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CS20MK3 Hull#24. Wood glue


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Well it been a few days since my last post and I have glued the hull panels together and I have attached the stringers for dry fit, I know that most of you use thickened epoxy to glue your boats, but due to temperature I would like to use plastic resin wood glue because it will cure at colder temperatures. My question is is this glue strong enough for boats I have used it for years to build furniture with no problems. I believe that this is what was used before the invent of epoxy.

 

mark

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It has been around for a long time, and many boats have been built with it. BUT you have to have very good joints. No gaps! And clamp tightly. Stitch and glue boats use lots of fillets to join panels and such. You have to use epoxy for those. Also taping seams. How about this suggestion. Use plastic to build a tent over your boat or the parts you are gluing. Place a small space heater under the plastic (Just be sure it doesn't touch anything flammable!) Many folks have done this and successfully glue in a cold shop.

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I agree with Chick (not that he needs my agreement!).  I have used plastic resin glue as well in furniture building, and it is a great product, but why use it for boat building when a superior product is available?

 

Even if you use plastic resin glue for some components, you will still have to use epoxy for wetting out fiberglass anyway, therefore putting you right back in the temperature constraints you were trying to avoid.

 

What kind of space are you working in?

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Mark

 

yes I understand that I will need to use epoxy for the glassing and fillets and I am going to tent the boat once it is in the cradle the tent will be made of 6mil clear plastic 10 ‘ wide by 24’ long 8’ high. I am working in a 40’x48’ shop with 14’ wallsI do have a large wood burning stove in the shop and can get up to 68 while iam out their working it the evening time when iam not out their to keep the stove hot and it cools down to 40 this stops the cure of the epoxy to snails pace  but to glue the stringers I thought that I could use the plastic resin glue it will cure much faster in the cold

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You don't even need to build a frame for your tent. If you do your building "in the open" in the shop with enough heat from your stove to keep you warm, then throw your plastic over the boat and set the space heater under it when you finish working and let the wood stove burn down. If you are working on flat panels or sub assemblies, set up a couple of saw horses, chairs, or whatever to hold the plastic sheet up. maybe with 2x4s layed across them

I used to do this when building and repairing fiberglass boats as a business. The polyester resin I used was even more critical to keep warm than epoxy.

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I built my skiff outdoors over the winter.  Granted, I live in North Carolina, and there were long dormant spells during the dead of winter.  I worked on the smaller parts in my unheated (but warmer) garage, when possible.  You can even switch to a fast hardener, if it’s cool.  But in the end, you’re going to experience slower cure times if it’s cold.  (I agree with Chick, of course.  Epoxy is the perfect product.)

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Titebond III is a good product.  The Brooklin Boatyard uses it alongside epoxy for such purposes as edge joining transom boards, etc.  The main point why you need epoxy instead of Titebond III or other glues is simple.  Stitch and glue boats use fillets and tape (instead of chines, for example) to provide strength at the seams.  Would you thicken Titebond III, make a fillet, and use it to bond glass tape?  I don’t think so!  If you want to use those glues, choose a different type of construction.

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At the very least I incorporate a cheap microwave in the dead of winter to deal with epoxy mixes. You can also store your materials in a large cooler with a small light bulb to address the cooler and thicker resin that  is always the case in cooler temps. I hit the epoxy only in my cup for approx. 20 seconds , depending on the amount. But working by myself and using your typical mixing containers, that's about 1 1'/2 to two inches of resin for the bigger jobs. For smaller amounts, 10 seconds works just fine. I then use my standard hardener, which in my case is 2 to 1 ratio.  You can use the slow to medium hardener or mix the combination of slow and fast hardener of the same ratio for your brand. Then  blend in the cabosil for fillets and gluing up  bits and pieces.

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I sometimes like Titebond III for a perfect joint with relatively large gluing area. But trust it better with mechanical back-up. I glued cleats on Old Codger to support the lift out hatches in my berth top. So far, two of them have broken loose when I've sat on them. All-in-all, epoxy is to be preferred!

 

Here's how I warm my poxy when it's cold in the shop..

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DSCN4313.thumb.JPG.5aceaa7f75e5a8d895f52c71bc99f2a7.JPG

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