oak and epoxy
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PbCanoe
oak and epoxy
Has anyone had a problem with laminating strips of oak with epoxy for a stem? Some sources are saying that the tannin in the oak will interfere with bonding.
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Glen Smith
- Posts: 3719
- Joined: Sat May 08, 2004 9:08 am
- Location: Baie-St-Paul, Quebec, Canada
I have read this warning quite often and it seems to concern red oak only. However, I have never read any information from an actual boat builder reporting of a failure with either red or white oak. Nobody has said "I tried it and it didn't work". Several builders claim to have used both oaks with success. Most of them clean the oak surface with acetone just before applying epoxy. This is the recommended procedure according to West System. Apparently the acetone cleans off the surface "oils" and the epoxy sets up before more oil can make it to the surface.
You may want to try it on some small pieces first.
You may want to try it on some small pieces first.
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Glen Smith
- Posts: 3719
- Joined: Sat May 08, 2004 9:08 am
- Location: Baie-St-Paul, Quebec, Canada
I just found this which may be of interest however he does not state if he used red or white oak: Once the uprights were done, it was time to apply the glass cloth to the outside of the deck. When this was done, I sanded down the coaming and started on the cockpit rim. I was aware that this rim has to be very strong, so I cut ten strips ( 7/16" x 1/8" ) from some oak my friend Sean had given me. The strips were 42" long so would only reach along one side of the coaming. I epoxied one strip each side of the coaming. The next day, I epoxied two more strips. The next day, when I removed the clamps, there was a gurgling noise and the two outer strips fell off. I assumed I had mixed the epoxy/hardener incorrectly, so I mixed a new batch and reglued the strips. The next day, they fell off. I decided that epoxying oak to oak could not be done, so I ripped some ash ( given to me by another friend, Willie ) and glued these as every second strip. This worked perfectly and as an added bonus I ended up with a nice light/dark stripe effect for the rim. Why the oak/oak didn't work, I don't know.
Note: he does not mention cleaning the oak with acetone before applying epoxy.
Note: he does not mention cleaning the oak with acetone before applying epoxy.
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Juneaudave
- Posts: 522
- Joined: Sat May 08, 2004 12:42 pm
- Location: Juneau, Alaska
- Contact:
My $.02, Why would the epoxy bond to one oak board laminated to a non oak board but not two oak boards together? To me either the epoxy takes to the wood or not. Also, many laminate hardwood floors have a veneer of red oak. If the commercial guys had trouble and worked out the bugs wouldn't those techniques be discovered by astute wood workers?
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Guest
I have successfully laminated both red and white oak using epoxy while making furniture. The tannin is mostly gone after the steaming process, especially with thin strips of 1/8" to 1/4". You do have to steam for a longer time than walnut or cherry or even ash. If you will not be steaming the oak, I would not be a good judge. The only time I needed to epoxy the lumber was when I was going to bend it.
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PbCanoe
oak & epoxy
Red oak and epoxy will be attempted. Results will be posted when finished with experiment.
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PbCanoe
guest reply
According to Mr. R. Bruce Hoadley.....pecan is in the same general category as oak. Send me an email if you are interested in parting with your pecan. If it doesn't work for boats, it will be an excellent seasoning for my next meat smoking adventure.
pecan
pecan is a hickory and has many of the same properties as other hickories. One is that it changes dimensions(swells) a lot with increase in moisture content. More than any other really dense American hardwood. I saw it used on the edges of paddles. The blades were glassed and the tiniest nick in the edge would allow enough water in to swell the edge and break the glass loose all around the edge. I would not recommend it in a boat. I does make very pretty indoor furniture, but swelling always needs to be accommodated.