Will the polyurethane glues work for gluing cork rings together and also to wood and EVA? I guess I don't want to use two part epoxies unless I absolutely have to.
Anyone have favorite glues?

Thanks

Dave

Dave,
If you're talking about those "expanding glues" - well, I don't trust them. Something about having all those air bubbles stuck between non-permeable surfaces just sounds like a fault ready to happen when least wanted. If you have an alergic reaction to epoxy then you can
use wood glue or waterbased contact cement (as is used on formica counter tops) between cork rings. Same for EVA to rod blanks -
Just coat ONLY the rod blank, do not wait for it to get tacky and DO NOT STOP pushing when you're seating the EVA on the blank. I'm pretty sure a good carpenter's glue (white or yellow) will do just fine between a cork ring and wood too - but will wait to hear from others who do more woodwork on the cork-to-wood glue up.

You can use a good carpenters wood glue on cork rings, but be sure to use the blue label (at least in titebond brand the blue lable is water resistant and rated for outdoor applications) Cork is actually bark so a good wood glue will work. I think you'll still have to epoxy the cork handle to the rod blank if you use graphite or glass.

Just curious, what is your hesitation on epoxies?

Thanks for the replies.
.I don't have a problem with epoxies. I guess for gluing rings together I just want something I can spread right from the bottle and not have to mix stuff together. I seem to never get enough mixed or too much. I 'm mainly concerned as to what type of glues will stick to the cork and eva or gasket material used for decorative spacers.I'll probably have to go with epoxies I suppose. I'm just getting into the handle turning business and hope some people can help me avoid some stupid mistakes.

Dave

Although I pretty much use Rod Bond for everything, You can use Titebond II or III for cork to cork, but I would definately use Rod Bond for Cork to Foam or gasket material. There is an excellant article on this subject in the current Rodmaker.



Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

Hi Dave,
Like Ken I am skeptical about urethans glues which expand. I would also worry about contact cements that are not designed for marine purposes. water resistant is not water proof. I would look into Plio Bond which is similar to contact cement, but is waterproof if I am not mistaken. I use to use this before converting to Rod bond. I would warn you that Plio Bond is solvent based and probably contains either acetone or methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) also called 2-butanone. This must be used in a well ventilated area.

Of all of the epoxy products I've tried, Rod Bond is the most tolerant by far. Great product.

Good Luck.

Mike Blomme

The urethane glues are extremely strong when used in the right situations. They dry in the presence of moisture. The mating surfaces have to be lightly wetted in order for the adhesive to work properly.

The part that expands and "foams" has absolutely zero strength. They do not operate to fill in gaps and will not provide strength to sloppy fitting joints. They are designed to be used in snug fitting assemblies and it is recommended that they be clamped for the strongest bond.

If you don't want to mix anything, use TiteBond II or III. But for adhering the cork rings to the blank, you'll need an epoxy for best results.

.............

I've done a bit of woodworking over the years as a hobby and have used all kinds of glues. My favorites are TiteBond II or III for gluing cork/wood rings. For gluing cork/wood to rod blanks, RodBond is fantastic for it's ease of use and other properties.Stan

I prefer using Rod Bond though I've used elmers outdoor carpentry glue, and have been playing with gorilla glue. Both are very strong and I've tried to break grip blanks at the joints and haven't been able to. No glue lines to speak of either. Gorilla glue though is a royal PITA to work with no matter what I've tried, especially if you do checkerboards with it. Just adds one more sanding step to get rid of the hardened ooze. Also adds a challenge in how to let everything dry. It's really not worth the troubles when there are other things out there that are just as good if not better, easier to use and far less messy.