Thread: Best glue
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Old 07-05-2004, 02:22 AM
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TexasJack TexasJack is offline
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Accra-Glass is a slow setting epoxy and it dries clear (or relatively so). I've used it to glass bed rifles and it works pretty well.

Generally speaking, the slower setting the epoxy, the more waterproof it is. Of course, no matter how good the glue is, if water soaks into the wood - or if the metal corrodes - it will not hold. I don't know that Accra-Glass is really any different from any other good slow setting epoxy, but I would not dare to disagree with Ed's judgement.

Polyurethanes are started by having the surfaces wet. That doesn't work easily on metal. They're pretty sticky, and harden well, but I have yet to see a "poly" that cured clear. I've used it for woodworking - for example gluing together boards for a work bench top. Some overflow got on the concrete and set up. Amazing how tough the stuff is.

The glue itself is not as important as the technique of gluing. That is to say that 1) good surface prep (on both surfaces), 2) good mixing of the glue, 3) good, tight, even clamping, and 4) plenty of set-up time. One more thing: seal the wood (or whatever your slabs are made of). Most of the furniture you sit on is held together with some variation of the Elmer's glue that grade school kids use for poster projects. It has a lot more stress than a knife handle (esp. with my butt), but no knifemaker in his right mind would use Elmers. Conversely, I've seen people repair chairs with epoxy - but they fall apart because they didn't apply it correctly.

Superglue may very well be the strongest glue, but it doesn't allow for much thickness. Epoxy and polyurethane have some ability to fill in a thick area. Epoxy dries clear (or can be colored) and is pretty forgiving with respect to the surfaces involved. So pick a good, slow setting epoxy and apply it carefully.


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