Gorrila Glue and hidden tangs

kenhills

kenhills

Joined
Dec 17, 2007
Messages
984
Hey,

Anyone have any experience in using Gorilla Glue to set the tang in a hidden tang knife. The way it grabs and expands it sounds like it might be a substitute for epoxy.
 
Sorry man, but wood glue is not a substitute for good 1 - 2 ton epoxy, it doesnt stick to the steel very well.

Jason
 
I believe he is referring to the all purpose Gorilla Glue which does possess tremendous strength and bonds to most anything. High heat does not effect its holding power either, as it does epoxy.
I believe the draw back, to using it for hidden tang knives, would come from its need to expand upon drying.
I think it might force the handle pieces apart as it dries.

It is a great product to have around the shop.

Fred
 
Correct Fred the all purpose Gorilla Glue. The use I had in mind was in a one piece handle with a hole bored into it for the tang. The though that the glue could force apart a laminated handle did occur to me.
 
Gorilla glue, in the foamed expanded state, is weak. Epoxy is better suited to a hidden tang.
 
I have glued up many hidden tang knives and believe you get the best results by having all the pieces fitted up exactly, then use a heated [90degreesfh] epoxy to assembly the handle.
I use 5 minute set almost exclusively. I have tried the extended set but unless the piece can be clamped the possibility of the fit not being 100 % is always there.
I want the knife to set up as I handle it so last second tweaks can be made as the epoxy is setting up.

The GG is so unaffected by heat that I used it to glue together a broken alumina cup on the tip of my tig welder. It held until the new ones came in,
Amazing product.

Fred
 
I would think the cleanup after it expands and drys onto everything could be a good reason not to use it. I really like the good ol 2 ton Devcon but I cant find it anymore. Does anybody know if they quit making it?
 
Bruce Bump said:
I would think the cleanup after it expands and drys onto everything could be a good reason not to use it. I really like the good ol 2 ton Devcon but I cant find it anymore. Does anybody know if they quit making it?
Click to expand...

I recently (within the last month) received some 2 ton Devcon from Sheffields, so you may want to try them. It was of the 2 hour variety though.
 
Bruce I find Devcon 2 ton epoxy at Wally World, they have the 5 min. as well as the 2 hour. J.D.
 
J.D. said:
Bruce I find Devcon 2 ton epoxy at Wally World, they have the 5 min. as well as the 2 hour. J.D.
Click to expand...

I found Devcon 2 ton epoxy at my locally owned Valu franchise hardware store.

Every time you buy from WalMart another American job dies!
If you consider yourself a patriot buy from a locally owned store, keep your money local and support your local economy.
Don't buy from Walmart, a company that forces their suppliers to set up factories in China (look at Zebco, Schrade, Rubbermaid etc. if you don't believe me)

-Page
 
gorilla glue is strong for alot of jobs, but the way that stuff foams over, it's a nightmare to clean up.

I'd say stick with your good CA glues and epoxies for knifemaking.
 
Well, I guess I'm the only person who doesn't think cleanup is difficult with gorilla glue. The expanded foam is not strong, as was already mentioned. Gorilla glue bonds best in very thin applications, which is what makes it perfect for gluing up scales to tang, in my opinion. Epoxy is hands down the messiest thing I deal with in knifemaking. I hate the stuff and refuse to use it when there is another option available.
 
I had a question about the Gorilla Glue application. From the label, I think that you need to moisten the surfaces to get the glue to work. I just wondered about any rust issues.

The 2 ton epoxy I used was messy enough, and seemed much harder to grind off the gaps/excess than I expected.

I used it because it was a known commodity, and it was what was recommended.
 
From what I have read and been told, any epoxy that comes in a 1 to 1 mix is a compromise. There is something other than just catalyst in the second tube because the West system epoxy that I use has a 5 to 1 resin to hardener ratio.
 
JasonSCarter said:
Bruce:
These guys are near by you, and are dealers in permatex/devcon products.
Applied Industrial Tech.
427 North Oregon Ave.,PO Box 874
Pasco, WA 99301
Phone: 509 547-2421
Fax: (509) 547-5764
Website: www.appliedindustrial.com

you can also get it online here

http://www.ellsworth.com/display/productdetail.html?productid=813
Click to expand...

Thats only 40 miles from here. I had no idea. Wonder why all the stores here that used to sell it now have other brands instead. I like the devcon because you can pour it like honey right down into the hollowed stag. I use it for the "take down" handles. The thick epoxys dont fill up all the void in the handle and I have to do it a couple times with poor results. I watched Tim Hancock use the 5 min Devcon trick at the Montana Hammer-in last year. Good stuff.
 
The water is used up during the chemical reaction with the glue, you only need a small amount of moisture. Down here in NC, the glue will set in the bottle thanks to humidity.
 
You can't put a finish on Gorilla Glue, it won't smooth out and polish. Plus, the mess is horrible while it cures. I use it for outdoor stuff, like fixing one of those concrete garden ornaments. But I keep it away from knives, and really don't even like using it on woodworking projects unless its an outdoor piece, and needs a truly waterproof glue.
 
Thanks, sort of got some answers here. Not good for setting the tang in its expanded form. I have to go with AcridSaint on the clean up. I just let it cure and get hard then sand it down. Clean up has not been a problem so far but then again I use a very thin coat so there is not a lot of excess. Personally I think the clean up on epoxy is worse and if I get any acetone on it when I am cleaning up the overflow( on the blade for instance) the residue never cures. Thanks for the input.
 
Expanding urethane glues like Sumo or Gorilla glue have absolutely NO structural strength in the part that foams up. You can pick it away with your finger nail. It's strength comes from the fantasic bite it has when it cures under some pressure and how hard the urethange gets after it kicks off. Using it in a hidden tang is fine if you understand a few things. It won't push apart the blade and handle as the expansion forces just aren't that strong. It will ooze out of any leak it can find and that can get messy. It will stain some things but most things it won't (it is a wood glue and it wouldn't last 2 weeks on the market if it stained material). It will stain your skin with a nastly looking gummy brown that lasts for days. You can't wash it off. If you use Gorrial Glue in a hidden tang, make sure you fill up the tang and don't count on the foam. That is an expensive adhesive to use that way though. 2 part golf epoxies can be bought by the quart for a much lower cost per use if you are into some serious glueing - otherwise buy in small amounts as the stuff will go bad in a year or two. In general, uerethanes will out perform most consumer market epoxies. When I spend some time testing 20+ different adhesives, Devcon II failed first and often. I threw away 5 brand new packages of the stuff after I was done testing. You milage may vary. Loctite, in general, puts out very good products for the typical consumer and exceptional industrial products. PC7 brand is also very good that can be had in most hardware stores.
 
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