glue for slow assembly

[Phil Mazey]

Got a project that may take some time to clamp square on assembly. Pieces may have to be jiggled a bit before clamping tight and leaving the glue to set. Could someone please tell me if there are glues suitable for such cases?

[Rocker]

Super-strength Araldite is slow setting, but is is rather pricey. Urea formaldehyde glue with a liquid hardener from Timbecon is much cheaper, but sets a bit faster, about 15 minutes.

Rocker

[bitingmidge]

I'm not sure that Epoxy is all THAT expensive these days if it is bought from the right supplier!!

It will never be the cheapest glue, but I have just bought 6 litres of BoteCote epoxy from BoatCraft Pacific for around $90.00. Which is about the same rate per litre as many premium glues.

Compared with Carbatecs's catalogue price for WEST resin of about $40.00 for 600 ml I guess I got a bargain!

Epoxy will do the job well, and to a certain extent you can tweak the cure time. Just don't try to do that by modifying the proportion of hardener to resin...it doesn't work like that!

Cheers,

P

[Marc]

Now that is a good purchase, my word.

About the curing time, how can you change it since as you well point out you shouldnt changethe proportion of required hardener?

Short of asking you local butcher to let you use his meat locker to do the assembling, what are the alternatives if your fridge is too small? ;)

[Rocker]

Bitingmidge,

Is Botecote suitable for ordinary woodwork joints, as opposed to boat-building? The only time I tried West epoxy, I was not happy with it - it seemed too thin and lacking in viscosity.

Rocker

[bitingmidge]

Marc,
Hardeners are available for use in varying temperature situations and which can effectively be used to retard/accelarate the chemical reaction, and an accelerator is also available. See Boatcraft's product details (http://www.boatcraft.com.au/bc_products.html#hardeners) for a very brief overview.

Usually I like glue to go off a bit quicker than a few days (!) and have been known to slightly warm the resin in a microwave before mixing to accelarate...but you an overdo that too! (I haven't tried, but I have been tempted to cool resin before a bogging job - I think that could delay the initial reaction though!

Cheers,

P

[vsquizz]

In summertime most of the 3-4 minute working times are useless in WA for all but the most simple of glue ups. I use Titebond and I think its "Titebond II Extend" but I could be wrong. Carbatec normally carry it. I'm cursing cause I only threw the bottle out a few weeks ago. I think it has a 15 minute working time but I find I get about 10 min on those jobs where you need 20 clamps and 40 hands. Seems to work well, have done several desk tops with it.


Cheers

[markwa]

I use Titebond II Extend quite a bit and can tweak things for about 20 minutes, well at least in winter (can't remember what problems I had in Perth's summer right at the moment).

Doesn't dry clear though so watch out for excess glue in corners, etc.

Mark

[vsquizz]

Yeah , an its no good if you leave the f!!*%#@!! lid off for 2 months

[bitingmidge]

Bitingmidge,

Is Botecote suitable for ordinary woodwork joints, as opposed to boat-building? The only time I tried West epoxy, I was not happy with it - it seemed too thin and lacking in viscosity.

Rocker
Yep.

Botecote is no different to WEST (did I say that?) All need to be thickened to use as a glue, but that is a very simple process, achieved by adding various filler powders depending on the purpose.

Thicker resins are available for use as glues to save the bother, but I like to be able to mix a brew to suit the purpose.

Maybe the next get-together should be a glue-theme?

Cheers,

P

[Brett C]

Saint-Gobian RF in Melbourne have West System epoxy. I recently purchased at the following prices:
4lt Resin $71.61
800ml hardner $25.47
4.8lt, 5 to 1 ratio pump kit to suit $32.09

The pump kit makes mixing dead easy and (just about) foolproof. There is a choice of fast and slow cure and extra slow hardeners, which give huge range of setting times and/or suitable working temperatures down to 5º C. There is another hardener that is used to make the resin into an epoxy finish, although I haven’t tried this.

I think the smaller 1.2lt kit including pump set is around $60

With all the various fillers, instruction books and video it is well supported adhesive system.

[Phil Mazey]

Thanks all
pm

[j.stevens]

What's wrong with Selleys 'Tradesmans Choice" I've used it for years in similiar situat
io
s and no problems. Don't like the new Durabond. J. Stevens in Brisbane.

[Phil Mazey]

tradesman's choice goes off a bit quick - otherwise no problems.

PM