Gorilla Glue

[DocStram]

I didn't realize until I read that Poll Survey question about glue that at least a few people use Gorilla Glue. For some reason I thought I was limited to either epoxy or ca. I've only been making pens for the last six months or so and have always been using ca. Besides the fumes killing my respiratory system (yep, I wear a filtered mask and headgear) I also have a nice colletion of copper tubes that never made it all the way into their blanks.
I am seriously thinking about switching to GG. Any advice, tips, or strategies will be appreciated.

 

[Dario]

Best advise I can give you is to USE a barbeque skewer, hand gloves and couple layers of newspaper [].

1. Lay all parts; pre-drilled blanks and tubes on a newspaper topped working surface.
2. Wear gloves
3. Put some GG in the hole of blanks.
4. Spread THIN layer of glue with the skewer over entire inner wall of the hole. Remove any excess.
5. Insert tube partially into the blank's hole.
6. Apply more GG along the length of the tube (more closest the hole)
7. Slowly insert the tube rotating as you go...preferably building a uniform bead of glue at the hole's entry.
8. lay flat the tubed blank on the newspaper (anticipate bubbles to form and overflow to the newspaper)

Note:
1. I do not wet the inside of my blanks. There is enough moisture there to begin with.
2. I rough sand the outside on the tubes
3. I apply oil (cooking oil and cotton/ear buds) inside the tube about 1/2" deep for easy clean up.
4. Some use rubber band to prevent tube creeking out of the hole (I don't)
5. GG cures in about 8 hours and should be ready for end milling.

Hope this helps and Good luck!!!

 

[GregMuller]

Dario,
Does the oil and cotten keep the glue from going inside the ends of the tube? If so thanks for a great tip. Takes me at least 20 minutes to clean out the tubes every time I use GG.

 

[Rifleman1776]

This could be retitled "The Never Ending Topic". [] However, you did ask in seriousness. Gorilla glue, or 'poly' glues are used by some. It is avoided by others because it is messy, can push tubes out, has varying cure rates, storage problems, etc. As you found out, CA has it's own set of drawbacks but still is popular with many. I like 5 min. epoxy because it stores well and has a predictable working time and has never failed me. Also thick enough to fill the occasional "oops".

 

[Dario]

Greg,

The oil is so the glue won't stick to the tube's inside wall. If you want to plug it you can use wax or what others use is potatoes...just slice about 1/4" thick and punch it with the tube. The resulting "plug" will help keep any glue creeping inside. You can easily push it out later.

 

[loglugger]

I use Elmer’s Ultimate Glue it seems to me to be a little less messy. I also don’t use any water, put the glue on the tube and rotate as you put it in about half way then do the same from the other end, set it on a level place on wax paper over night.
Bob

 

[Scott]

Hi Al,

I use Gorilla Glue to glue up most of my pens. It has a lot going for it. Because it foams up, it usually has no problem with coverage. It sticks to most things, and tends to fill voids. One drawback is you have to let it cure overnight, but I'm rarely in that much of a hurry. The foaming action can push out the tube occasionally, but if you wrap a rubber band around the ends of the blank, this will keep them in place. I highly recommend it! If I'm not using polyurethane glue (Gorilla Glue), I usually turn to five minute epoxy. CA glue definitely has it's place in my shop, but not for gluing in tubes. Just my personal preferance!

Scott.

 

[Blind_Squirrel]

How long should you wait on the 5 min. epoxy before milling and turning?

 

[Pipes]

I use gorilla clue on My pipe tampers NOT my pens !! I don't mind CA fumes they make me smarter :O) But the Gorilla clue takes the Buffing heat when I buff out the brass a lor better than even epoxy duno why! I like Ca I guess because it so quick But then I could use the 30 min epoxy we use on golf clubs and its set up in and HR good enough to hit a golf ball with so I guess its what ever you like or prefer !! Iam over 50 yrs old and if them CA Fumes a hurt ya well I gotaa die sometime can't live forever LOL ....I never notice them very often BUT I do 1 glue up ! pen at a time . Meaning I glue the pen Iam about to turn and turn it and glue the next one I'am not big on a production line ! I do got a dust colletor gat going over by were I glue up I open just to get air moven now and then ![].
O by the way Gorillar Glue is cured enough for me to level on a belt sander and buff brass after about a Hr just FYI I never wait even 2 Hr's on the stuff !! and they get HOT when I buff them !! Never tried it on a pen thou I would think it would hav even less stress than what the heat I put to it has so it outta hold IMHO after about Hr just IMHO now ...




http://affordablepipes.com/

 

[Rifleman1776]

Originally posted by Blind_Squirrel
<br />How long should you wait on the 5 min. epoxy before milling and turning?

Since the mixture is not precise times will vary. My practice is overnight. But I have turned in two hours.

 

[wdcav1952]

Wait overnight for Gorilla Glue and Elmer's Ultimate Glue.

 

[Firefyter-emt]

I also switched over to gorilla glue, I have not had a tube push out yet. I can not understand the long clean up though, I use the pen mill to square the ends and then clean any remander with a fine round file. Maybe 2 or 3 min including the end milling. I did have one blank of angle cut cocobolo spin, but this stuff is giving me fits keeping it togather. I squeese the air out of the tube and put it upside down in one of the bench dog holes in my workbench

 

[Chuck Hans]

I use Gorilla glue also, and I use a small tub of plumbers putty to close the tube ends and it works really well. It pushes out of the tubes and leaves a clean surface.
Chuck

 

[Dario]

Originally posted by Chuck Hans
<br />I use Gorilla glue also, and <b>I use a small tub of plumbers putty to close the tube ends and it works really well</b>. It pushes out of the tubes and leaves a clean surface.
Chuck

My daughter has lots of color clays...maybe she won't notice if one tub accidentally ends in the shop []

Good tip. Thanks!!!

 

[knottyharry]

Hey Doc,
Sounds to me like you are getting some pretty good advice.
I use the Gorilla Glue on things that are very porous, but the rest of the time I use the Gel type CA.
Harry