metal to wood glue

[rich murray]

What is the best glue to connect a metal tenon to a piece of white oak 7/8"X8"X12" and a barrel-shaped piece of turned walnut 1 3/4"X1 3/4"? This is a desk clock with the main body of oak and a walnut column on each side. There will be almost no wood to wood contact between body and columns. I want to use metal because someday, someone will pick this thing up by one column. The columns stand an inch taller than the body and are capped by plates which flare up and out from the columns to a diameter of 6". I'm thinking the tenon can extend a maximum of 1 1/2" into each mortise. Also, how tight should the tenons be if epoxy or polyurethane glue is used? Both woods show vertical face grain, and the tenons will let into their sides. This is a "change in design/I like the looks thing." Or function follows form. Or just bad planning.

[Greg Hines, MD]

A photo or diagram would help with this, but I will give it a shot. The only glue that will satisfactorily bond metal and wood is some kind of epoxy. I would not make the hole much bigger than your rod/tenon.

From a strength standpoint, I would think that a dowel would work just as good, or a traditional tenon. Even a Domino.

Doc

[Joe Chritz]

The doc has this right. The wood around the tenon will fail likely before a wooden tenon anyhow. Without seeing the design I would doubt the metal would gain enough extra strength to make it worthwhile. Especially if the grain is the correct direction.

If it is going to be metal an epoxy is the stuff to use and I would size the hole so the rod slides in with hand pressure but won't fall out on its own.
Joe

[Darius Ferlas]

To start with, a thing to consider is the fact that white oak reacts with ferrous metals causing corrosion and staining of wood. I believe brass and stainless steel should be used.

[Jim Becker]

thistothat.com

[Chris Padilla]

thistothat.com

Interesting but I was disappointed with their recommendations for gluing wood to wood!!

[Randy Rose]

PL polyurethane construction adhesive, I tested wood glue/ C/A / two part epoxy and PL on wood to metal scraps recently and PL was the clear winner. I could not pull the brass away from the wood, all the others failed with little effort.