two ton epoxy

[li'ljohn]

Hi all,

I recently found this forum and the only thing know about making bows is what little I have read.

There seem to be several types of adhesive that can be used in bow making, but i don't remember seeing anything about the use of two ton epoxy.

I would think that TTE would be a useful adhesive, but its mention in bow making is virually non existent. So, since TTE is locally available and I sometimes use it for other projects, is it any good good for gluing up backings or any other use?

If not, why.

Thanks

li'ljohn

[Stagmitis]

Lil john,

I have used 2 ton epoxy for a sealer coat to fill wood pores prior to my final finish.

Also, fooling around with making my own laminations I can tell you that epoxies are very mysterious and one can spend a lifetime testing them to find which perform best for certain apps....

[Jason Scott]

Hi li'l John, I have used it for overlays on glass bows. I used it for the backing overlay on the riser once and it works well but you can see the glue line more than you can with smooth on. It dries a darker color. I have confidence it will forever hold. I would not use it with clear glass but would again with black glass if I was in a pinch and didn't have enough smooth on. I used it twice for tip overlays. One bow was just wood overlays and the other was phenolic. The wood is still shooting fine but the phenolic started sliding and cut my string so I removed those tips and put them back on with smooth on. I won't use it for tip overlays anymore.

[sulphur]

two ton has its uses but not for backings.  its way to brittle.  I use it for riser overlays if i am in a hurry sometimes.  as long as it not on any bending parts it does okay.  with that being said, urac 185, smooth on, even bow grip are tons better (excuse the pun).  i do use 2 ton for arrow points and broad heads.  And like stag said it makes a decent sealer when thinned with acetone.  In my experience though it has a tendency to yellow a bit with age.

[shamus]

2-tn is too brittle for backings, and doesn't seem strong enough for handles (Urac is much better).

I use 2-ton for when I wrap an area of a limb with #4 serving. (Usually to keep a splinter from lifting).

[LoneWolf]

I have used it as finish.  Mixed with a little acetone makes a great finish.

[li'ljohn]

Thanks everyone, that is a big help.

 li'ljohn