I glued two pieces of 3/4″ x 3″ x 2′ pine together as a roof support in a wishing well about six months ago. I saw the well again a week or two ago and the pine supports are coming apart, the glue didn’t hold.
My sister in law never finished or sealed the wood before she put it in her yard. That’s the way she wanted it. Is the joint coming apart because of exposure to outside weather (spring in Utah) or should I have used another method? I used Titebond outdoor wood glue and clamped the pieces between scrap boards overnight.
Matt-
Replies
I don't know what your radius was. 3/4" is very thick to be used as a bent lamination. I picture a sort of tight radius being it was an wishing well. It could be you should of used 1/8" or 1/4" thick pieces for the lamination. Another obvious problem is the Pine. Pine left untreated or unpainted will not last through the seasons anywhere. I wouldn't use it regardless. Even the pressure treated stuff you can buy looks like crap after a year. Titebond II isn't the best waterproof glue. I'd use a glue like gorilla glue. Plus it's susposed to better for bent laminations for it's plyability, I think. Redwood or Teak would be ideal if it fit in her budget. But I know, family, they want the best for free. Thank god mine isn't like that. They pay my full price without batting an eye. I don't know if this helped or if it made the situation worse? See ya, John E. Nanasy
John,
I'm sorry I didn't make it very clear in my first post. The laminated pine makes two posts that support the roof. I laminated two pieces together to make 1.5" thick posts that are screwed into the well base. Sorry for the confusion.
I agree that pine isn't the best choice, but it's what I had. In the future I'll try the gorilla glue. I've heard lots of good things about it. Thanks for the info.
Any suggestions for a good redwood or teak supplier. I know a few places that sell it but they have to special order it at a premium for my budget.
Matt-
Edited 5/31/2002 12:18:31 AM ET by MPHARPER
My mistake. I respond to posts by trying to remember what they said. I reread your post and realized that's what you meant. That's even simpler. At 3" wide, assuming you're using the standard bar clamps, you'll need to clamp the top and bottom of the lamination, alternating the clamps every 4-6" apart. You'll have to use your own judgement on how far to space your clamps. The main things when laminating is flat stock and speed. You have no time to waste. Have everything ready before you open the glue bottle. Do a test run and see if the joint is tight prior to glue application. The thing I learned is that speed is the key. Really laminating two 3/4" pieces is simple. I did a run of 4x6" interior beams w/ I think 22 3/16" laminations per beam. I ruined the first few. But after I got a system down, I could glue one up in about 15 min. by myself and about 30-35 clamps. I'm still cleaning the clamps. Gotta go good luck.....John E. Nanasy
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