Glueing Fail - Can it be saved?

How to make a Bow, a String or a Set of Arrows. Making equipment & tools for use in Traditional Archery and Bowhunting.

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Sabinus
Posts: 138
Joined: Tue Mar 26, 2013 8:56 pm

Glueing Fail - Can it be saved?

#1 Post by Sabinus » Sun May 03, 2015 11:31 pm

Hey Guys,

Well I glued up my first spotted gum/bamboo stave this morning with titebond 3. Got a little impatient and peeled off the wrapping just now and realised I've stuffed it. :shock: :roll. Not through my impatience mind you, my mistake was the sequence in which I glued the two 36" bamboo laminations to my 72" spotted gum stave. A few lessons instantly have been learned :idea: , which I will happily apply to the existing materials if I can unstick them and re-dress the gluing surfaces for another attempt.

Has anyone successfully unstuck tb3? I've got a feeling that the heatgun may come in handy, but not sure if I'll singe my bamboo laminations in the process (and would this be the end of the world?) If I had a bandsaw and beltsander etc I'm sure the best course of action would be to start again with fresh materials, but having arrived at my current stage with a rasp and 40 grit sandpaper (cost- 1x re-aggravated old shoulder injury!) I'm kinda keen to try and resurrect my existing components.

Thanks in advance!

hunterguy1991
Posts: 859
Joined: Mon Jul 09, 2012 10:18 am
Location: Woodford Queensland

Re: Glueing Fail - Can it be saved?

#2 Post by hunterguy1991 » Mon May 04, 2015 9:00 am

Can we get some photos of the problem you're having mate. Will help to make suggestions on where to go.

Hamish
Posts: 309
Joined: Wed Oct 18, 2006 7:42 pm
Location: Sydney

Re: Glueing Fail - Can it be saved?

#3 Post by Hamish » Mon May 04, 2015 2:14 pm

Tb3 can be tough to remove once the glue has set, it doesn't release easily with heat like regular PVA. I have used a heat gun to remove glued on riser blocks at the handle that have started to lift at the fades . A combination of heat and a lot of prying with spatula and renovators pry bar eventually gets the job done. Not a job to be rushed.
I then scrape the surface clean with single edge safety razor. Re sand then re glue.

I don't envy you having to do the length of a bow. If you have extra materials I would start from fresh.
Hamish.

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mikaluger
Posts: 410
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2011 10:08 pm
Location: Melbourne Towne

Re: Glueing Fail - Can it be saved?

#4 Post by mikaluger » Mon May 04, 2015 6:35 pm

What Hamish said...

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