[Public-list] Glue for teak

[Robert Kirk]

Roger... As Mike Lehman points out, resorcinol is the  traditional marine 
waterproof glue. It's hard to go wrong, but it requires mixing. In recent 
years, "polyurethane glue" (Google it) has come on strong. It's single part 
(no mixing) and also waterproof & strong. "Gorilla" was the brand that made 
it popular, but since then Franklin Titebond, Elmers, and other mainline 
woodworking glue companies have come out with poly, too. They are likely to 
be cheaper than the Gorilla. Polyurethane is expensive, but so is 
resorcinol. I'm not sure which costs most. I do woodworking, and many 
cabinetmakers I know now use it routinely in all their projects, though 
honestly, I still use good old yellow glue for interior stuff. Also, don't 
forget epoxy which is good, too.

Anyway, as you probably know,  the biggest problem gluing teak is the teak 
itself. It's notoriously hard to glue because it's so oily and the oil on 
the surface prevents a good bond no matter the glue. The only way to get 
glue to hold is to vigorously wipe the surface with acetone (or maybe 
alcohol?), let the acetone evaporate in a few seconds, and then immediately 
glue & clamp before the deeper oil migrates back to the surface.

Finally, unless you already have the wood on hand, you might consider 
buying 6/4 teak instead of laminating 5/8. It's probably just as cheap and 
a lot less work. I'm sure that's what Whitby did.

Bob Kirk
Isobar #181


At 02:12 PM 5/27/05 -0400, you wrote:
>Albergers,
>
>I am making my new toe rail from two pieces of 5/8" thick teak that will 
>be laminated together.  Can anyone recommend a good glue to use?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Roger


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