Glue choices for amateurs

[stuckinthemud]

Currently I am an amateur, hobby, bowyer.  I make a couple of bows in a year, I aspire to build one decent hornbow or maybe 2 or 3, but generally I am happy just pottering about.  Why is this important for this thread? Cost per bow.  A pro can afford to buy very expensive adhesives as they produce enough that the cost per bow is viable,but if I need to buy a £100 or £200 tub of glue, my cost per bow is huge. So, for a hobby bow builder, what are the most cost effective glues in place of croaker and advanced synthetics?

[Bowmonk]

Urea formaldahyde glues are my choice for natural material bows. Not only is it more cost effective than epoxies, I think they are a better product. Some examples would be cascamite, recorcinol, and Unibond 800 (formerly Urac 185). The Urac was my go to glue, and now I use the Unibond 800 and I have always considered them superior to epoxies for natural materials. Less creep and shear problems that you can experience with epoxies or PVA (Titebond) glues. I believe you can get in Europe "Polyvine Cascamite" if you are not able to get the Unibond 800 shipped to you.
~Russell

[stuckinthemud]

Really impressed by Semforite at the moment

[mmattockx]

The question should be asked - What are you gluing? Handles, tip overlays, laminations, something else?

Glues are very much a horses for courses type of thing and different uses have different winners. In Canada it is hard to get the formaldehyde glues and they are about the same cost as epoxy unless you are looking at EA40, which is more $$ because of high shipping costs from the US.


Mark

[stuckinthemud]

I didn't particularly want to steer the conversation, but I am interested in what people are using. As for me, I use Semforite for splices, cyano and wood flour for knots and voids, epoxy for overlays, PVA for laminating handles, gelatine for sinew and horn.  There must be alternatives, I would love to know what they are.

[Hamish]

Choose a glue that has a long shelf life. eg an epoxy or titebond 3. Good epoxy can be expensive but lasts a hell of a long time for a modern glue, so its money well spent.

A urea glue is probably the best for wood to wood gluing, and bowmaking, but has a short shelf life. These days its hard to buy in small amounts. Where I live, the smallest amount I can buy is 5 litres. That's an industrial quantity, which I couldn't get through with bows only before it expires. Yes it is also very expensive, and then you have to add in extra dangerous goods shipping, because its made to order, not retail.

The mix with water(not resin), powder urea type has a longer shelf life if stored properly and can be bought in small amounts, and is relatively cheap. Frequent complaints of out of shelf life products being sold, so do a test before committing to gluing up bow quality material.


You originally mentioned sinew horn bows. You only need animal glue for that. It lasts indefinitely if stored in dry/powdered form.
Isinglas is often used which is expensive, but you don't need much.

[PatM]

The question should be asked - What are you gluing? Handles, tip overlays, laminations, something else?

Glues are very much a horses for courses type of thing and different uses have different winners. In Canada it is hard to get the formaldehyde glues and they are about the same cost as epoxy unless you are looking at EA40, which is more $$ because of high shipping costs from the US.


Mark

 You can get Resorcinol through Aircraft Spruce Canada and Smooth-On has Canadian distributors..