I have a couple of dining room chairs that could use a bit (?) of repair. They are held together at the joints with dowels and I was considering replacing the dowels ( sorry no Domino). Problem is they are not very deep into the wood . About 3/8 - 1/2 inch. Would I be better off using epoxy(slow set) over TB 2 or 3 ? The current dowels are 3/8 but I can increase to 1/2 Dia.
I would use Gorilla Glue myself over epoxy. Make sure the wood is cleaned of any old glue.
.> Would I be better off using epoxy(slow set) over TB 2 or 3 ?
When it comes to adhesives, after epoxy, it is all down hill.
1/2 dia will help since it provides more adhesive area.Also, I'd thicken the epoxy with microballoons, the apply.
I have found that microballoon thicked epoxy provides the best glue joint.
BTW, if you use 1/2" dia dowels, open the holes up to 17/32". It will provide some place for the epoxy instead of having a starved joint.
Have fun.
BTW, saw a post about Gorilla glue.
IMHO, it is the most overpriced, under peckered product out there that is promoting itself as an adhesive.
Lew
provide some place for the epoxy instead > of having a starved joint.
I go the other way. For dowels that large I turn my own on the lathe a little undersized and then put some ridges on the surface to allow the glue to hang onto the dowel. I don't think I own a 17/32 bit...
promoting itself as an adhesive.
I couldn't agree more.
What a disappointment that stuff turned out to be for me. I thought we had finally made a leap forward in wood adhesion technology, but not so. I was given about 5 bottles at the last contractor dinner we had so I tried it on everything.
I was never consistently happy with the results and found that in practical use it just didn't get the job done. In a controlled environment like a shop it may be great, but I am not in the shop that much.
For a lot of my repairs I use 5 minute or 15 minute epoxy, depending on what I am doing. For long wood glue projects it is still Titebond.
Robert
Somebody makes commercial dowels with a scored channel foir the glue.
You need another tool.
If you ever build a storage device for 1/2" shaft router bits, a
17/32" drill bit will be very useful.
I tend to stay away from the 5 or 15 minute stuff unless it is a very quick repair.
It takes at least a couple of days to achieve full strength, so if it stays in the clamps 24 hours, it is NBD for me.
Also epoxy and white oak are not a good combination.
If you need waterproof adhesion with White Oak, it's purple people eater time (resorcinol).
Lew
Yeah, in furniture repair they sell striated dowels that have mini grooves about 1/32" deep around the diameter. I just can't find big ones, and don't need them often. I have repaired exterior panel doors with 3/4" dowels, and got a real kick out of it.
Yeah, buddy. I'm getting in the truck right after this to get myself to Grainger to get that sized bit!
Most of mine are, and I use it for speed rather than strength. If I am repairing a cabinet, door, or just need some crack fill, I don't want to wait and in many cases with my commercial clients won't be allowed to.
in the clamps 24 hours, it is NBD for me.
You know, that's a real good point, Lew. I didn't know until a - 9 years ago that 5 minute didn't cure any faster than the regular stuff. I thought it would at least cure some faster, but it only hits "green strength" faster, not full cure.
I called Bob Smith Industries (probably one of the largest epoxy manufacturers in the US - the have their own stuff and are maker of several branded products) when I was having problems polishing out some 15 minute stuff on a project.
As a Texan, we do love our mesquite for all manner of projects, all the way down to smoking a brisket. However, it can be a gnarly, cracked and brittle wood, so the common practice is to fill the wind shakes, voids and borer holes with epoxy mixed with colorant or anything else that will work. In this particular case I was using the epoxy as a filler, with copier toner in it to make it deep black.
I couldn't get the epoxy to polish up on my lathe project no matter what I tried. So I called tech support at Smith and they told me that the number of minutes on the epoxy only referred to working time. Period. They are aware that the epoxy I was using was commonly used for wood repairs, and for filler, not necessarily as an adhesive. It was developed so that the person using it could keep working after an hour of dry time, but more importantly the stuff could be used where there was limited clamp time, or applications like a filling a vertical surface.
And according to him, the 5 minute (or 15 or 30) stuff does cure faster in the first hour or two, but after that it slows down considerably and takes exactly the same amount of time to fully cure as the long set stuff. So it is still a good repair tool for me as I can clamp an exterior door frame (or door) for a few hours, and then take the clamps off and let it cure overnight with the house locked up, but it did let me know not to be too adventurous with painting or finishing as the epoxy was still working for a couple of days after application.
Until that phone call, I had no idea. I thought (based on absolutely nothing!) that the 5 minute probably hit full cure in 3-4 hours. He also dispelled the myth that the quick working time epoxy mixes are significantly less strong than their long cure brothers.
He told me that there was some difference, but it was dependant on what was being adhered and when in the cure process they were tested. As he pointed out, the differences were mainly academic anyway as the epoxies cure out significantly harder than the materials they were adhering. He knew his stuff about adhesives, I'll give him that.
The things you learn along the way, eh?
Robert
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