starting a new ALB

[Roy from Pa]

Glue is on the way, Pat.

[Pat B]

Thanks, Roy. I really appreciate it.   

[Minnesota Bill]

Pat, thanks for the build along. It may be early but what is the thickness of the hickory  backing strip? Always enjoy reading your posts.
Bill

[Mad Max]

No more than 1/8" thick for Hickory backing.
1/16" to 1/8"

[Pat B]

Bill, I'd say this hickory backing strip is a little less than 1/8". This backing strip was given to me and when I cut hickory backing strips I usually start at 3/16" and after dressing both sides they usually come out at 1/8" of slightly less. For some lighter wood bellies 1/16" would probably be fine.

[Pat B]

Well, I got it glued up just a few minutes ago(about 1:30). Even with forethought it's still a run around time for me during glue up...but I got 'er done. I mixed up well 5 grams of hardener with 75 grams of glue then spread it on both glue surfaces. Then I taped the back to the belly together to hold them while I wrapped both limbs with tire inner tube bands first, drew the handle area down to the form base with a large clamp with the tips on blocks about 3 1/4" above the base.  Next added spring clamps along both sides of each limb and also added a small screw clamp at each tip.
 Before I added the glue I put masking tape on the belly side of the belly, added Saran wrap to the form and around the glue up before adding the spring clamps. Now we wait. I'll give it until tonight or tomorrow before I release it all to see what I've got. Here are a few pics...

[Roy from Pa]

Looking good, Pat...

[Buemaker]

Looks good. When I have glued up something I can hardly wait to get the clamps off.

[Pat B]

I just checked and the glue hasn't set up yet. I didn't put in the hot box but I will if it hasn't set in a few hours. My basement is just over 70 degrees so it will set up slower.

[Pat B]

OK, I just put the glue up in the hot box. Not sure what temp it will get to because I only have one 100w bulb in the box now. I'll check the temp in an hour or so.
BTW, the basement temp is about 75 degrees.

[Roy from Pa]

Give it 24 hours, Pat.

[Buggs]

Whats the open, and set times of that glue?

[Pat B]

That's what I'll do, Roy. Inside the hotbox the temp is between 90 and 95 degrees now.
Marcia and I are heading to the farmers market tomorrow to buy boxes of tomatoes to put up so it will be probably about this time tomorrow before we get back and everything stashed. I'll start cooking down the tomatoes on Thursday.
Is there a too high temp? My hotbox has a thermostat that maxes out at 168 degrees.

at 70 degrees, 3 hours, at 80 degrees, 2 hours, at 90 degrees, 1 hour...from the Unibond directions.

[Mad Max]

 

[Roy from Pa]

90 to 95 is perfect Pat.

I would never cook a wooden bow above 100 degrees.

Those drying times are for flat unstressed glue up.

Buggs open work time is a good hour, starts to set time is about 4 hours.

24 hours at 90 and it's concrete.

[Pat B]

Just before Marcia and I left for the farmers market, about 10am, I turned off the hot box so the glue up could cool slowly. About 2:30, after we got home I opened the box and took the glue up and form out...


I removed the clamps and the rubber inner tube bands. With the tips on the table, belly up the handle back is 1 1/2" off the table. One limb has a little more reflex than the other and the glue lines look sloppy. I could tell the glue was fully cured because it only took a minute to draw blood from a sharp edge of glue.
Anyway, here are the limbs...



I probably won't have time to work on the bow tomorrow. We bought 2, 25# boxes of Roma tomatoes, 8 or 10 bell peppers, about the same amount of onions and a few bulbs of garlic so I'll spend most of the day tomorrow processing tomato sauce to put in the freezer for later use.

[Roy from Pa]

Been cut many times from that glue on the sides..

Doesn't look bad Pat.

Facets will clean up the sloppy glue lines on the edges.

I leave my belly lam wider than the backing and cut out close to the edge of the backing.

[Mad Max]

What do you mean sloppy? The squeeze out should be blocking your view.
Have you cleaned up the sides yet?

[Pat B]

I haven't cleaned up the edges yet. I spent a half hour just trying to remove the masking tape from one limb I put on the belly to protect it from glue. Once I grind down the edges it will probably look better. I can see where the bands were stretched around the and the spring clamps were and can see where some of the problems are.
 Also, she probably weighs 100# at least now so there will be a lot of reduction coming up.
 I'll be working on tomatoes most of today so this bow is on the back burner at least until tomorrow.
 Roy, I'm finding a few little cuts on my hands today. I should use work gloves for that. 
 I had rubber gloves on to keep from getting glue on them but my fingers pushed through as I rushed to get the glue spread evenly and the inner tube wrap on. Not being familiar working with the glue made me rush through the process. Anyway, it is what it is. We'll see how it turns out.
 Thanks for the help and encouragement, guys. 

[Buemaker]

Good luck Pat. I think about two or three years ago I bought Uni Bond from the same place as Roy. When I get a new glue I always do tests by gluing pieces of wood together and when cured fastening them in a vice and smashing them apart with a hammer. The various test pieces( different kinds of wood species) all came apart in the glue lines, no clean breaks in the wood as I like them to do. Have any of you tested Uni Bond in this way? I am experienced (I think I can say) when it comes to gluing up things. It was all done according to makers guidlines, fresh surfaces, some roughed up to various degrees and some just machine planed. Various temperatures were used. Maybe I am too thorough and bowlams would have held together fine?? Roy maybe you could do such a test for my peace of mind?