2000

What kind of glue do you use between the strips? by Al Gustaveson (h28)

When it comes to questions about building strip canoes a recurring one is always, "what kind of glue do you use between the strips?"

I am constantly surprised by the arcane and learned answers that this question brings! When one considers the job that the glue is required to do the answer is readily apparent. It needs to hold the strips together until you can fair up the hull and cover it with fiberglass and epoxy. That’s it. The fiberglass and resin is what gives the hull its stiffness and strength.

The glue need not be waterproof; it’s encapsulated by the resin. The requirements other than holding the strips together long enough to get the cloth on are that it should dry crisp and break off easily. It should be fast drying, but still provide enough "open time" so you can get the strips compressed together and stapled before it sets up. One good point to remember is not to use a wet rag to wipe off the excess glue. That "sizes" to wood and makes a stain that is difficult to see and to sand out. It seems as though you’ll always miss one glue stain, and it will always be in a conspicuous location. Then, for the remaining life of the canoe, it will always remind you of that eighth grade shop project you made for your mother.

The new polyurethane glues are wonderful, but not for building canoes. Yes, they do expand to fill voids, but in doing so they expand like foam insulation and make nice 1/4'’ standing rows between the strips to plane and sand off. These glues also become thermoplastic when you sand them at even the lowest speeds so you go through lots and lots of sanding disks. (3M makes both sanding disks and polyurethane glues...I wonder if there’s some kind of sinister plot there.)
So save your glue money for some really nice burl walnut for your decks and buy good old yellow Titebond or white Elmers. The yellow glues set up faster than the white ones, so if you require more open time use a white glue. I do think the yellow ones dry crisper however, and plane and sand off more easily.

If you have any questions about building, call me, Al Gustaveson, 9-5 Monday through Friday at 651/229-0192 or e-mail al@northwestcanoe.com.