Glue methods

J

Jorge

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Jan 17, 2018
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Puerto Rico
Hello Gents!

Quick question... do you have a particular “why” or “when” to use regular wood glue versus instant (CA) glue?

New to this wooden ship building; I have used both methods in my Lancia Armata, and found that the wood glue is great for cleanup and stain absorption, it takes too long to set. CA, on the other hand, is way better for fast dry times, but usually requires more cleanup vs regular wood, and understand stains do not perform as well either.

Any feedback/guidance greatly appreciated!
 
Hi ,you can use both at sametime ,apply wood glue and leave a few blank spots each end in the middle or where you think would be better and apply on the blank spots a drop of CA glue.

Janos gave me this idea.
 
I have been using Contact adhesive on thin planking strips. You put a thin coat of glue on both surfaces, leave it for about 10 mins and then stick them together, I then use the handle of one of my small wood files to run along the plank to make sure it stuck in place. If gives you time to make sure the plank is in the correct place,
Cheers Andy
 
Hi Jorge,
I pretty much only use CA on my builds; there are a couple of things to think about -
1. What type to use?
I use three types -
Thick - dries in 45 seconds, so gives you a bit of joggle time
Medium - dries in 30 seconds
Thin - dries almost instantaneously
It depends on the job you are doing (obviously) but I mostly tend to use the thin kind.
2. How to apply it?
You are correct in saying that it can affect the absorption of stain. However, if you apply it carefully this is not really an issue and the trick is to use a really thin nozzle and for this I make my own. See the photo below and, working from the bottom -
a. Take a cotton wool bud / Q-tip.
b. Pass it slowly backwards and forwards through a candle flame (I use a tea light) whilst pulling both ends outwards until it stretches thin. Keep the pressure on it until it hardens up (just a few seconds). This takes a bit of practice, but stick with it, a common mistake is to get too close to the candle flame.
c. Cut to length.
d. Drill out the top of the bottle to the same diameter. insert the nozzle and wrap a small strip of Blutak around it to seal. If after some use the end gets a bit claggy simply snip it off and carry on like that until you need to fit a new one - the old one might need pulling out with some pliers, but it always comes out cleanly.
There you go - dirt cheap, an endless supply and I have been making them for years.

P1260174.JPG
 
It is really amazing what you guys come up with.
 
I use Weldbond and CA, much as Zoltan. Trace where a plank will lie, then add drops of Weldbond ,with space in between each ,along the path of the plank. Put a small drop of CA between each dot of Weldbond. If you slightly moisten the back of the plank it acts as an accelerator and the CA sets up almost immediately. No need to clamp! CA and Weldbond are very compatible with each other.
 
Hi Jorge,

I use pretty much exactly the same technique as Dave. The only thing I can add is that Weldbond (white glue) can be used where extra strength is required. Such as attaching bulkhead formers to the keel. I also use thinned Weldbond for rigging knots. Weldbond can also be dissolved with isopropyl alcohol if you make a major mistake.
 
I used CA and epoxy glues but found out these types of glue sometimes react to the oils and resins in wood and the glue will break down. I am not saying all CA and Epoxy glues react to all types of wood but it is gamble to know if the wood and the glue used is compatiblewrong glue.jpg.

Now I only use wood glues or a year or so down the road you will end up with this. Piece by piece this model fell apart
 
The same thing can happen using PVA or “wood glue”. It’s not the adhesive so much as the wood. Glue bonds with wood glue like TiteBond will fail if susceptible wood isn’t pretreated. I scrub the parts down with acetone to remove the oily residue in ebony, rosewood, blood wood and most exotic species. Maple,oak,cherry,bass,box and pear are all OK - very low or no residual oils.
 
DocBlake said:
The same thing can happen using PVA or “wood glue”. It’s not the adhesive so much as the wood. Glue bonds with wood glue like TiteBond will fail if susceptible wood isn’t pretreated. I scrub the parts down with acetone to remove the oily residue in ebony, rosewood, blood wood and most exotic species. Maple,oak,cherry,bass,box and pear are all OK - very low or no residual oils.
Click to expand...

Thank you for those pointers, I will keep that in mind. Cheers.
 
On my Santa Maria the deck planking is teak which is very oily ,I had no problem to glue it with CA.
 
I use both CA and wood glue, depending on the situation. For small applications where I don't worry about it bonding too quickly in the wrong position, the CA is the best. Also for situations where clamping is difficult and I can't risk parts slipping out of alignment before the glue sets up.
But for things where I can securely clamp in place, I swear by Gorilla Glue. It's a clear, yellow glue and the instructions tell you to dampen one surface prior to bonding to enhance curing.
I used it for my first layer hull planking, with predrilled brad nails and it's was rock solid after curing. The fact that the planks were wet from presoaking/bending them made it all work out great.
Of course, the contact cement mentioned above is best for final layer planking over an already smoothed out surface.
 
G'day
One of my favorite glue is Balsa cement.
20180327_175816.jpg
It's relatively fast drying, about 3 minutes to bond and about 5 hours to be rock solid. I have used it on, walnut, oak, maple, cedar etc and balsa. It can even glue fabric to wood.
Havagooday
Greg
 
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