says it cures to full strength in one hour.
I have noticed when reading the lables of most epoxies that regardless what "cure time" they brag about most say that the joint should not be stressed for 24 hours.
This is especially true with Devcon products.
Unless I order through the net, or I am at a woodworking store my selection of epoxies is limited to what I can find at Wally World and The Blue Borg.
My success rate with CA has been very good.It is readily available in my shop, I have three viscosities plus a gel and it seems to do the job quickly and I am not a patient person.

 

[Kaspar]

It is readily available in my shop, I have three viscosities plus a gel and it seems to do the job quickly and ...

The flexible CA has made a good solid bond with the piece of 22 gauge sheet silver I am using to make tests. Roughing both up sides is, of course, SOP.

I am not a patient person.

I am. But only where I have. no. other. choice.

 

[bonefish]

I don't like to disagree, but my experience with epoxy and a thin glue line differs from those described here.

In the past, I made knives in the design know as full tang. What that means, slabs or knife scales as they are also called, of wood, micarta, horn, and different materials were glued to the flat sides of the knife blade.

I used either Devcon 24 hour epoxy or J-B Weld, also the overnight drying type.

I clamped these scales on with vice grips and C- clamps, as many as I had room to place them, squeezing out as much epoxy as I could. It squeezed so close that there was never a glue line.

On occasion, I would make a slight error and have to remove the scales after the glue set up. I would place the knife in a vise, point down, and drive a wood chisel in the joint between the steel and the handle material. Most times, the glue bond would not give. The wood would splinter and stay stuck to the blade, and I would have to grind the remaining glue and wood particles off of the metal.

I have used other glues, including the clear, five minute epoxys, and also CA. With those glues, a mild smack with the hammer on the chisel would pop the scales off, and not leave a trace of glue on the blade.

I have also used the 5 minute epoxy and CA on tubes in pens, but not anymore. It is disappointing to turn a pen body and when you press the parts into the tube, the tube slides out of the other end.

I have no finiancial interest in any of the companies that manufacture or sell any of these glues.

I am only relating my experiences to give other pen makers the benefit of what works for me.

Oh, one thing I also do, after the fitting. I wipe all parts with a degreaser. I use rubbing alchohol, and not touch the surfaces to be glued with my hands.

I wish I could explain something briefly, instead of being so long winded.

Bonefish

 

[Kaspar]

I use the gorilla glue on tubes, whenever possible. I can usually start turning it an hour and a half later. On translucent materials where CA is a must, I use Grizzly supergold + (black top) and Berea triple distilled thin CA in combination to make sure there are no air bubbles and that the crevices in the roughed up sides are all filled. This creates a form fitting gasket between the materials when done right. I have never, ever had a pen tube slip out on me, except for one time early on where I was too impatient.

I so want this first (real) attempt to go right, I will wait on curing times for the right stuff. But those epoxies are darned expensive. Some of them, anyway.

There is also a silver epoxy with real silver in it used in circuit boards I may try, but that stuff if almost $60.