Best glue for Iroko?

[touchwoodtoo]

Can any one recommend a suitable adhesive for Iroko. I have had disappointing results with Epoxy. I want a glue that will be ok for using outside.

 

[sailorman]

Aerodux 500 if its still available i had a few test samples of the last made @ Duxford.
Borden Chemicals also used to produce a similar product

 

[Captain Coochie]

In what situation is the timber to be used , inside / outside the boat ? Id say cascamite oops now known as extramite should do most applications but the more info you give the more well informed responces you will get .

 

[Alrob]

In the olden days we used cascamite on hardwoods like iroko

cascamite is still available but be quick as its made by humbrol who I believe are going bust.

nowadays we use hi performanvce PVA or titebond

www.axminster.co.uk is a good stockist of all glues

 

[Alrob]

cascamite

sorry cuchilo - you beat me to it & your right about name change

 

[boatbuilder]

I use either Cascophen, balcotan or epoxy, these are the only D4 glues that I know.

 

[touchwoodtoo]

Thanks for your reply. Can you explain what a D4 adhesive is please. When I have used Epoxy the joints have just fallen apart. Am I missing an important trick here? What is balcotan?

 

[jon]

I have always used cascophen for iroko, after testing the strength of the joint on offcuts recently, I was surprised how easily it broke on the joint. I now use epoxy after thoroughly degreasing with acetone, and always wet out the surfaces before applying a thickened mix, so far I have never been able to break a section on the joint, it is always the wood that breaks.
The other problem with cascophen, and cascomite as well, over epoxy is that on a complicated lengthy job when the surfaces are apart for some time before cramping the glue can dry out before assembly which of course affects the strength. This does not happen with epoxy, you can always use slow hardeners if necessary. Main problem with epoxy is that it is affected by ultra violet, so always over coat with a finish that will screen it out, such as 2 pack polyurethane.

 

[boatbuilder]

D4 is the standard for imersion in salt water

 

[Poignard]

I have glued iroko using WEST epoxy with complete success.

Causes of failing joints could be:-
Inaccurate mixing ratios
Not mixing thoroughly
Not decreasing timber
Temperature wrong
Overclamping [i.e. squeezing all the glue out]
Too smooth a mating surface.
Exceeding the pot-life.
Something wrong with the epoxy[ what make did you use?]

 

[skipperscouse]

hi,
i'd rough the surfaces to be glued, i scrape with a cross cut saw , then clean with thinners to remove any dust or oil and use cascophen . it's never let me down. but remember the 5 p's - proper preparation prevents poor performance !

 

[Spuddy]

Cascamite OK for dinghies but I'd be dubious about performance where it was wet for a while repeatedly. Cascophen and aerodux have better spec but nowadays I use one of the Polyurethane's like Balcotan - it's so convenient. Someone had a thread going here recently about the PUs available in builders merchants : equivalent to swindlery spec but cheaper.
Good idea to degrease teak but didn't think necessary for iroko - won't harm though. Common cause of failure is joints not fitting close enough, so get a close fit and cramp up. I've read about epoxy not needing pressure but I'm just conditioned to sqeeze.

 

[VicS]

[ QUOTE ]
i scrape with a cross cut saw

[/ QUOTE ] or score across the grain with some very coarse glass paper

 

[Blue5]

I have always used extramite for hardwoods such as Iroko but if there is any doubt about the strength required I reach for the West System Epoxy, expensive but the bees knees. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[alb40]

Make sure that you thicken the epoxy with some filleting blend or such. The wood will absorb a small amount of epoxy - maybe enough to cause your joints to fail.

Slap it on, and clamp your wood, scrape off the excess before it starts to harden.

 

[adrianm]

On any oily wood I wipe the glue areas with acetone first. I use Titebond III for teak so should work well with iroko as well.

 

[Mudplugger]

Fantastic product, comes in two versions, Std & Rapid, not cheap, but very effective......wear gloves or obtain a very good pummy stone! most of the local pro boat builders appear to use it.

 

[sailorman]

i have just laminated a complex teak bulkhead trim & used epoxy de-greased with meths.
my Aerodux 500 is now too old ( 10 yrs ) to trust it on stressed items.
will post results when un-cramped

 

[sailorman]

the Epoxy has worked well
left "cramped - up" for 24 hrs worked on it tonight to rebate prior to fixing this w/e

 

[Lee_Shaw]

Any make PU adhesive - available from your local timber yard. Comes either in a mastic tube or a bottle. I prefer the properties of the mastic tube type.