I am building a shooting cart. It is a 2-wheeled affair that that will be used to haul my rifles and gear from one firing line to another in long range shooting. I have built this on the fly more or less without having a real feel for how big is big enough or too big or how to optimize balance and ergonomics.
So I am screwing parts of it together without glue in hopes of using it for a season and then resizing it while reusing as many parts as possible in the reconstruction. If it all works as well as planned, I would then glue the salvaged pieces in addition to the screws for long-term durability.
But if I finish this wood, what sort of glue is going to bond well after finishing? Epoxy? If so, what type?
The finish will probably be some sort of modified tung oil on mostly cherry wood.
Thanks,
Brent
Replies
Hi Brent,
Glue will not adhere well to finished parts. Your best bet is to mask off the joints so that the finish does not contaminate those areas, or assemble the cart and finish afterwards. An oil finish will penetrate into the joints somewhat, it depends on the type of joint, and how tightly they fit.
In your shooting competition, have you ever met John (Jack) Brown, from Virginia?
Ray
Ray, I suspect you are right. I do use epoxy in bedding or repairing rifle and sometimes that means putting epoxy in finished wood where it sticks pretty well. But epoxy bedding is not really subject to the same stresses as these joints will be.
Never met your friend. I shoot blackpowder cartridge rifles at schuetzen, silhouette, and Creedmoor matches. It is a fairly specialized type of competition dating mostly to the late 19th century - the apex of quality gun making in my humble opinion....
Thanks,
Brent
Brent,
Ah, my friend JB shoots targets with one of those custom rifles that eat short, fat, handloaded 6mm (or thereabouts) cartridges. Handloads 5 at a time at the events according to conditions. Wild stuff.
Got another friend (yes, I have two of em) who has one of those Shiloh Sharps rifles, with a spirit level on the front sight, and a rear sight so tall you can climb up it and pick apples out of the tree. .45-90, or .45-110, can't recall which. Don't know if he shoots competitively, or just threatens buffaloes (he's keen into mountain man rendezvous events).. Those blackpowder target guns are things of beauty, all the more that they are functional, not just decorative. Good luck with your project.
Ray
Brent -
Sounds like this cart will be outdoors - so a waterproof glue - epoxy - or construction adhesive is best but I would strongly recommend at least scraping the joints before gluing them. Since you are going to resize the wood - only the uncut piece will need scraping.
SA
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