Glue

[MalvernMichael]

Hi Folkes
I have finally got myself a lathe which will be in my workshop this weekend so I now need some advice/explanations on some of New glues I have seen in use by wood turners.
I already use pva, but I keep seeing glues with a spray accelerator I think one was called CA, are they any good and in what way are they better than pva?
I am asking as I remember glueing bits of wood together for turning and getting some interesting results
Thanks
Michael

[Les Symonds]

CA stands for cyanoacrylate and it's common name is simply super-glue, so it's not really suitable for laminating pieces together for turning. I'd stick to (excuse the pun) PVA for that because it gives time for the timber to be manipulated and clamped into place and is easy to spread over the whole glue joint, whereas CA is really meant for small glue joints and would be a nightmare for laminating. The accelerator is normally used to speed up the drying time, so again, it is irrelevant to the field of laminating pieces together because the last thing that you want is your glue going off in a few seconds....you need several minutes of open-time, at the very least.

Les

[MalvernMichael]

Thanks Les
That makes sense even to me
Michael

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

Michael I do a bit of segmented turning which involves glueing bits together and I have found that despite there being a number of good glues out there I still have success with evostik from B&Q. the stuff in the green bottle works very well. But I am sure that we will now get a plethora of comments on different glues to use which is what makes this forum so good.

[bodrighywood]

I don't do segmentes woprk as such but for those times I do I use cascamite, gives me time to position clamp etc and easy to clean up any squeezed out reside.

Pete

[fuzzyturns]

I'd say each glue has its application.

• CA or super glue for repair jobs and filling cracks (it's also excellent for glossy finishes on small items. CA is entirely useless when applied on top of a finish, especially acrylic lacquer or wax, as it will gas out and leave a very annoying white residue, which is next to impossible to clean up.
• Standard PVA for laminations or segmented work, where you can ensure flat, parallel surfaces with a small gap and/or where you need a joint that has little or no colour. Also useful for filling holes when mixed with saw dust, but not great for fillings with stone dust or metal dust.
• Polyurethane glues (Titebond III and similar) is useful for joints in dark woods, or where you want the joint to be visible, or where you have slight gaps (this glue expands slightly when setting)
• Epoxy or 2-component glues are useful for joints between different materials, or where you want to fill a void with a mixture of glue and metal or stone. They also tend to have much shorter curing times (read the packet).

[Derek]

I use to use a PVA type glue for segmented work but found that after a while you would get creep leaving a very slight ridge as it has a very slight give in it so now use cascamite

[Lazurus]

Always keep some epoxy on hand as great for inlays or filling gaps when powders or colors added, I use the cheap 4 minute stuff from local pound shop, never had a fail yet. thin CA for running into gaps by capillary and keeping bark on natural edges, thick for "spot welding" or bowl mounting on waste chuck when used in conjunction with zip kicker, hot melt glue gun for making molds and holding smaller items on the chuck.... the list can be endless

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

I use to use a PVA type glue for segmented work but found that after a while you would get creep leaving a very slight ridge as it has a very slight give in it so now use cascamite

I forgot all about cascamite Derek,probably one of the best glues out there at the moment. Less wastage than most as you mix it with water and just the amount you want. Long(ish) open pot life for adjustments. If I remember right there is an additive that you can get to set it off quicker....or was that aerolite? Spoilt for choice really.

[seventhdevil]

i'm surprised that people are using cascamite for their gluing up and turning as it is rather brittle once cured. as a joiner we used to use it all the time for windows and doors and frames but they were easy to knock apart if the joint was old and you could safely crack the joint.

for gluing up joints that you did not want to be brittle PVA was a good choice but there is none better than Titebond III as it has some elasticity and no brittleness.

[bodrighywood]

If people are knocking segmented work hard enough to crack the joint they don't deserve to own them. Seriously I don't think that the brittleness of cascamite is a problem with most turned work. The joint is hard and if the glue is used properly creates a bond that is pretty much infallible. Once or twice I have had need to seperate some pieces that were glued with it and the wood has broken before the joint itself. There are so many glues on the market nowadays that it is a case of horses for courses.

Pete

[malcy]

I do mainly segmented work and know a lot of people, particularly in USA, who do the same. We all use PVA for gluing joints as it does give some open time for positioning and gives a good strong joint. What Derek says about creep, as he calls it, is sometimes true. What happens here is that the wood absorbs the water in the PVA and swells somewhat. Then as it dries the wood shrinks back a little but the adhesive shrinks back less, leaving a slight ridge on the joint line. If the joints are left for a while, so that the wood dries sufficiently away from the surface, then when the piece is turned, there is no issue. Only when the joints are made and turned soon after, does this become the ridge that can be felt with the finger tip. In the USA they swear by Titebond adhesives, but they can expensive in UK. I use Wudcare Superfast 5 minute PVA (made in UK) and have never had any problems with it. Hope this helps. Malcolm.

[MalvernMichael]

Well gentlemen, thank you for all your thoughts on glue!
I am pleased to say I picked up a lathe from John that was for sale on this forum, it is a Record CL4 about 7 years old and in excellent condition.
I had considered a new one but this lathe is identical to the one I previously had and stupidly sold years ago so it is like having an old friend in my workshop.
I am looking forward to getting turning again but I need to get down to yandles for a spend very soon.
Michael

[julcle]

13th/14th April not too far away now however I guess if you are in Malvern Yandles is not too far away either.  Julian

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

Carrying on with this topic what do you think is the best adhesive to glue sea urchin shell to wood? And can you still get E6000 and where from?