Total Boat High Performance for Glue Up

[Julio Vargas]

Hi I have searched for this answer not only on Sawmill Creek but also generally in the web and I can't seem to find a definitive answer.

I called total boat but being later in the day on Saturday there is no answer and I was hoping to start this glue up this weekend.

Can I use total boat high performance epoxy for glue up without putting any fillers in it?

This is a normal mortise and tenon and joint where some of the joints are a bit on the loose side and I would like to use epoxy instead of regular wood glue.

Any help is appreciated.

[Jamie Buxton]

If there's big gaps, and the epoxy is quite liquid, there's no reason for it to fill the gaps. You can use sanding dust as a filler. Not sawdust -- those particles are too big -- but sanding dust. Add enough dust to the epoxy so that it doesn't just immediately drip off the tenon -- more like the viscosity of Titebond.

[Julio Vargas]

If there's big gaps, and the epoxy is quite liquid, there's no reason for it to fill the gaps. You can use sanding dust as a filler. Not sawdust -- those particles are too big -- but sanding dust. Add enough dust to the epoxy so that it doesn't just immediately drip off the tenon -- more like the viscosity of Titebond.

Great thanks.

I was going to pre-finish with boiled linseed oil. Will the boiled linseed oil help make cleaning squeeze out easier?

Or should I do my glue up with the epoxy, clean up with acetone, and then apply my boiled linseed oil

[Jamie Buxton]

Great thanks.

I was going to pre-finish with boiled linseed oil. Will the boiled linseed oil help make cleaning squeeze out easier?

Or should I do my glue up with the epoxy, clean up with acetone, and then apply my boiled linseed oil

I haven't tried linseed oil as a resist against epoxy. My guess is that it should help.

Here's two things which will also help.
*Put your glue only in the mortise. If you have excess glue, it will get pushed down into the mortise. If you put glue on the tenon, the excess glue will get pushed out to be visible squeeze out.
*Do you know the soda straw trick? If you do get squeeze out appearing in a right angle, use a soda straw to scrape it out while it is still wet. The tip of the straw can conform pretty tightly to the wood, and the glue gets caught inside the straw so it doesn't go all over everywhere.

[Jerry Wright]

Often you can shim ill fitting t-t joints with veneer - negating need for epoxy.