Billets

[scottm]

Whats the best glue to use to glue billets together.Two part epoxy?And with osage should you glue them together green or let them dry first?Thanks Scott

[DVSHUNTER]

scott I have read here that titebond 3 works well. As to dry, I don't know that one.

[Roy from Pa]

URAC 185 and dry wood.

[Art B]

What Roy said!

But you can use the two-ton epoxy in a pinch but not the Tite-bond glue. Just don't get any heat (like when heat straightening or tempering) close to the two-ton epoxy after glue-up or it'll loosen it's bond.........ART

[ranger 3]

I just made one and I used URAC 185, It fills the gaps if your cuts isn't perfect. See the post (Spliced Osage finished)

[scottm]

Ranger 3 I saw your bow it looks great!Thanks for replies fellas.

[Tom Leemans]

I use Urac but Resorcinal works good too, if you don't mind a purple glue line.

[Shaun]

Wood should be dry, Resorcinol glue. The purple glue line will be under the handle wrap and it is as strong as Urac but with added bonus of being water proof.

[Dano]

Tite Bond might work on a splice, if the splice was perfect, most aren't that's why most guys will use Urac or resorcinol, it fills gaps much better.

[Roy from Pa]

Now hold on there Dano Ole Boy:) My Z-splices are perfect and I use URAC 185:)  

   

Ya just have to lay them out perfect first:)

 

[scottm]

Cool Roy thanks for the pics! they always help!Bad news though i doubt my splices will be perfect.But ill do my best!

[Roy from Pa]

Scott, clamp your finished billets down flat, and lay a straight edge along the side to line them up straight. Then lay out the Z-splice, and be very carefull when you cut them out, just leaving the lines. Draw your center line first, then measure 4 inches out on each billet and mark that, then connect the dots so to speak:) Just like the last picture above shows. Once cut out, if there are any problems, I use a rasp to get the cuts even closer. There may be tight spots keeping the two pieces from sliding together all the way. Get it snug together and hold it up to a light and take notice where the tight spots are, mark them and use the rasp to gently lower those spots.  Don't worry, my first few Z-splices looked like Ray Charles did them:)

 

   

Good idea is to screw a 1 inch piece of aluminum angle to the edge of your work bench, makes clamping things down a snap.

   

 

[scottm]

Thanks Roy it will be a while till I get to that stage but Ill sure give it a shot!

[JF]

I have had no failure with 2 part epoxey on fish tail splices. John

[razorback]

Roy that looks great and with care any of us could reproduce your results, with practice. Do you, or anybody else, have similar tricks for splicing staves. They just don't seem to be as accomodating as boards  

[Tom Leemans]

I thought it would be good to add that Titebond (carpenter type glues) likes tight joints, whereas epoxies like Urac can fill gaps.

[Pat B]

I've used TBIII for splicing board billets when using a hickory backing and handle riser with good results. For self billets I would use Urac.