Replies

1. 
   Samson | Apr 08, 2009 10:07pm | #1

   I've glued it successfully with PVA (i.e., regular wood glue) to other species like cherry and maple.  I was worried because it was so waxy, but no problems.

2. 
   Rich14 | Apr 08, 2009 11:32pm | #2

   Ron,

   I don't want to counter the last post by saying that it's wrong, but "no problems" is not the way I would characterize gluing lignum vitae, or any oily wood specie.

   Yes, it can be glued with white or yellow carpenter's glue (Titebond). Epoxy glues are frequently recommended as the best for gluing oily tropical hardwoods and there are special epoxy formulations for this application.

   I have used both of the above with very good results, but I prefer polyurethane glue (Gorilla) to both. Especially because clean up with acetone (MUST be done before the glue "sets up") leaves the wood perfectly clean and absolutely unstained.

   The "secret" to successful gluing of these woods is to prepare the joint surfaces as close to gluing time as possible (minutes or a few hours), and no more than 24 hours. (That's good advice for ANY glue joint). Some people advocate wiping the joints with solvent (acetone, mineral spirits, both) to remove oils and waxes. However, just as many say this simply pulls more oil from the subsurface into the joint and accomplishes nothing. FWIW, I wipe the joint quickly with acetone.

   I haven't had a failure in years polyurethane gluing lignum vitae as soles for wooden planes to all manner of other tropical hardwoods. The glue joints are invisible except for the contrast in wood.

   Rich

1. 
   Samson | Apr 08, 2009 11:43pm | #3

   I hereby disavow any gluing expertise.  I am not a glue expert nor do I play one on TV. 

   To clarify:

   I was not generalizing to ALL oily tropical woods.

   I was merely reporting my own experience with lignum vitae in my own little shop.  Maybe I got the couple in a million pieces of lignum that glue without issue using pva. 

1. 
   Rich14 | Apr 09, 2009 01:42am | #4

   Samson,I didn't say there was any problem using PVA. Just the opposite. My point was that the most important thing is that the pieces be freshly-jointed before gluing.Rich

3. 
   flairwoodworks | Apr 09, 2009 04:01am | #5

   Ron,

   Wipe down the mating surfaces with a fast-drying solvent just before gluing.

   Chris @ www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com
   (soon to be www.flairwoodworks.com)

    - Success is not the key to happiness.  Happiness is the key to success.  If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer

1. 
   Ron01960 | Apr 09, 2009 06:31am | #6

   thank you for sharing your experiences. The man who just gave me the wood called and told me that last week he dug it out from the wood rack. It had been there several decades.
   He was looking for some contrasting wood to show his grandchildren how to scroll saw. They sprayed a light coat of adhesive and applied the paper patten. The scroll saw blades cut like they were being lubricated, he said. When they applied the hair dryer over the patten to soften the glue, he said "an oil like substance dripped out of the wood onto the paper bag" It soaked through a double layer paper bag and into his bench, he fears the bench may be stained permanently.It was just a heads up to me.I can feel the saw kerf edges, 1/2" thick stock, feels like a very smooth, hard, waxy surface.Thanks againRon in Peabody

1. 
   Joe Sullivan | Apr 10, 2009 06:03am | #7

   AN acquaintance in a nautical archaeology department recently gave me a small piece of L. Vitae that had been underwater in the Caribbean for 300 years. It is a small piece, about an 1" by 1" at base and tapering to a point. I haven't figured out what to do with it yet.Joe