Gluing teak...best glue?

[woodbloke]

I'm getting to the point with my comp entry when I'll shortly (within the next 10 days) be gluing up the project, which is made in teak, one of my favourite timbers but which does present problems, one of which is in the gluing department. Immediately prior to the glue up I'm going to clean all surfaces with acetone to de-grease but am unsure of the best glue to use. I have used ordinary PVA in the past but wondered if anyone had found anything better that works with teak....I ask as I did a bit of veneering in the AirPress bag with teak and PVA and the whole thing de-laminated after about 2 hours - Rob

 

[White House Workshop]

I've had success with teak using cyanoacrylic (superglue) and epoxy resin. It's the oil in the teak that's the problem, as you know.

 

[Harbo]

In FW's glue test they used Ipe` as being a "stiffer" timber test than teak.
They found ordinary PVA to work best on it.

Rod

 

[Paul.J]

Rob.
Doesn't our old friend Norm use poly..........can't spell the rest :roll:
Paul.J.

 

[newt]

Acetone then Poly is certainly what the Norm uses.

 

[orangetlh]

We always use extramite when glueing up teak, seems to work well and we havnt had any failures yet. We quite often use PVA on iroko but you have to leave it at least a day to dry. Only had one failure but that was more to do with a dodgy joint. Extramite will also give you more open time for glueing if you have any complex joints, just have to make sure u clean it up well because its a pita to clean up after its gone hard.

 

[SammyQ]

I use plain old paint thiner for wiping, followed by PVA - no problems, even on chair joints. This is on 100 year old teak, with a low moisture content and therefore, proportionally, more available oil. Making up a hole filler with the dust and PVA is not as successful and here superglue or cyanoacrylate (spelling?) if you can get it, is better. PVA putties look creamy or pale, s/glu putty is transparent, save for the dust particles. Beware the sanding, routing and scaping dust, this baby is a well known allergen and respiratory hazard - and possibly worse.

 

[woodbloke]

Thanks for the replies so far. I think what I may do is a series of little experiments to see what will work best and try out each of the ideas. The idea of poly glue is appealing but I need to see what sort of foaming takes place as I can't afford to have any in the groove for the lid panel, which will be in place when the the casket is glued - Rob

 

[MIGNAL]

You could try hot hide glue. I use it for gluing Rosewood bridges on guitars and have even glued one without clamps using finger pressure only. Rosewood is a fairly oily wood and I never use a de-greaser on it. It's still firmly held 6 months later which is pretty good considering it's taking a pull of something like 200 LBs.
I'd be careful with the use of Acetone. I don't think it's terribly good for you. A better alternative may be Meths, always use gloves.