I’m making some chairs with Iroko. Has anyone had any experience with gluing this wood?
It feels a little oily, so I wonder if the surfaces need a solvent clean prior to glue up. My preference is to use a urea based resin glue as I need to laminate some pieces.
Edited 2/8/2007 9:38 pm ET by willym
Replies
"It feels a little oily, "
Iroko is not oily- you may be confusing the feel of the calcareous dust which you can see as a fine whiteish powder on machine table surfaces sometimes....
Iroko takes the usual wood glues well-no need to pre-clean with any solvents at all.
Burmese Teak is oily- and Iroko is often substituted for it. 1/4 sawn teak and 1/4 sawn Iroko can look quite similar-but there is no mistaking the distinctive smell of Teak, whilst Iroko has a mild uninteresting smell.
If you are sure it is Iroko go right ahead and glue up without any worries.
Philip,
Having glued a fair amount of iroko, I agree they are not oily - with a small aside concerning the fact that there is an occasional iroko plank that does seem to be oily, although still not difficult to glue. The oily rascals often smell of oily fish (sardine or herring) for some reason, and tend to be very dense, heavy and yellowish-streaked, with grain all over the place.
I've no idea what causes this but it's academic. The oil does transfer to your hand as a (smelly) and slightly sticky film but does not exude heavily or affect the glue, as far as I can see. These planks are quite attractive to look at and, once dry, don't seem to warp despite the mad grain.
The smell does go (eventually) especially under an oil finish. Perhaps it is not oil but a gum?
Lataxe
Thank you all for the responses. I have two out of three in favour of no special preps for cleaning. Polyurethane glue would be a good colour match for any glue lines that show, but I'm not sure if it is rigid enough to support laminating. Has anyone had experience with this glue for laminating?
Bill
I'd not recommend poly glue for laminating. I thought you meant iroko to iroko bonding.
Urea resin should work fine, but poly glue will expand as it cures which will make problems unless the entire area can be kept under constant pressure.Expert since 10 am.
Strange, very strange, that. Admittedly I have only had access to prime grade Iroko, mostly in 25mm nominal thickness and some of 75mm stuff and never observed any sardines. Possibly yours reached the fair shores via some evil fishing (smugglers) boat? The cynical thought is prompted by news reports of that container ship which is sinking off the coast round the corner from you....Philip Marcou
Philip,
I will relate that excuse you thought of to the bloke that supplied the smelly planks. He could have used it with his customer, who was not pleased that his new, expensive iroko staircase reeked of trawlers for some time.
I suppose it could spoil a romantic evening, as he attempted to sweep the lucky lady away up the stairway to heaven whilst all she could think of was seagulls.
Lataxe
Any chance you could rescue one those new BMW bikes for me?
I think the container is still half afloat... A year's supply of Smithwicks is in it for you...Expert since 10 am.
Jack,
Alas, the "free" BMW motorcycles have all been snaffled up by the locals. However, I can offer you one of my old bicycles, which machines are much better for you. Of course, you need to do at least 50 miles a day to break in your nether-region upon the harsh and unforgiving racing saddle. Do you enjoy pain in that region?
Do you enjoy the wearing of lycra, also? I have some ludicrously-coloured cycling items from the 80s that no longer fit me, for some reason.
Alternatively, see Mr Ray Pine (joinerswork) who has one o' them Hogg motor sickles, for which he is far too old now hisself. (You may have to wear his unfortunately-shaped helmet).
I am looking for a picture of fishy iroko meanwhile.
Lataxe
"Alternatively, see Mr Ray Pine (joinerswork) who has one o' them Hogg motor sickles, for which he is far too old now hisself".
Haw haw, age has nowt to do with it-you ought to see the old bustids with the latest Gd Screamin Eagle Vee Rods Hawgs around here.....try one.Good fer carrying around the harem with too- for that you could have the more sedate Electra Glide- one passenger in each carry bag and the Chief lady on pillion.Philip Marcou
Thanks for the offer.
But I'm familiar with the barbaric aspects of British engineering. I had an old Raleigh- built like a tank, and felt like one too.
However, I still drool upon seeing a beautiful Royal Enfield...Expert since 10 am.
Now you are getting near the knuckle, Nottingham is my origin and no one knocks Raleigh Engineering and their products. Looking backwards from the end of WW2 and the inovative products having origin in Notts ( me, Brough Superior motorcycles, Raleigh motorcycles cycles and motorcars, Players smoking products, Boots Pure Drug Co., Rolls Royce aero engines and so on, it is a matter of history that it was the consequence of virtual bankruptcy of the country that led to the subsequent decline in engineering achievment.
You forgot to mention Lucas electrics.
Did you see Arsenal v Wigan today? I just saw the end only.Expert since 10 am.
No, I spent the day at the Alexandra Palace woodwork show, see my note re the Festool mitre saw.
I think you still are pert.
Jackplane.
<<You forgot to mention Lucas electrics.>>
Ahhh...yesss: The Prince of Darkness.....
(And the REAL reason why Brits drink warm beer....) ;-)
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<!----><!---->James<!----><!---->
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"I'm sorry, Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that...."
--A.C. Clarke
Wipe with acetone first. Poly glue is meant for this situation although yellow glue will also work.
Expert since 10 am.
About eight years back I made an outdoor notice board case for a school, lots of joints since it has two glazed doors. I pass it nearly every day and it still looks good. Soon after I made a similar board for a church and again it stands up to the weather. Its one of my favourite woods.
Moufte, Iroko is good outdoors or in wet situations such as yachts etc-that is why boat builders cottoned on to it as a substitute for Teak which is mighty expensive. Now Iroko is mighty expensive.
However, for fine furniture I believe there is nowt to beat Imbuia. Walnut itself comes close, but it does not fill the house with that special scent that Imbuia has.Cherry is superb but can't also come up with a good scent. I digress.Philip Marcou
You just bring home the advantage of recycling, which is how I acquire much of my stock of woods. I pay very little by looking out for stuff being ripped out and taking advantage of every opportunity presenting itself. My Iroko came from laboratories, wherein it was valued for its high resistance to decay and stability.
This is not just out of a desire to save money, much of the construction and fittings of forty years or so ago were of quartersawn stuff which I just could not buy now. As to the qualities of woods, I refer to two reference books of leaflets produced at the end of the last war by the Timber Development Association Ltd. Then, Imbuia was identified as Canela, and by reference to the smell I suspect you refer to C.Sassafraz which they said produces a smell of camphor, only sweeter. Used for high-grade furniture and interior decoration.
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