Cigar Box Guitars: building tips, music and the cigar box culture
What glue?
I'm curious to know what adhesives people here use when they need to bond wood for their CBGs. I've tended to use various epoxy glues which have been fine, but I'm beginning to wonder if other adhesives have any advantages. I've used cascamite for other types of wood working and I'm aware of at least one instrument builder who uses it.
(I thought I'd ask the question here within the British section because discussions in general forums about materials and techniques tend to end up with people suggesting American brand names, which aren't much use to me)
(I thought I'd ask the question here within the British section because discussions in general forums about materials and techniques tend to end up with people suggesting American brand names, which aren't much use to me)
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by ChickenboneJohn on -
Titebond works fine for me. The problem with epoxy is that you can't easily take it apart to do repairs.
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Permalink Reply by David Lloyd on -
I hate the smell of epoxy so try to avoid it.
So far I have used "serious glue" from B&Q or Tescos and it works great - really strong but if you use a big dollop it goes a bit rubbery like silicone so if used on piezo discs it helps to dampen them a bit.
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Permalink Reply by Bo Siddley (aka Stuart) on -
My personal favourite is standard Gorilla Glue - It is an expanding glue so it is great for joints that you have not cut as tight as you would like . I pretty much use it for everything
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Permalink Reply by Greg Meneghin on -
Gorilla Glue is the best way to go for strength and durability.
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Permalink Reply by Perfesser Blue on -
Dont even think of using gorilla glue or so many other whizbang happy homemaker do-all adhesives! The soft glue will dampen sound. an expanding glue will push tight joints apart.
Traditionalist use a glue made from boiled hide and hoof, horn will also work. A modern inexpesive way to go is to use gelatin powder in warm water.
I use carpenters yellow glue---dries fast but not too fast, is cleanable with water on a towel, can be hot knifed apart if I make a mistake, shrinks dry, stronger than wood, and very important, it PENETRATES the wood so it really really holds.
No need for high tech glues or wonder wizard materials here, people have been making instruments for thousands of years, and they all did just fine without high tech, so drop the Dupont products and see what you have in the kitchen!
Ever boiled sticky rice into a glue? It has worked in asia for thousands of years...and its acid free, so you can mount art prints with it too! High gluten flour paste has been used in the west...
You can even make your own varnishes of shrimp shells....
No end to what a creative person can do once they get outside of the mall again!
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Permalink Reply by Mark aka. Junk Box Instruments on -
Yup, I've already ruled out polyurethanes (eg. Gorilla glue) or PVA, on the grounds you've mentioned. I'm looking for something more along the lines of traditional glues in terms of the hardness, strength and "wood friendliness" properties - but ideally without the faffing around that would be entailed in boiling stuff up from "raw" ingredients.
Can you tell me what carpenters' yellow glue is? It sounds a little like cascamite in some respects - which I believe is a urea formaldehyde resin.
Perfesser Blue said:Dont even think of using gorilla glue or so many other whizbang happy homemaker do-all adhesives! The soft glue will dampen sound. an expanding glue will push tight joints apart.
Traditionalist use a glue made from boiled hide and hoof, horn will also work. A modern inexpesive way to go is to use gelatin powder in warm water. I use carpenters yellow glue---dries fast but not too fast, is cleanable with water on a towel, can be hot knifed apart if I make a mistake, shrinks dry, stronger than wood, and very important, it PENETRATES the wood so it really really holds.
No need for high tech glues or wonder wizard materials here, people have been making instruments for thousands of years, and they all did just fine without high tech, so drop the Dupont products and see what you have in the kitchen!
Ever boiled sticky rice into a glue? It has worked in asia for thousands of years...and its acid free, so you can mount art prints with it too! High gluten flour paste has been used in the west...
You can even make your own varnishes of shrimp shells....
No end to what a creative person can do once they get outside of the mall again!
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Permalink Reply by Greg Meneghin on
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You make a Great point, I'll use the carpenters glue on my next build!>Perfesser Blue said:Dont even think of using gorilla glue or so many other whizbang happy homemaker do-all adhesives! The soft glue will dampen sound. an expanding glue will push tight joints apart.
Traditionalist use a glue made from boiled hide and hoof, horn will also work. A modern inexpesive way to go is to use gelatin powder in warm water.
I use carpenters yellow glue---dries fast but not too fast, is cleanable with water on a towel, can be hot knifed apart if I make a mistake, shrinks dry, stronger than wood, and very important, it PENETRATES the wood so it really really holds.
No need for high tech glues or wonder wizard materials here, people have been making instruments for thousands of years, and they all did just fine without high tech, so drop the Dupont products and see what you have in the kitchen!
Ever boiled sticky rice into a glue? It has worked in asia for thousands of years...and its acid free, so you can mount art prints with it too! High gluten flour paste has been used in the west...
You can even make your own varnishes of shrimp shells....
No end to what a creative person can do once they get outside of the mall again!
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Permalink Reply by Robert Edwin Keable on -
I have been a carpenter/furniture maker for twenty years and have tried a lot of trendy glues and potions and I always come back to evostick pva if you use the interior stuff in the green bottle you can undo it with a little water and some care. If you know it is not stuck upside down / inside out / back to front etc etc use exterior grade in the blue bottle. -If you cock that up - thats the way it stays I'm afraid. Titebond make a liquid hide glue or you can go down the pearl glue which needs to be melted in a double glue pot, both are reversable with heat. Traditional hide glues ie Rabbit skin or fish skin glues are easliy reversed with water and a little heat but in an english climate that can be a problem (the water part not the heat). Best results for piezos so far is a rubber compound called CT1 it bonds most substances wet or dry metal, wood in fact anything to anything so long as it's not powdery or loose and weirdly has vibration dampening qualities. www.ct1ltd.com
For traditional stuff try www.axminster.co.uk
Order there catalogue for hours of bed/bog reading.
Hope this helps.
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Permalink Reply by MrRandomWritings on -
Hi - I just bought some Gorilla Glue - I usually use resin but saw your comment a few days ago - have you ever tried it to attach metal to wood? It says it does the job but both my tests have failed so far. Only trying to attach a magnetic door catch on a CBG where the lid is too thin to screw the plate on. Any tips?
Bo Siddley (aka Stuart) said:My personal favourite is standard Gorilla Glue - It is an expanding glue so it is great for joints that you have not cut as tight as you would like . I pretty much use it for everything
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