Wooden mast - Adhesive

[TonyTitch]

My 24ft woodenmast, consisting for most of its length of 2 halves, with a groove on the stern side for the mainsail, is opening out, making it impossible for the sail to stay firmly in. I plan to open the gap slightly, using wedges, introduce an adhesive into the gap and then put clamps on the mast for 24 hours or so. The adhesive needs to flow easily and be easy to apply via a narrow nozzle. Which adhesive would fit those criteria?

 

[Strathglass]

I would use one part polyurethene waterproof glue. Available from Screwfix at about £6 a tube or from marine sources at aprox £9. It foams when under pressure and sets using the moisture in the air, so your mast would not have to be totally dry. It is also very easy so clean off when set.
Iain

 

[Franklin]

I have used epoxy very successfully. I inject the adhesive using a syringe and needle preferable the ones were the needle screws to the syringe (Luer lock) Your dentist could give you one.

 

[oldharry]

I would go for epoxy on the grounds that it is easier to apply using, as suggested, a syringe. It has the advantage of being supplied as a very thin liquid which will run easily - probably too easily until microfibres are added to stiffen it to the constituency you find it easiest to work with. In supplied form it is so runny that it may well soak in to the timber, or just run out of the joint again , so a little experiementation may be called for.

Polyurethane glue such as Screwfix or Balcotan, will give a good bond, and has the advantage that the bonding is unnaffected if the timber is damp at the time of glueing. However, be aware that these glues are not gap filling. In other words if the glue foams in a void inside the joint, it will weaken it. Also removing the excess foam from the luff groove may prove tedious! It is quite a thick syrupy type of glue, and it could prove difficult to get it right in where you want it.

It might prove a better repair to see if you can actually split or saw the mast down the glue joint and start again. If the original glue is failing, is not the rest of the joint likely to be suspect? Ok a much bigger job, but at least then you wil know your mast is 100%.