I’m turning a mallet from Locust as a gift. I’m laminating honey locust to a black locust core; what adhesive will be strong, impact resistant and least damaging to my tool edges, in that order? Opinions?
Charlie
I tell you, we are here to fart around, and don’t let anybody tell you different. –K Vonnegut
Replies
Epoxy ,Industrial formulaters G2
Epoxy or plastic resin glue.
I like System Three epoxies and URAC Plastic Resin Laminating Glue http://www.tools-for-woodworking.com/browseproducts/URAC-185-Laminating-Glue--Quart.HTML
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Michael in San Jose
"In all affairs it's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted." Bertrand Russell
Epoxy is plenty strong, but for serious impact resistance, I'd leave it on the shelf. In your situation, plastic(yellow) glue should work fine.
yellow glue, almost any glue would be fine, most people have yellow glue in the shop anyhow.
mike
Charlie,
Epoxy and urea formaldahyde glues are hard and tough on cutting tools. Yellow glue is perfectly fine. I used it on a mallet three years ago and it is still as good as the day it was made, less normal wear and tear. I think that the strength is more a function of how well the joints are between each mating piece of wood. If you have good tight joints the glue is much less a factor in determining whether or not the two pieces will stay together. I personally prefer hot hide glue, but that is another totally different thread.
J.P.
Charlie -
The first few mallets I turned I used the brown powdered plastic resin glue. I was really leary about having the things come apart while on the lathe and come apart in use after they were finished.
None have so far to my knowledge.
Subsequently, for some rough work type mallets I just threw together some sticks (well, they were well jointed and such) with plain old yellow tight-bond. These have done just as well .... as well.
I guess the moral, if there is one, is that the joinery rules ... the type of glue is more or less secondary to the quality of the fit of the pieces in the first place.
As a sidebar ....
A couple mallets I made had a central shaft (the handle) that was hexogonal out of ash. Around this hexogonal shaft I glued babinga(sp) - six pieces with the edges milled to 30 degrees. Then turned the head and shaft to round. I *thought* all the pieces were sufficiently seasoned to avoid any problems with shrinkage but .... of course not or I wouldn't be writing this. In other words, you don't mention how you plan to laminate up your turning but I'd advise considering how the wood might move over time and how it would affect your joinery. None of the pieces have come off, though. Just one of the joints on the head has opened up a wee fraction.
From Beautiful Skagit Co. Wa.
Dennis
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