Glue Lam Help Please

[ChristopherO]

Hello fellow Tradgangers,
I just unwrapped my first glue up of a bamboo backed hickory R/D bow.  I am very pleased with how it has come out of the form expect one thing.  Even though I thought I overkilled the glue, TB111, there are some places between the lams devoid of glue.  Inserting a edge of paper into them shows in a couple of spots up to 1/8" still needs to be filled.  Once the sides of the bow is sanded down this will be less but I am of the mind they still need filled to have a complete job.  
What are your recomendations?  Push in more TB111 with my finger?  See if I can find a small hypodermic needle, insert and fill with TB111?  Or just squeeze in super glue?
Thanks for your experience and help.  Next time I will really pour the glue into it when I perform one of these glue ups!

[elk ninja]

I'd thin out the TB111 with acetone (or other thinner) and drip it it.  Super glue will go in the crack, but isn't a very good lam glue.  Did you spread glue on both sides of the laminations to ensure no dry spots or was it a clamping issue?
Hopefully someone else will chime in, I've never used TB111 for a bow, just smooth on
Good luck.
Mike

[ChristopherO]

Clamping issue mainly.  I sized all pieces before glue up.  Once that was dry I heavily wiped on the titebond 3 with my finger on all surfaces, too.  Even then I noticed that the glue wasn't pouring out of the edge lines greatly so I pulled off the boo and squeezed out another line of glue down the length again before clamping and securing with inntertube straps.  It is only a few spots on the bow that are dry but I would be more comfortable with all voids filled.
Thanks

[razorsharptokill]

I assume that the boo has a flat surface against the Hickory (no void?)

Don't feel too bad, I had a clamp slip on mine and have one R/D limb and one straight limb. UGH!

[ONE SHOT]

First did you use a toothing plane on all wood  surfaces before applying the Glue? The voids are caused from uneven clamping pressure, and they need to be re-filled with glue or the limbs will de-laminate on you, possibly causing injury to yourself.

Did you use some type of pressure strip? Metal, Leather, Rubber to equalize the clamping pressures?

This is where the air hose is a far better method to other forms of clamping....ONE SHOT...                  :D

[Pat B]

I have used super glue under these circumstances with good results. It will be difficult getting a glue as thick as the TiteBond is into a small crack.  If the cracks are big enough you can add fine saw dust to the super glue as a filler
   With TBIII(or all TB glues) you want smooth glue surfaces not toothed. Pat

[Apex Predator]

I've had that several times and it was the glue shrinking into the the small seam.  Try cutting your back profile in first.  The gaps may just be on the very edge.

[Lemont]

i use bowgrip 100 because it is a filler type of glue and the tb 3 isnt a filler glue you must have close to perfect flat against flat for tb 3 just my opinion  but ive only glued up 2 boo backed hickory but both came out perfect as far as the glue up is concerned lol Lee

[ChristopherO]

Thanks men for your responces.  I did make sure the boo was perfectly flat on the glue side as well as the hickory.  I worked in more TT111 where needed with fingers and stiff paper and it seems to have done the trick.  I will know better when the sides get cleaned and sanded into shape more.  
All your posts have given me more insight and confidence in this endevour.
Christopher

[Apex Predator]

When you say "glue side as well as the hickory" you make me think you may have only applied glue to one surface.  Be sure to apply glue to both surfaces to be joined.

[ChristopherO]

Apex,
It was a double lam.  One lam that was applied directly to the hickory bow's back was a 1/8" stat of hickory (this was done to be sure there was enough to tiller) then on bamboo slat sharp edged.  All surfaces that needed glue were sized before glue up.  A thick line of glue was squeezed full length and spred with my finger, the lam pieces hand pressed together, then taken back off to inspect for voids and more glue was squeezed onto the areas, again, and then lams reapplied.  I believe it should be very well adfixed between lams but the edges in a few places a bit dry.  Sliding a paper's edge into them showed most of the slits were very shallow with only one approximately 1/8" deep at most.
I will definetly keep your suggestion in mind next time for the next glue up.  Should make it easier to insure a complete adhesion the first time.