Epoxy glue joint opened

[Mike Cutler]

I'm going with John TenEyck and John Lanciani - rip and reglue.
I'm wary now of using epoxy again - might Titebond III work on this tropical wood?

To John Kananis - it was clamped up very tight, and the mating edges were perhaps too smooth for epoxy (thanks Larry, sandpapering the edge might help). I bought the glue in a place that does a roaring trade so I'm confident the batch was fairly recent. And I made sure to mix it thoroughly.

Mel, I looked on ebay and craigslist but there's no Pox for sale right now. Maybe more available closer to Halloween?

Thanks for the good advice everyone. Mark

Mark

I don't know what type of epoxy you used, but there are many different formulations for different purposes. I prefer the West Systems product line. It's what I know from repairing boats. I've also used the System Three products, but they're not as easy for me to buy as the West products.
From your writeup and response, it seems that the joint may have been over prepared, and the clamping pressure enough to starve the joint. With epoxy only apply enough pressure to bring the material pieces in contact with each other.
Don't be afraid to use epoxy, thousands of gallons of epoxy are poured every year in the marine boat industry, and it works. These are tropical woods exposed to harsh environments. However, for a piece that is destined to remain inside the house, Titebond III would work just fine.
To fix it, yeah, you have to redo the joint. You'll kick yourself in the behind for not redoing it completely.

[Brian Holcombe]

I would use Tibebond 1 or 2 unless this table is planned for outdoors.

[Mark Gibney]

Yes indeed, and now I'm regretting now using Titebond for this tabletop. I've made tops with salvaged ipe with Titebond I and they held perfectly.

I had figured epoxy was more fool and fail proof!

[Michael Burnside]

Epoxy generally is easier, but like anything, there are application rules and guidelines that if you don't follow, results will be less predictable.

[STUART Robertson]

Forgive this query...
When you did a dry fit prior to gluing did all the mating surfaces fit well and did you oppose each jointed face,and did you clean the biscuit slots and faces?
A profiled glue joint should also be superior,significantly more surface area.
And as others have said, variable wood movement.
Yes epoxy is intolerant of uv,but it takes a while.
Sun and rain,heat and cool,fairly brutal on exterior joinery.

[Mark Gibney]

Hey Stuart, here's a quick update - the gap has closed by up by it's own accord in the two weeks since this happened.

To answer your question, yes the joint went together perfectly with the test fit, and again perfectly with the glue-up. Some on here have suggested the joint might have been clamped too tightly and that pushed most of the epoxy out, and I think I agree with them.

I might run some thin CA glue into the joint before finishing the top. I tested CA glue on epoxy and it seems to adhere pretty well.

[John Kananis]

Mark, interesting that it closed back up. Did you move it to a different spot or flip it over by chance? Or is it sitting in the same spot and orientation where it first opened up?

Hey Stuart, here's a quick update - the gap has closed by up by it's own accord in the two weeks since this happened.

To answer your question, yes the joint went together perfectly with the test fit, and again perfectly with the glue-up. Some on here have suggested the joint might have been clamped too tightly and that pushed most of the epoxy out, and I think I agree with them.

I might run some thin CA glue into the joint before finishing the top. I tested CA glue on epoxy and it seems to adhere pretty well.

[Mel Fulks]

and .. epoxy is an adhesive , not a glue, don’t use pressure , or you will have ‘a POX’ on your project.

[Mark Gibney]

John I took it back inside the shop as soon as I saw it had opened up and left it in a quiet corner.