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View Full Version : Which Glue for Cocobolo Handle?


Brian Kent
05-09-2008, 2:57 PM
I am making a wooden jointer with a cocobolo handle. There was a split in the cocobolo with the grain near the top of the handle.

The split had a darker natural covering or residue about 1/64th of an inch thick on each side of the split. Two glue-ups with Titebond III failed after 4 hours of clamping pressure. They just fell apart.


I sanded off the darker part with a 120 belt to get to the strong part of the wood. I want to get it right this time. Which glue should I use: Titebond III, Epoxy, Gorilla Glue, or white glue?

Also, I am gluing the handle to the wooden plane, with a single screw through the toe of the handle, but I may also sink a two inch screw through the top and into the handle to reinforce the glued pieces together. I would put a cocobolo plug over the top of it.

Suggestions?
Tony Zaffuto
05-09-2008, 3:16 PM
Clean surfaces to be glued with acetone first.

T.Z.
Chris Padilla
05-09-2008, 3:19 PM
Cocobola is very oily and either needs cleaned with acetone first before using PVA glues OR use the GG (poly) which glues oily rosewoods like Cocobola just fine. You may wish to clean it with acetone regardless of the glue you use but GG should work the best.
Brent Smith
05-09-2008, 4:21 PM
Hi Brian,

I've worked with quite a bit of Cocobolo and never had a problem with acetone and Titebond glues.
Brian Kent
05-09-2008, 7:11 PM
Thank you. I cleaned it and had no Gorilla Glue, but used epoxy instead (recommended in a past thread I found) and it held up to shaping just fine. I am posting the almost finished product in another thread.
Mark Singer
05-09-2008, 8:42 PM
Try to glue up soon after the surface is cut or sanded. Tightbond id good Epoxy is better. Plastic resin works too. Acetone is good to remove oil.
Stephen Shepherd
05-09-2008, 9:26 PM
especially acetone to clean wood prior to gluing with any glue. While this is a popular idea it actually causes problems. Studies have shown that washing down oily exotic woods like cocobolo will cause the natural extractives (oil) to migrate to areas of lower concentration.

Those areas are where the wood has been cleaned. It is better to do nothing, just glue it.

Stephen
Brent Smith
05-09-2008, 9:45 PM
especially acetone to clean wood prior to gluing with any glue. While this is a popular idea it actually causes problems. Studies have shown that washing down oily exotic woods like cocobolo will cause the natural extractives (oil) to migrate to areas of lower concentration.

Those areas are where the wood has been cleaned. It is better to do nothing, just glue it.

Stephen

Hi Stephen,

I've read that also. Thing is that each time I've glued oily woods (using Titebond) without cleaning the mating surfaces first, the joint didn't hold. When cleaned (with acetone) I get a strong joint. Go figure :confused:.