epoxy/glue

What kind of epoxy/glue do you guys use to put on handles?


confused.gif
 
Matt Shade

Matt Shade

Joined
Nov 24, 1999
Messages
4,981
I'm using Devcon 2 ton that sets in 30 minutes right now. It was the first thing I found and haven't tried anything else but it works pretty good. If you get it I wouldn't recommend getting it inthe syringe style tube. The chambers get air bubbles in them and it makes it impossible to get a consistent mix of the 2 parts. The separate bottles would work much better.
Acraglas seems to be fairly popular to the guys here on the forums. Try a search on epoxy, you should find lots of stuff.

------------------
Fix it right the first time, use Baling Wire !
 
i use T-88. it's a non-brittle, two part epoxy. unaffected by water, gasoline, and most other chemicals. it's good stuff! i can't find the tonage rating though.
 
K&G has a real good epoxy they sell. Quite a few folks use Acra-glass from Brownell's. I prefer the micro bedding compound a little better, it is not quite as thick.

What I have been using lately is shafting epoxy from Golfsmith. I figure if it holds a golf club head on, especially after the abuse that some of the duffers pound out, it must be pretty good stuff!

C Wilkins

 
If you're looking for easy to find over-the-counter epoxy, Devcon makes good products. The longer the drying time for the epoxy, the stronger, more heat resistant, and moisture resistant it is likely to be. I generally go for the 8 hour type. It also helps to cure the epoxy at a slightly elevated temperature. I use a 75-watt flood light bulb at about an 8" distance to get quicker and stronger curing. Eight hour epoxy can be fully cured in a couple hours this way.

[This message has been edited by Jeff Clark (edited 01-29-2000).]
 
I must agree with Jeff, Devcon is easy to find "over the counter". The 2 Ton or 30 minute epoxy is not bad but stay away from the 5 minute stuff. It is NOT waterproof.

C Wilkins
 
devcon is good, k&g stuff is real good..but T88 costs about $40 for a half gallon which usually lasts me about a year making a couple of knives a week....thats a bargain. the other ones cost WAY more and arent any better.

------------------
http://www.mayoknives.com


 
Here's my take on the subject-
One of the knives I made awhile back with the Devcon 2 Ton Epoxy (slow set), is on its' way back to me as I type this.
The underside of the slabs were hollowed out & gouged to make them rough, extra holes were drilled in the tang to provide "epoxy rivets", and 2 brass pins were used to secure the slabs as well. The handle is starting to come loose!!!! This is a nightmare AFAIC!!!:0
I have heard horror stories regarding the Devcon product line, and I switched to the shafting epoxy because of them. Have not had ANY come back since I started using it.
I also just bought a small package of the Locktite 330 (?IIRC), which is a no-mix 2 part system...adhesive on one piece, kicker/accelerator on the other. I've heard good reports on this stuff as well...will report back after testing it.
The LAST THING I want is one of my knives coming back to bite me on the butt, so saving a few sheckels on glue is not worth it!!!
mad.gif

Harry Jensen
 
I use T-88. For both my knives and my ultralight airplane.

------------------
-Greg Johnson
ICQ#4236341

 
I made some filet knife kits when I first started and used the devcon 8 hr stuff. It didn't hold.I read David Boyes book on Knifemaking You can do it.He uses devcon 5 min. I have been using it since.Afar as it not being waterproof if you seal the wood or whatever you use for handle materialit should be ok.After all how much water are you going to get on a knife.
I ordered some shafting epoxy from Golfsmith.
Took 3 weeks to get it.I haven't used it yet but it doesn't appear to be clear???

Take care
TJ Smith
 
OK, I'll ask, Who makes T-88 and where can it be found?

------------------
C.O.'s-"It takes balls to work behind the walls "
 
Shafting epoxy from Golfsmith is not clear but a little epoxy colorant or black ink works well.

C Wilkins
 
IUBI, I'm still using some UHU 24 hour epoxy I brought back from Germany years ago and have had great luck with it. Jeff Clark brought up an important point: the epoxy (most, if not all brands) are heat sensative. If it's too cold, it just never cures completely. The UHU has a heat curing table on the back of the package and the tensil strength goes up and curing time comes down dramatically with heat up to about 360 degrees F, above which point you destroy the bond. The 24 hours shrinks to 10 minutes and the strength of bond doubles as you approach 360 degrees. That temp is way too high for me, and any high heat is too high if you're working with ivory, pearl etc., but I've had really good luck letting the epoxy set up for two hours at room temp, at which time it starts to "turn over" and then popping it in a toaster oven at 150 - 175 degrees for 30 min. Let it cool back down to room temp and it is SOLID! Don't try it with any handle material that is heat sensative, but for most hard woods or micarta it seems to improve the bond a lot.
Ron
 
Posted this before, but might be worthwile to say again. If you use Acraglass or any epoxy that isn't 1 to 1 ratio mix, go to your local pharmacy or hospital and get some 3 or 4 cc and some 10 cc non-luer lock syringes to measure with. 2.5 cc's is just about right to put 2 slabs on a normal blade.
 
The most common problem with epoxy is incorrect surface preparation. Commonly people think that they are supposed to roughen the surface to get good bonding. This is NOT the primary requirement. What you do need is to get the surfaces CHEMICALLY ACTIVE, CLEAN and SOLID. What you need to do is remove any weak surface material, remove any old surface material, and get the surface chemically clean.

It may be obvious, but natural materials like antler etc. sometimes have weak material in the center where you want to do your bonding. It does no good to use 2-ton epoxy and attach it to 2-pound handle material. You may need to extensively ream out a stick tang handle and use a lot of epoxy filler to get strength in the handle. In the case of some slab handles you may need screws or rivets to provide adequate strength. The natural material may be very weak when stretched and may delaminate if secured on only one side by bonding.

Less commonly known is the need for "fresh" surfaces when you are bonding materials. An adhesive works by linking to surface molecules of the two substrates in the joint. When a surface is created by something like cutting, the surface molecules are missing neighbors on one side. The surface molecules have a mechanically enduced chemical deficiency that makes them want to bond to other substances. This is a great surface for adhesive bonding. A big issue is that this deficiency (high energy state) goes away rapidly with time. Usually within hours the surface is significantly worse for bonding or painting. In the case of rolled or forged material you don't even have a good bonding surface right after fabrication. If you cut a material with a lubricated blade you also don't initially get a clean surface. This is why people sand surfaces before bonding. You are creating a new high energy bonding surface, not "roughing up" the surface. You need to remove the entire old surface, not merely put a bunch of scratches in it. Really rough sand paper is not needed either. In the aircraft industry they often use an etching process. You need to do your surface preparation within minutes or a few hours of bonding.

Another issue is surface cleanliness. You need to use a clean volatile solvent like acetone (not oily solvent like mineral spirits) or use clean detergent solution before you do your sanding. This prevents contaminating your surface as you create it. If you use a detergent to clean the surface, rinse it thoroughly with distilled water and dry it before sanding. Use fresh and clean sanding material and work in a clean area--really clean, put some paper down on your table. It may be optional to wipe the surface with acetone after sanding. You may just need to dust it with a clean rag. Think clean and fresh at every step. Of course you are preparing both the metal surface and the handle material surface. Both fresh and clean, clean, clean. Watch how you handle the material. You may want to wear gloves to keep hand oils off the the surfaces.

Lastly, be very careful about mixing your epoxy. Be very careful about getting equal amounts of the two components. Do not trust the dual syringes to do the job automatically. Make more than you expect to use so that proportions will be more equal. Stir the components like crazy. Transfer the epoxy away from the place you mix it before using. When I mix on a sheet of paper I scoop the epoxy to another spot before applying--the spot where I mixed it will have hardener-rich and resin-rich areas on the paper surface. Rub the epoxy into both surfaces before mating them. Save your epoxy coated mixing stick and cure it in the same area as your handle. If your mixing stick epoxy does not harden properly you know you have a problem with your finished product.


[This message has been edited by Jeff Clark (edited 01-31-2000).]
 
Cliff,

You need to go to the manufacturer for info on bond strength vs temperature. There would be information for curing temperature effects and operating temperature. If you need to use epoxy at an elevated temperature you usually want an epoxy that requires an elevated curing temperature.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top