laminating

[Ericjoseph2001]

When laminating blanks end grain to end grain, do you just use CA glue without accelerant? I usually don't use the accelerator anyway since it makes the glue more brittle and it holds so well on it's own but when I look at the pens with an access color on the ends, I always wonder if special care was taken to glue them? I read an article last night about segmenting metal into blanks (which was very cool) and it had me wondering about the strength.

 

[Jim Burr]

I just finished up a couple segments Eric. Only took 3 attempts!!! I used CA on one knowing it would probably fail...it did. I did the next ones with 1) brass laminated to paduk and maple and 2) white ash burl and paduk with aluminium. On both I used Devcon clear 5 minute epoxy. Each was paduk in the middle with the metal in between. The metal was sanded with a ROS with 200 grit on both sides and wiped down with alcohol before gluing. The aluminium was the only one that held up. Although not end grain in my efforts, no more CA for this kind of work...only epoxy! I have an idea for caps glued on to the end of the barrel so that will involve some end grain. Hope that helps!

 

[jjudge]

in any end-grain glueing -- you worry about the joint being starved of glue.
I think the grain ends up wicking away what you've placed there.

On non-pens, its a weak joint that needs mechanical help (spline, etc.) the woodworkers quote "its like trying to glue the ends of bundles of soda straws"

If you're kitting and using brass tubes, you've got support after the glueing.

Based on non-pen experience, poly glue on wetted end-grain is better than just glue (titebond or CA).

 

[glycerine]

are you just gluing wood to wood? Just use wood glue! Otherwise, 2 part epoxy has always worked well for me...

 

[leehljp]

I have done segments end grain to end grain quite a bit in the past, but a few years ago decided that I liked the look of metal separating the wood.

Below is a link in another post. I posted twice on that page, and the main post with with additional links in it - is about 2/3s of the way down the page.

http://www.penturners.org/forum/f14/segmenting-aluminum-92473/index2.html

What you are asking is fairly easy to do. I generally use epoxy but medium to thick CA will do also. I prefer to use epoxy for the longer open time and I often use a clamp to make sure the segments and brass/aluminum are tight. CA does not allow all of the open time to get the clamps in place and segments lined up the way that I like for it to be done.