Thread: what glue to use?

i want to glue some nice thin bird's eye maple to some sheet brass to make lined scales. what's the best glue to use for this?

I would use a two part epoxy glue.


Mick

Whatever you end up using, be sure to scuff the surface of the brass a little (800-1k grit sandpaper ought to do just fine) to give the glue/epoxy something to bite. Gorilla glue has gotten quite a few thumbs up for use gluing wedges/lined wedges - and is said to be tough as nails (to the point of severe overkill) on some woodworking forums - but but I've still had the bond break free on metal liners/pieces that I didn't scuff...

That said, based on my limited experience razor-wise (have only repaired/restored about a dozen razors) and many, many around-the-house repairs, I second MickR's suggestion. Properly mixed epoxy will give you one heck of a bond and doesn't foam/expand like Gorilla glue (GG expands up to 4x it's initial volume and also requires the mating surfaces to be damp - especially in the case of wood - for the reaction to be fully effective. No such concern with epoxy - you just need to mix proper proportions (usually 1:1) to get maximum cure strength).

T88 Epoxy
AcraGlasss Bedding Compound
Gorilla Glue CA

You really need to watch the balance issue with using lined scales, just a heads up...
I am assuming that you are going to be using brass in the .010 - .005 thickness arena

Also a sure fire trick to having them stay on, besides/in addition to the scuffing, which does help, is to create what are called Mechanical Locks...
Scuffing is the lightest of a mechanical style lock, actually drilling 1/16 in holes in patterns through the liner will create near unbreakable locks...

Keep in mind you are going to cause a reverse pressure if you flex the scales, so whatever you use has to work or the liners will pop off... Drilling through the liners, causes the epoxy to flow into and through those holes this is what creates the mechanical lock...


There are some guys that use a knife makers style of this, and do not flex their scales by using a spacer and not a wedge... That looks real good but myself I feel as though it is sorta cheating the system...and it creates loose pivot pins...

The choice is of course ultimately yours, but I suggest a practice set first...

I hope that makes some sense

that does all make sense. the hole drilling is a great idea. would it help if i used a wedge to put in a third rivet with a sleeve like some razors have?
and at this point in this hobby, all the work i,m doing is for practice.
acraglass? i probably used to have some. i bought a argentine 1898 mauser once and tried to sporterize it. lopped off the barrel, hinged the magazine cover, bought a nice left-handed walnut stock, folding leaf rear sights, and possibly bought the acraglass to bed it, but somehow never got to it and swapped it and a whole lot of reloading equipment to a friend in return for getting my house painted. wish i had never done that. got rid of a bunch of firearms at the worst possible time in a downturn in the massachusetts economy in the early 90's., S&W model 41 i bought for 475 is now 1200. can't imagine what the supermatic would be worth now, or the remington rand 45 acp which i had accurized. live and learn.

Looking at it from a Gunsmithing background, this would be doing exactly what the directions on most glass-bedding kits tell you NOT to do most have a warning that say "do not create a mechanical lock when bedding".. the old M77 Ruger actions were some of the hardest to get right because of that slanted screw at the recoil lug

I would consider a 3rd pin setup, but again you have to then be extra careful on the negative pressure...

Remember you are actually, attaching the brass to an inside curve, which unfortunately you can't really pre-bend the wood or the brass to do this


One of these days I should take the time to put this in the guides, I have never seen this trick in any of them.. then again I really don't do lined scales ofetn at all because of the balance