Wood Glue or CA...

I find I get a better blond with wood glue that CA...Stronger and easier sanding...the only thing CA has got going for it is speed, even though I have to wait over night for drying with the wood glue. Definately a better plywood bond. In put please, thanx, ken

Reply to
KenKnapp
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Reply to
S. Boucher

You're on the right track, except that you don't have to wait overnight for aliphatic resins (wood glue) to 'dry'.

The clamp time of Titebond is 30 minutes, after which the joint can be handled with reasonable care.

When I built wings with CA, I could do one whole wing panel in one session before the fumes ran me out of the building room.

(Couple of years of that, and I became sensitized to CA fumes to the extent that I can't tolerate them at all. My use of CA is decidedly limited to those situations when absolutely nothing else will work.)

With a bit of practice and a decent clamp collection, I can build one wing panel in one session using Titebond.

This week, in two sessions, I framed up both sides of the fuselage of a Balsa USA 1/3 scale L-4 using Titebond and my clamp assortment . . . two 30 minute gluing sessions separated by a dinner break.

'bout as fast as I ever built using CA, and a whole lot easier on my allergies.

I broke my back thirty years ago, and that's what limits my building speed these days - I can only tolerate leaning over the building bench for a couple of hours at time, and need a short break to 'unkink'.

The 'secret' to building fast with aliphatic resins is _clamping the joint_ for the clamp time listed on the container. Try it and see. Cheers, Fred McClellan the dash plumber at mindspring dot com

Reply to
Fred McClellan

Whatever works. Some people swear by alphatic as opposed to CA. Apparently you can build lighter with it.

For me, CA has always worked fine and I'm not allergic to it...yet. If you do get allergic there is always odor free CA, which is more expensive.

Reply to
Anthony R

Never heard that glue was a babe magnet...you live and learn... careful, you might get 'stuck' with her :-)

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

Easier to sand - yes. Stronger - no. Check the specs. If your joint is mechanically sound (no gaps, tight fit, etc.) then CA will be MUCH stronger than any wood glue available to us commercially. Use thin CA for balsa, and thick for plywood or hardwood. Dr.1 Driver "There's a Hun in the sun!"

Reply to
Dr1Driver

I'd argue the point that aliphatic builds lighter than CA, however, the difference makes no difference. At the same time, I agree that CA is stronger than aliphatic (IF the joint is fit super tight with no gaps. If it's not a nicely fit joint, aliphatic will be stronger). But just like with the weight difference, the strength of a joint as opposed to aliphatic is irrelevant because it both cases, the final strength is more than any design calls for. For example, if one glue joint will withstand 300 pounds of stress and the other will withstand 250 pounds of stress, what does it matter if the applied stress is only going to be 50 pounds?

MJC

Reply to
MJC

In a wood bond with aliphatic glue, the wood will fail before the bond line does. It seems to me that this question of strength is purely academic, and leads nowhere. The only advantage I see is that CA can soft balsa, and will stand up against aging much better. However, the thus hardened wood will be brittle, and break next to the join, so strengthwise there is nothing gained, wood being the limiting factor.

Reply to
Pé Reivers

I use a lot of aliphatic resin because it's cheap and easy to work with. Properly applied (good fit, clamped, etc.) all of the adhesives we use result in a bond that's stronger than the wood, anyway, so use what you like.

Reply to
John R. Agnew

With the notable exception of glue gun adhesive.

MJC

Reply to
MJC

Even glue gun adhesive, IF USED PROPERLY, will be stronger than needed. Problem is, people use it improperly and then complain about it.

Reply to
Paul McIntosh

thanx for the input, ken

Reply to
KenKnapp

What would the proper way to use it? It has been unsuitable for me.

Reply to
Morgans

Take it from someone who managed to develop a severe allergy to the original variety,"odor free CA" is oxymoronic with respect to allergic reactions.

Cheers, Fred McClellan the dash plumber at mindspring dot com

Reply to
Fred McClellan

Or, what does it matter if the wood on either side of the joint fails before the joint itself ? Cheers, Fred McClellan the dash plumber at mindspring dot com

Reply to
Fred McClellan

There is no proper way to use the old types of hot melt glue; just won't work.

According to the heavy hitters in the woodworking list, there are some new types of 'hot melt glue' on the market, purportedly very much better than the garden variety rubbery stuff.

Haven't tried them myself, mind you. A bit pricey for the hobby budget right now. Cheers, Fred McClellan the dash plumber at mindspring dot com

Reply to
Fred McClellan

Com'on, Fred, let Paul take a whack at it. He said he knows how to make use of it, and I would like to hear how!

Reply to
Morgans

What have you tried to do with it? It is not a construction adhesive like you would use CA for. It is great for installing triangle stock and the like. Also very good for attaching velcro for receivers and batteries.

Reply to
Paul McIntosh

Fred,

ESS (second largest speaker maker in the world in late '70s) used hot melt to assemble nearly all of their cabinets. Industrial hot melts have been available for 40 years. The main problem with turning them loose on the consumer market is the high heat they use.

There are plenty of uses fro hot melt glues in model construction. Just don't try to use them for what they weren't intended for!

Reply to
Paul McIntosh

It has to be used PROPERLY, which also includes using it for what it is intended for. No one ever said it replaces CA or aliphatics resins.

That said, I think you will find that it is used a LOT in furniture manufacture. Such things as edge banding are held on with hot melt glues. Many speaker cabinets are held together with hot melts.

In models you can use it for such things as installing triangle stock and mounting velcro for receivers and batteries. It can also be used to anchor pushrod tubes inside fuselages.

It all has to do with matching uses with characteristics. I would have no problem with a fuselage held together with the polyamine hot glues we used at ESS to glue speaker cabinets together. It would be a little heavier but vibration would have NO affect on it.

Reply to
Paul McIntosh

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