glue for hickory backing

[The Gopher]

Hope everyone had a merry christmas. I'm planning on making a bow for my wife, about 35 to 40 pounds. i was thinking of hickory backed cherry. my question is this, for the hickory backing would i gain anything out of using smooth-on vs, TB2 or TB3? i've only used TB2 for risers in the past but i've never done a wood backing before. Happy new year, thanks

[El Destructo]

              My Personal Opinion on the Subject......why bother with the Messy Epoxies......All of the Titebond's work Great

[The Gopher]

That's my feeling too, especially for a lighter weight bow. just wondering what everyone else thought, thanks.

[NTProf]

I glued a hickory backing on to Cherry with TB III. Several hundred shots and still holding strong!

[Badbill]

The one thing I like about TB3 over TB2 is that TB3 says water proof while TB2 says water resistant. All the backings I have glued on right now have great glue lines, almost unseeable. I've heard a lot of great things about Urac, but not so many about Smooth on.

[Justin Snyder]

I like epoxies, but I like TB also.  The biggest thing to be concerned with when gluing wood backings with TB is that TB is water based.  Real thin pieces of wood tend (backings) to roll up on the edges when exposed to water.  A simple answer to this problem is to stick a small flat piece of wood between the backing and the clamp to make sure you keep the edges down. 

[islandpiper]

I'm no expert, but have done a hickory backing on Osage.   I used the Performax abrasive thicknesser to true up both sides of a hickory lumber stave, then bandsawed off the backing material.   I ran it through the Performax again to made it smooth, flat and the desired thickness.   Then glued it on the prepared Osage stick, and used the FLAT side of the remaining hickory offcut as a big, true clamping caul.   I used TBII and about thirty C-clamps.  No swelling or warping problems.  Ran out of time and never (yet) completed the bow. 

If anyone is interested I'd post pics of the Performax, or my old, home made thicknesser.   Not hard to make at home, and for bow work they are a great tool. 

piper

[El Destructo]

                                      Well Keith....I for one am interested in Your Thicknesser

[Auggie]

Yep, lets see this thickness tool.

[islandpiper]

I'll be in the shop tomorrow and I'll get some pics, and post them ASAP.  The one i made 'long about 1980, still running, has a 12" wide, 6" dia drum and adjustable table.  Easier to lift and drop the table, than lifting and dropping the working drum.  The drum is made of 1/2" AC ply disks, glued up and then turned to ROUND with the machine running.   For bow work, 12" wide would be way big.  I made it for instrument work.  With the ply drum I have always just wound on 1" or 1 1/2" wide cloth backed sanding strip and tacked on with carpet tack on the ends.   With care, the belts last a long time.  I have never made tapered lams with it but i think if a fellow already had a good, reliable tapered lam and used that as a "master" on the bottom of another sllice, you could taper sand a new one, just a reverse.   Make a nice one, shellac it, use carpet tape to hold things together (in spots), and off you go. 

Planers are nice, but can't work materials down to just a few thousanth's of an inch.  Abrasive thicknessers can. 

So, get your 2x4's ready, find some plywood for the table (a formica kitchen sink cutout is even better), some ply for the drum, a pair of oil-ite bearings to fit the 1/2" steel shaft, a pir of sheaves, old washer or dryer motor, control switch........paint......and a vacuum to pick up the bushels of dust you will make. 

I'll get the pics up SOON. 

piper

[koan]

Cool Piper. To get back to the subject, I like t3 but have had good luck with smooth-on. But I wouldnt spend the xtra $$ on it, if you already have some go for it..but it is messy and water wont clean it up ....Brian