Smooth on

[bigbob2]

I would like to know if any bowyers in USA have been experiencing problems with Smooth on Apart from myself ,two very reputable bowyers in this neck of the woods suddenly are having major problems . Between the three of us there have been at least 10 bows that have delaminated in some way or another. These guys know their stuff and I am 100% certain that the fault doesn't lie with them.Until recently I had never had a bow fail . I was blaming myself for screwing things up somehow until contacted by the others with similar tales of woe.Maybe we have all been sent a bad batch although this has occured over a period of some months.

[Roy from Pa]

Bob does the glue have a strong ammonia  odor? If so it's probably bad.

[Bowjunkie]

No problem here. This is the first I've heard it.

[Crooked Stic]

Are you all getting your glue from the same vendor? If so you may want to alert him.

[LookMomNoSights]

This is interesting.....  :eek:

[Buemaker]

During air freight from USA to Australia could the glue have been frozen in the cargo hold? I do not know If that would matter though.

[JamesV]

Since I switched from the 1-1 mix to the 2-1 mix I have had no problems 40 Plus bows.

[Jason Kendall]

Yep, I had 7 built between June and August this year fail. Never had a problem before. I blamed it on the epoxy too, lucky for me only 3 were in customers hands, the others were prototypes that never left my shop but delaminated while strung up overnight.

[monterey]

This is all very disconcerting!   :confused:

[kennym]

Man! This is the first I've heard of this! Bad deal!

[bigbob2]

I can only speak for mine, and it has no real smell Roy, at least none out of the ordinary.Up until this, the only bow from probably 150 - 200 to fail was my first when I had trouble with the lams on the ramps on a HH style longbow.Some have parted at the center accent strips[ I blamed moisture content] couple others have delaminated .I mix my epoxy by weight using same formula I have always used. for a flat laid longbow with 4 lams, it is 72g to 58g. Never a problem until just recently.Our tins come for two different suppliers, mine and one other we get through a local  trad supplier who imports it from one of the big trad suppliers in US and the other guy deals with the other big dealer there My friend's latest recurve he just got it rough shaped after the hotbox, cut working nocks and it delaminated mid draw first time up.Its all very frustrating and costly.

[Dazzad]

Hey Bob, sorry to hear it mate - My fledgling glass bow making career has not yet experienced a glue-fail. I'm a little worried about how I'll deal with it if and when it ever happens!
I'm sure you have considered and ruled this out, but I've noted that almost in every post you have made here and elsewhere lately, there is a mention of the humidity you are battling up on the beautiful sunshine coast, and how it's hampering and delaying your finishing processes.........is there any chance your glue has maybe been slightly unsealed between uses and taken in some moisture??

[bigbob2]

Mate it's not just me, several other guys who live hundreds of Ks apart are having trouble, do humidity wouldn't come into it for all.

[LookMomNoSights]

I'm just getting my feet wet with building and have never actually use this stuff.....but I'm guessing there has to be some number or code designating the batch.  Can anyone find such a thing? Anyone contact the manufacturer?  Sounds like a faulty batch/lot of product.....if so,  Id like to avoid getting any of it!  Sorry to see you guys are dealing with this......really sucks for many reasons, first of all safety and secondly,  the waste of costly building materials and time!

[monterey]

If it's faulty, the manufacturer probably already knows so getting in touch with them might get an explanation.

Maybe if you Ozzie's could get your batch or lot numbers together here then someone here in country could work on them.  I'd be happy to help.

[Wolftrail]

Breathing Epoxy dust, fiberglass and other highly synthetic glue residues cant be to healthy. .....
 

[monterey]

Yep.  Gwass bows are for men.      

[bigbob2]

i have some batch numbers but others I threw out, but we are chasing it up

[monterey]

OK. Let me know.

[kennym]

Hey, I called Smooth-on and asked about freezing hurting it.

The young man said bring it back up to 73* slowly and stir both components thouroghly .

I said- but does it hurt it to freeze, and he said- we have never heard about it if it does.