glue for blanks

[steamshovel]

I glued some brass tubes into some blanks and could hardly breathe for a few days. It was that fast drying glue. My question is can I use Titebond 2 glue for the brass tubes?



Preston

 

[bsshog40]

The first tubes I glued were with clear gorilla glue and it worked fine. I always let my tubes dry overnite.

 

[ajollydds]

I would be concerned that the titebond 2 would not predictably adhere to the brass tube. I prefer 2 part epoxy.

 

[zig613]

For over ten years I have used polyurethane glue that expands into materials (Gorilla brand) to glue my tubes (wood and acrylic blanks) and I haven't had any issues.

Wade

 

[philipff]

Use yellow gorilla and wet the inside of the blank before adding the glue. That process will cut the drying time of the glue in half or better. Done it for YEARS. P.

 

[jttheclockman]

I glued some brass tubes into some blanks and could hardly breathe for a few days. It was that fast drying glue. My question is can I use Titebond 2 glue for the brass tubes?



Preston

Preston, that wood glue will not adhere well to metal or acrylic so if you use an acrylic blank you have almost sure failure rate there. They do sell odorless CA. You can use a mask rated for odors. You can set up a fan so odors are blown away from you. You can use the Ape glue or you can use epoxy which I prefer and never had a failure with it. Good luck.

 

[monophoto]

The issue here is how the glue forms a bond. Some glues (such as the PVAs - white or yellow carpenter's glues and 'school' glues) penetrate the fibers of the material being glued, and the cure to form a solid plastic mass that incorporates fibers from the materials that are being glued together. They don't rely on surface adhesion. Therefore, they won't bond to the tube.

At best, what can happen with PVA glues is that if you scuff up the tube enough, the glue will bond with a wood blank, and then cure in the area between the inside of the blank and the tube. While the glue doesn't actually bond with the blank, the cured glue does conform to the scratches on the surface of the tub,, and when cure, forms a fairly weak mechanical connection - basically an interference fit.

When glueing tubes, you ideally need to use a glue that relies on surface adhesion to form the bond. CA, PU, epoxies and silicones all use surface adhesion and will actually stick to a smooth, non-fibrous surface such as a brass tube.

Of course, the problem with any glue that uses surface adhesion is that they are all sticky and a PITA to use. With CA, you have the advantage that it is a liquid and is dispensed from a bottle that gives you some control over where it goes, but the fumes are really nasty. Also, CA produces a bond that is very brittle - a hard shock can break the bond. Epoxies have to be mixed, and can (must) be applied with some kind of applicator (toothpick, popsicle stick etc depending on the size of the joint). PU gets all over everything and foams like crazy - the foam can actually force the joint to separate before it cures (and can push the tube out of the blank). But both PU and epoxy produce bonds are are more flexible than CA, and therefore that are able to withstand shocks without breaking.

So it's a choice - different strokes for different folks. I prefer PU for gluing tubes in blanks.

 

[Woodchipper]

FWIW, when I built fishing rods, I applied the epoxy to the rod blank with flat metal spatula. I used cheap paint brushes to apply the epoxy to the thread wraps. Got them from Oriental Something or Other about five bucks for a hundred. I rinsed the brushes with DNA before using to make sure there wasn't anything to interfered with the epoxy. Gorilla glue expands as it cures. Good for tubes but rodbuilders didn't like as it created a mess when expanded that had to be cleaned up. FWIW, I used Devcon Two Ton epoxy. Knew a guy who used it to build golf clubs so fishing rods or pen tubes should be a snap.

 

[sbwertz]

Epoxies have to be mixed, and can (must) be applied with some kind of applicator (toothpick, popsicle stick etc depending on the size of the joint).

We mix the epoxy on a piece of paper (now you know what we do with all those old PSI catalogs.) Using a Popsicle stick, I spread it out pretty thin on the paper. Then using a tube insertion tool, roll the blank in the puddle of glue and insert it in the blank with a twisting motion. It produces a thin, even coating over the entire surface of the tube and we get really good adhesion. I mix enough to do about six tubes at a time. If I am going to do more than that, I use 15 minute epoxy instead of 5 minute.

 

[sbwertz]

I glued some brass tubes into some blanks and could hardly breathe for a few days. It was that fast drying glue. My question is can I use Titebond 2 glue for the brass tubes?



Preston

If you want to use CA, get some of the odorless CA from Bob Smith Industries. We have several turners who are asthmatic, or are rather violently allergic to CA. Since we switched to the odorless glue, we haven't had any allergic reactions. We use it for inlaying, and for CA/BLO finish.

 

[Woodchipper]

I mixed epoxy in the little cups from the Dollar Tree that you put party favor snacks in. Just about the size of a shot glass. Clean it with DNA to get any crud out that might interfere with the epoxy.

 

[steamshovel]

I glued some brass tubes into some blanks and could hardly breathe for a few days. It was that fast drying glue. My question is can I use Titebond 2 glue for the brass tubes?



Preston

If you want to use CA, get some of the odorless CA from Bob Smith Industries. We have several turners who are asthmatic, or are rather violently allergic to CA. Since we switched to the odorless glue, we haven't had any allergic reactions. We use it for inlaying, and for CA/BLO finish.

Thanks Sharon

I have COPD, Asthma, and who knows. I really reacted to that CA glue. Next time I use it I'll be in the driveway in the winds favor and use a fan also.

Preston

 

[wolf creek knives]

I use a two part epoxy that I've been using for probably 10 years, stuff never goes bad. To measure it out I use the small medicine cups that you can get from Amazon very cheaply. I stir the epoxy using 1/2 a coffee stir stick, one of the plastic ones and use the same stick to apply to the tube and some inside the blank. I set the cup to the side and the next day I can remove the cured epoxy from the cup and reuse it several more times. I usually mix a batch that's 7.5ml (5ml part A 2.5ml part B). With that batch I can glue 4 knives, 6 pens and at least 3 coffee scoops. If I push it a bit more I can usually get a couple of key chains too. It's a System Three product and nothing bothers it, freezing or heat. And I use it in a ventilated room.

 

[Warren White]

My experience....

I used to use Medium CA, but quit because I had a couple of tubes get stuck as I was inserting them. I am sure it was my fault; I imagine the blank was still warm from drilling.

Then I went to two part epoxy, which always worked, but it seemed messy. I bought some expensive epoxy that had a stronger hold, but it got stiff long before I used it up.

Dieseldoc recommended I try White Gorilla Glue and it is amazing! One caution that is very important. Don't use too much water inside the blank to activate the glue. On some woods the water instantly makes the wood swell and you cannot put the sleeve in. Just the smallest amount of water on a q-tip very quickly in the blank, just before inserting the tube with the glue on it. Insert the tube, pull it back and forth, all the while rotating it; remove it, and put glue on the other end. Go to the opposite end and insert the tube the other way, with the same rotate, in and out, and insert it just a tiny bit beyond the end of the blank. I use blue tape around both ends of the blank because the Gorilla Glue seems to cause the tube to move a bit as the glue activates.

Oh, whatever glue I might use, I use plumber's putty to seal both ends of the tube. After gluing, I then let the blank sit for 24 hours and then clean the Plumber's Putty and glue out of the ends. I use a round brush, a 22 caliber brass brush (when it is needed), and an exacto blade to clean everything up.

It is cheap, effective and is now my go-to glue for all blanks.

 

[Herb G]

I learned a long time ago to stay away from CA glue in any of it's forms.
I use a low VOC 2 part epoxy, and it works well.
It has to dry & cure for 24 hours minimum, but I haven't had a failure
or an asthma attack since I switched over to it.

 

[Loucurr]

I use the white gorilla glue and have recently changed from wetting the inside of the blank to wetting the tube. This solved the problem of certain woods swelling (especially burls). I have turned a blank as soon as 2 hours after application but as a general rule usually wait overnight.

 

[mark james]

I have had great success with 2 part epoxy. I usually let set overnight, of if done in the AM, the 6-8 hrs and turn in the evening. Messy, yup; waste, yup. So out of $8.00 (or whatever the cost was for the 2 tubes), I may waste $2.00 over 6 months (a high 25% waste), not a real issue to worry about.

I checked my materials: System Three 2-part Epoxy from Woodcraft. $40.00 for 2 pint containers. 3/4 full after 11 months. So about $10.00 every 6 months for me. I'm sure there are cheaper varieties available, but I have little interest to try to save $3.00 - $4.00 in a year's usage.

 

[sbwertz]

Occasionally we will have one of our blind turners want to make a pen from a specific piece of wood instead of the prepped ones, and we have to tube it for immediate turning. In that case I use thick CA. It sets just a little slower than medium and gives just enough time to make any last minute adjustments, but is still ready to mill and turn in about five minutes.

 

[wolf creek knives]

I have had great success with 2 part epoxy. I usually let set overnight, of if done in the AM, the 6-8 hrs and turn in the evening. Messy, yup; waste, yup. So out of $8.00 (or whatever the cost was for the 2 tubes), I may waste $2.00 over 6 months (a high 25% waste), not a real issue to worry about.

I checked my materials: System Three 2-part Epoxy from Woodcraft. $40.00 for 2 pint containers. 3/4 full after 11 months. So about $10.00 every 6 months for me. I'm sure there are cheaper varieties available, but I have little interest to try to save $3.00 - $4.00 in a year's usage.

That's the stuff I use Mark and I purchased qt bottles over 10 years ago. To date I've made over 160 knives and a bunch of other stuff and I still have 1/3 of the part A and almost half of part B. I've never had any problem with it and if it freezes it doesn't effect the stuff. It can get messy like you mentioned.

 

[gtriever]

Another vote for Bob Smith's BSI 2-part epoxy. 5 minute for quick jobs, or 30 minute for multiple glue-ups. I mix on a Post-It note with either a 3/4 inch plastic glue spreader or a Q-tip.

 

[jttheclockman]

I have used System III T88 epoxy for many years and never had a failure. I use it for my segmenting too. On occasion I will use their 5 minute epoxy if I am in a hurry. I have not found a stronger epoxy to date but always looking. I let sit for 24 hours. I only wish that stuff was clear when it dries but only the 5 min is. Takes coloring well too.