• We just finished moving the forums to a new hosting server. It looks like everything is functioning correctly but if you find a problem please report it in the Forum Technical Support Forum (click here) or email us at forum_moderator AT aawforum.org. Thanks!
  • Beware of Counterfeit Woodturning Tools (click here for details)
  • Johnathan Silwones is starting a new AAW chapter, Southern Alleghenies Woodturners, in Johnstown, PA. (click here for details)
  • Congratulations to Dave Roberts for "2 Hats" being selected as Turning of the Week for April 22, 2024 (click here for details)
  • Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.

When to Glue crack ?

M

MTiDD

Joined
Dec 29, 2006
Messages
3
Likes
0
Location
Crete, Greece
When to Glue cracks ?

Hi

I'm not only new to the forum, but also new to turning. To complicate matters I've recently moved to Crete, Greece, where turning clubs are non existent. However this hurdle did at least lead me to find the AAW site, which has been a great help to me. I'm lucky enough to be able to obtain Olive, Carob and a few other local woods very easily and cheaply here. This cheap wood has been counter balanced by the need to order everything else related to turning from abroad at a much greater cost, especially as the Greek customs & excise authorities love receiving parcels from the US (=$$$$$ for them)

This leads me onto my gluing question. I've been rough turning bowls of various sizes, ready to season. I'm unsure whether or not to glue up cracks and splits (some are largish) that I find when the bowl is ready to come off the lathe at the rough turning stage or if I should leave the cracks to do their thing, season the bowl, finish turning then fill any small cracks prior to the sanding and finish ?

Thanks in advance for any help and advice,

Mike
 
Last edited:
GA Darling

GA Darling

Joined
Dec 23, 2006
Messages
156
Likes
0
Location
Central Ohio
If you sleep too close to the crack, you'll catch a cold. :D :D

Use the glue after you finish turn the piece. Otherwise you will cut away most of the glue. CA glue is a little on the pricey side to waste a lot of it.

GA Darling
 
dkulze

dkulze

Joined
May 29, 2004
Messages
995
Likes
2
Location
billerica, ma
GA, dahling,

You haven't discovered inexpensive, bulk CA online yet? You can consistantly get it for about $4-5 per 2 oz bottle (san's shipping) and it comes in a variety of thicknesses. I'm big on glueing repeatedly as you turn the piece down so as to stabilize and hold the cracks from growing. As I reach finished, I reglue all the cracks and turn away the excess and a bit of wood, which gets rid of the CA soaked into the wood around the crack.

Thin CA has amazing wicking so it will suck into the thinnest of cracks. Just make sure to get some accellerant when you order the glue and make sure to let it cure well or you'll be covered in little hard dots of glue.

Oh, and don't forget that CA is PH sensitive so acid woods (oak and such) will slow the curing process and more alkaline woods (birch, pine) will speed it.

Have fun,
Dietrich
 
GA Darling

GA Darling

Joined
Dec 23, 2006
Messages
156
Likes
0
Location
Central Ohio
dkulze said:
GA, dahling,

You haven't discovered inexpensive, bulk CA online yet? You can consistantly get it for about $4-5 per 2 oz bottle (san's shipping) and it comes in a variety of thicknesses.

Have fun,
Dietrich
Click to expand...


I haven't found it that cheap anywhere. Do you have a link to san's shipping?

GA Darling
 
dkulze

dkulze

Joined
May 29, 2004
Messages
995
Likes
2
Location
billerica, ma
Unfortunately, sans shipping means without shipping. Just google CA glue and you'll get lots of sites. That or contact your closest AAW club. Many of them buy in bulk now.

Dietrich

P.S.(just googled around a bit. Best price in small lots seems to be about $6.00 for 2 oz. We get it as a club for just about $3.50 and sell it for 4.)
 
Last edited:
M

MTiDD

Joined
Dec 29, 2006
Messages
3
Likes
0
Location
Crete, Greece
Have just recently ordered bulk Ca from Starbond who were happy to send to Europe. Even with shipping, it still saved me a bundle compared with prices over here. Got the accellerant too & debonder. I think that Olive wood must be on the more acidic side as the glue takes longer to cure compared with any other woods I use. Stopping the cracks from growing was one of my concerns about leaving the gluing till the final turning, so I've tended to fill and leave to season up until now, as of yet I have not seen much expansion in the cracks but I just guessed that the glue was holding it together.Still waiting to do a final turn.

If the cracks turn into cavern sized holes would it be sensible to use epoxy resin, or just mix a filler (ie coffee grinds)to the Ca?

Thanks Mike
 
R

Richard Preston

Joined
Jun 21, 2004
Messages
46
Likes
0
Glueing question

MTiDD said:
Hi
snip

This leads me onto my gluing question. I've been rough turning bowls of various sizes, ready to season. I'm unsure whether or not to glue up cracks and splits (some are largish) that I find when the bowl is ready to come off the lathe at the rough turning stage or if I should leave the cracks to do their thing, season the bowl, finish turning then fill any small cracks prior to the sanding and finish ?

Thanks in advance for any help and advice,

Mike
Click to expand...
Hello Mike,
Some woods will close up after drying. Don't have much Olive, but I suspect that if you were to turn one green to immediately finish, it might close up (sometimes partway, sometimes all the way) in a week.
Why don't you try one and learn about Olive? When you know how it will behave as green, you can eliminate some behaviors when dry.

You didn't mention if you seal it after rough turning - some thin yellow glue with equal parts of water to make a sealer then seal the entire piece, especially the end grain.
Hope you have a seaside view of Greece!
Richard
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top