Thread: Wood glue for waterproofing?

Can I use a coat of wood glue to waterproof the insides of wooden scales? Appearance is not an issue on the inside, and polyurethane is a pain in the @$$ because it takes 3 coats.

I can't see why not, as long as it's nonhydroscpic. You may need more than one coat of glue, though. It may also break down with repeated rinsing of the blade, too, in spite of nonhydroscopic properties.

Well, I'd have to say that using a wood type glue as waterproofing is not the best idea. It will stick but there is nothing to say that it will prevent the migration of moisture through the glue surface, only that the glue won't let go. About the only wood glue rated for submersion is Titebond III as far as I know. Epoxy should work ok, poly type glues such as Gorilla glue will foam up and I doubt they'll seal very well, a nice coat of CA should work ok but it's hard to go wrong with the finish you don't like, a good old varnish. You should be able to wipe on 3 coats of poly in 24 hrs and that is about as sealed as you'll ever get. Spar varnish takes flexing even better but perhaps we're in the area of overkill.

The only way to find out for sure is to simply try what you are thinking of and run it through a battery of tests to see if it holds up and does what you think it should do. No need to use a good set of scales, just some strips of wood (same type as the scales as different woods will bond and react differently to the glues/sealers you are testing) and let them soak, dry etc. until you are satisfied that it works as you intended.


Regards

Kaptain "Sometimes there is no easy answer...." Zero

Just as a side note here, in my experience, nothing is waterproof after one coat, except maybe, pour style epoxy................

I would not use any glue other than an epoxy to stop water and water vapor.

This is intresting,

http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/pdf1987/feist87a.pdf


Charlie

i put 3 coats of poly. even in the pin holes tha water proofs the scales to the max.

I think it will work with tite II or III. I use wood glue to seal the Ends of wood when drying to prevent checking. It works as well as wax as far as I'm concerned; never had a single check. At most my razors get a little wet; they never soak imho with care you don't need a lot of finish. I like the epoxy recommendation.

The glue will take longer to cure anyway. With a small batch of 15 minute epoxy and a hair dryer to heat it up so it flows you could brush it on and be done in 10 minutes( the high heat sets the reaction faster)

Whoa. I want to offer a word of caution.

Back in 2005 some blademaking buddies of mine went through rusting hell because of Titebond on some wooden sheaths. At the very least test the glue on some scrap steel first before using it on a resto that has value. The pH of II is about 3.0 and III is about 2.5. That's acidic.

Didn't seem to be much of problem with Elmers but there were four or five of us who had to refinish blades because of the Titebond product. Hopefully the formula has changed since.

YMMV

Hi Mike. I thought about the rusting thing but don't you need actual contact with glue?
of course yellow glues have a terrible chemical reaction with iron and steel when wet

As a trim carpenter/wood boat builder, I can definitely tell you---NO!! Do NOT use wood glue as a "waterproofer"!! That's not what it's made for and will not last long or look good. What you need to use AS A MINIMUM is "spar varnish"--and this is different than regular old Minwax. You'll need to look around a little to find it-----usually places that sell boatbuilding supplies sell it.

The BEST thing to coat it with is epoxy. This is actually what is rolled onto the fiberglass sheathing and any bare wood BEFORE the varnish goes on a wooden sailboat/yacht. West System is a top-rated brand. You don't really need anything specified as "pour-style" epoxy----I believe that's just referring to the viscosity for people who are making those gaudy '70's style tables!! ALL West System products will be of a thin enough viscosity to brush----usually it's pretty thick---about like maple syrup.

If the epoxy coating sounds like too much effort/expense for you, I'd use a couple good coats of spar varnish as a MINIMUM for protection from water damage. Good Luck.