Nick2cd Posted January 2, 2012 Report Share Posted January 2, 2012 Is west system epoxy significantly stronger than say, titebond 3? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vic Posted January 2, 2012 Report Share Posted January 2, 2012 Nick, I'm not sure on the strength question, but what sometimes makes it a better choice is it's ability to fill gaps in joinery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewoodwhisperer Posted January 2, 2012 Report Share Posted January 2, 2012 Bingo! I remember a FWW test several years back that showed epoxy wasn't all that much stronger of a bond if at all. Can't recall the details but i remember being surprised. Ultimately it probably comes down to the type of joint and how much wiggle room you have. (null) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmac Posted January 2, 2012 Report Share Posted January 2, 2012 If you're talking about gluing wood, it's pretty much a given that epoxy and PVA glue (like Titebond 3) are both stronger than the wood itself. In other words, if you forcibly try to break a glued joint, the wood will fail before the glue will in either case. So practically speaking, it doesn't matter which glue is stronger, because they're both more than strong enough. Epoxy can be the better choice in some situations for any of a number of reasons: - It has a longer open time, and you can adjust the open time by using different types and quantities of the catalyst. - It is 100% waterproof. - It doesn't "creep" like PVA glue does. - It fills gaps better than PVA glue. - You can mix it with various fillers to make a putty of sorts. - It sticks to materials other than wood. - Etc. So why not use epoxy for everything? - It is bloody expensive. - Mixing it is a messy and inconvenient process. - You wind up wasting it because you will almost always want to mix up more than you need so you don't run out in the middle of a glue-up. - Some people develop allergies to it. - Etc. -- Russ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick2cd Posted January 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2012 Some very good points here thank you. I hadn't really considered the gap filling capabilities but that makes a lot of sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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