Is anyone else here using Titebond carpenters glue for cork rings on a mandrel? I glued some up last week, turned them today and when I removed the cork grip the mandrel underneath is horribly rusted and pitted. This has never happened to me in many years of gluing rings with epoxy on mandrels. It must be the Titebond. Any ideas? I won't be using Titebond for this again. Costs too much to replace the mandrel each time!

Titebond III definitely is corrosive on steel mandrels.Some folks coat their mandrels and work with it. I tried it once and returned to Rodbond as It works good for me without the corrosion headache.

Stan Grace
Helena, MT
"Our best is none too good"

I always glue them up and clamp them on a pc of threaded rod that I have rubbed with a piece of candle and then transfer ti my turning mandrel

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!!

Yes,I've used Titebond III (waterproof) many times for gluing cork rings, but I use a fiberglass mandrel from an old rod, or wooden dowel rod. I glue and clamp rings on mandrel and let dry 4 to 8 hours. Carefully I remove clamp and mandrel, and let dry 24 hours. I only use metal mandrel when turning handle on my drill lathe. Maybe the moisture from the glue is causing your metal mandrel to rust. Also, my cork rings do not fit tight against the gluing mandrel surface. I use masking tape to build up the mandrel to fit the cork rings. I've never had a handle come apart or unglued from a rod. After all is glued, dried , and turned, I glue the handle to the rod blank with 2 part epoxy. This method has never failed me.

It makes sense that a metal mandral would rust when using Titebond.
Titebond is a water based glue and the manderal is metal. Water and oxygen on metal equals rust.

No water in any type of epoxy and hence no rust.

Take care
Roger

p.s.
As one of the other posts suggested - if using titebond, the use of a non metallic mandral is a good idea.

I use titebond III to glue up all my cork and wood, but I glue them on a seperate mandrel. I went to the lumber yard and bought a three foot section of 3/16 steel rod and cut it into 4 - 9" pieces. I now glue all my cork on these and clamp them using wood clamps. When they are dry and I'm ready to turn a handle, I simply remove them from these rods and put them on the turning mandrel. You should still wax the turning mandrel some as previously mentioned, as there will stil be some oxidation occuring If you don't complete the handle right away.

Cheers

If using Titebond or similar glue, you need to do your glue up and subsequent sanding/shaping all in the same day. If you allow the grip to stay on the mandrel for more than about 24 to 48 hours, the rust you mention will indeed damage your steel mandrels.

If you can't do the entire job in a single day, it's best to use an epoxy adhesive for this chore.

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

Rob,
Check your email, I mailed a sequence of photos of a technique I use.

Jeff