Best way to glue tip renforcement

[Zradix]

Hello,

I'm think of getting a glass lam bow project underway.

What is the best way to attach the tip renforcement?

I won't be able to glue them on during the main glue up because I'm not sure exactly how long the bow will end up being till tillering.

I want to do it the right way.
I've heard of 1 hour epoxy and super glue being used.

Can you use smooth-on for the tips in this case?
I'm worried that RE-baking a glued up bow might not be a good idea.

Thanks for the help!

[IdahoCurt]

I have use two part five minute epoxy,crazy glue but have settled on smooth-on at room temp and just waited a day until cured.
Don't re bake the bow it will delaminate.

[Canadabowyer]

USE SMOOTH-ON, LET CURE OVER NIGHT, NO NEED TO COOK IN THE OVEN. IF YOU WANT, SET IT NEAR A LIGHTBULB TO HEAT IT A LITTLE. APEX PREDATOR HAS A SET UP WITH THREE WORKLIGHTS HE LOWERS NEAR HIS OVERLAYS AND TIPS. I THINK HE CALLS IT HIS THREE HEADED MONSTER AND YOU CAN PROBABLY FIND IT WITH A SEARCH OF BOWYERS BENCH.  BOB

[Dick in Seattle]

I was told there's not a problem using the oven if you are careful to cook at a lower temp, and that's what I did on the bow I used tippers on.  Don't normally use them.

Also saw one neat little setup if you're into making goodies... a little one light bulb oven that had openings on either end with lift outs.  You could stick a limb end in and cook it, doing one at a time, or you could pull both lift outs and stick the bow through to cook a riser overlay.   It was workbench top size and looked so neat I was tempted to build one just for the fun of doing it  :^)

[Zradix]

I thought smooth on needed to be baked to have a good bond.
Didn't know you could just let it sit.
So the smooth-on will be strong enough without the bake..interesting.

Do you need to bake the bow glue up?
Or could you just let the bow glue up sit a couple days as well?

Thanks

[Dick in Seattle]

I'm a cooker, but I've been told that just letting it cure itself for 24 hours will do the job.   The big issue apparently is that when Smooth On delams, it is generally a temperature problem, where the bow gets exposed to a temperature notably higher than it cured at.  This is a major reason for all the warnings about leaving bows in closed up cars in the summer.  As a matter of fact, if it's summer and you don't have an oven, you can cure the bow in a closed up car.

This temp. difference thing is also what makes it possible to cure the bow, then cure tips and overlays by simply cooking them at a lower temp.   I cook my bows at 175 and any subsequent overlays (which I don't often to) at 120 to 140.  I was told this was OK by a number of folks who apparently do it regularly.   On the other hand, probably more folks just use Super Glue.

[Zradix]

Thank you!

[T Folts]

I'm not sure but if you put your limb back in the oven to cook the tip as long as you let it cool back to room temp it should be OK. I have done this and havent had a problem yet, I also have cooked them at 120-140 for a couple hours then let them set overnite at room temp with good results using smooth on in all cases.

[Robertfishes]

I would bake the bow during glue up..for your tips and overlays the smooth on will cure nicely with out the oven, just takes longer..what I do is I use a 75 watt light bulb and put a clamp on shop light on a block of wood and just keep the glued up tip warm not hot(90-100 degrees) for a couple of hours,I have a turkey thermometer that I will set between the tip and light, if too hot you can delam or twist the bow ends..  I think smooth on works and looks the best but I have been using the Gorilla glue brand of impact resistant super glue with no problems..  

[Bodork]

Personally, I like the way smooth-on blends into the glass. I always have a little trouble blending super glue because I think it is much harder than the glass. If I heat it, I'm very careful not to let it get too hot. Too close to a light bulb can get it too hot!

[Holm-Made]

I've used smooth on for overlays on hundreds of bows.  I do the riser overlays and the tip overlays at the same time and put the whole works back in the oven at 125-130 degrees for 1-2 hours.  I shut the oven off and let it cool until the next day.  12-24 hours.  I've never had a glue failure in my bows.

My shop is 60 degrees and it would take smooth on 2-3 days to cure at that temp.

[legends1]

I use Smooth-on for everything.I put it under a lamp after its clamped up.Smooth=on will finish out claer and not only looks pro but is vary strong.