2 part epoxy glue

[John tdw]

G'day
I have a bit of a problem that I'm hoping one of you learned woodworkers may be able to assist me in resolving.

I need to remove the handle from a jarrah gavel I have made. It is fixed with 2 part epoxy. http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/redface.gif unfortunately my judgment was a bit off on the day I made it and the handle is about 2 degrees off centre.

The customer quite correctly wants it fixed; does anyone know of a foolproof (absolutely necessary) method of undoing the process.

I've considered heat (microwave?) or acetone but wanted to consult the experts before I proceed.

I will be grateful for assistance

cheers John
appentice

[Shane Watson]

Might be worth cutting your losses and make a new one from scratch.... anything you do will most likly leave evidence of a repair,..... + time to fix may be worth more than time & materials to replace.

I have removed similar handles by placing the handle in a tight vice and using a clean scrap of timber and hammer hitting sharply on the head to exert downward pressure on it and hopefully enough to losen the glue line and remove the head, but this can be very unreliable and done wrong will cause irreversible damage.

Lets see what others can offer...

Cheers



------------------
Shane Watson..

Combine Love & Skill & You Can Expect A Masterpiece!

[june01]

Re gavel repair. I hope i can help. Firstly cut the handle from the head using a very fine saw then clean up the head. Then very carefully mark and measure the size drill you want to use . Make sure it covers your repair. I use a doweling bit. Now you will have to re - turn a new handle so it can fit the new size. Good luck. Norm

[jclucas]

John
Apply heat to the handle. I use a heat gun. Heat it slowly so you don't discolor or burn the wood. When it gets good and hot you should be able to twist and pull the handle out. Don't twist too hard you can snap the handle. Sometimes a little movement from side to side helps.
You'll need to scrape off the epoxy before you put new stuff on. Good Luck John

[John tdw]

To those that replied with suggestions thankyou for your ideas.
As I was a bit loathe to try Shane's method first so I decided to take the plunge with using the microwave. Two 10 second bursts a couple of gentle twists and the handle came free. Much relief. It looks as though the heat breaks down he glue's structure completely. Absolutely no damage to the gavel itself.
I'm glad to be able to pass it on for anyone else who may find themselves in a similar predicament.

once again thanks

cheers
John