I'm in the process of making a handplane, and I'm going to use Lignum
Vitae for the sole. How do you glue this stuff? Everyone tells me
it's a bear to glue, but nobody can tell me how. Any help will be
appreciated. Thanks.

Garrett

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=e...=off&q=gluing+
lignum+vitae&btnG=Search&meta=group%3Drec.woodwork ing
Work at your leisure!

On 20 Jul 2004 07:51:33 -0700, (Garrett) wrote:

I'm in the process of making a handplane, and I'm going to use Lignum
Vitae for the sole. How do you glue this stuff? Everyone tells me
it's a bear to glue, but nobody can tell me how. Any help will be
appreciated. Thanks.

well it is a very hard wood to deal with. first make sure it is fully dry. so if
you need to resaw it to thickness do it and let it set for atleast a week to
make sure it will not loose any more moisture.
the only glue I found that made a joint stronger then the wood was hot met
poly glue. but it is not practical for a plane sole. so the best you can get is
good poly (gorilla glue works best) freshly mill or sand the LV surface dampen
both sides and glue it up.


--
Knight-Toolworks & Custom Planes
Custom made wooden planes at reasonable prices
See http://www.knight-toolworks.com For prices and ordering instructions.

Steve Knight wrote in message . ..
On 20 Jul 2004 07:51:33 -0700, (Garrett) wrote:

I'm in the process of making a handplane, and I'm going to use Lignum
Vitae for the sole. How do you glue this stuff? Everyone tells me
it's a bear to glue, but nobody can tell me how. Any help will be
appreciated. Thanks.

well it is a very hard wood to deal with. first make sure it is fully dry. so if
you need to resaw it to thickness do it and let it set for atleast a week to
make sure it will not loose any more moisture.
the only glue I found that made a joint stronger then the wood was hot met
poly glue. but it is not practical for a plane sole. so the best you can get is
good poly (gorilla glue works best) freshly mill or sand the LV surface dampen
both sides and glue it up.

Thanks gentlemen. Steve, does your company sell plane irons (I can't
afford the Japanese iron upgrades, but it's possible the standard
irons you include with your planes are in my price range)?

I'm in the process of making a handplane, and I'm going to use Lignum
Vitae for the sole. How do you glue this stuff? Everyone tells me
it's a bear to glue, but nobody can tell me how. Any help will be
appreciated. Thanks.

I recently made a shoulder plane out of lignum vitae. I used a
lamination method that required gluing together two pieces of lignum.
I cleaned the surfaces with acetone and then immediately glued with
Titebond I wood glue. I've been using the plane for about a month and
have not had a any problems.

Robert

I recently made a shoulder plane out of lignum vitae. I used a
lamination method that required gluing together two pieces of lignum.
I cleaned the surfaces with acetone and then immediately glued with
Titebond I wood glue. I've been using the plane for about a month and
have not had a any problems.

acetone does not do much of a job and yellow glue will not hold it. the best
glue so far for oily woods is gorilla glue freshly mill/sand dampen both sides
and glue it up. but this only works somewhat with lignum vitae. the joint will
pop apart with a good smack. no wood will come off. yellow glue will pop apart
with even less effort. I have tested this quite a bit.
the only glue I found that held well was hot melt poly. but that is not
practical for larger surfaces.

--
Knight-Toolworks & Custom Planes
Custom made wooden planes at reasonable prices
See http://www.knight-toolworks.com For prices and ordering instructions.

Steve Knight wrote in message . ..

acetone does not do much of a job and yellow glue will not hold it. the best
glue so far for oily woods is gorilla glue freshly mill/sand dampen both sides
and glue it up. but this only works somewhat with lignum vitae. the joint will
pop apart with a good smack. no wood will come off. yellow glue will pop apart
with even less effort. I have tested this quite a bit.
the only glue I found that held well was hot melt poly. but that is not
practical for larger surfaces.

Do you recommend the same for gluing cocobolo? I have a cocobolo
blank that will become a krenov-style hand plane sometime in the next
couple of months.

I haven't had any problems gluing lignum with Titebond after being
cleaned with Acetone. I've hit the planes with a hammer to adjust them
with no problems so far. I suppose if I were selling planes I
wouldn't want a product in the market that might come apart with one
good hammer hit.

Robert

O

Do you recommend the same for gluing cocobolo? I have a cocobolo
blank that will become a krenov-style hand plane sometime in the next
couple of months.

yes though it is not as hard to glue. the fresh surface is the key. that's far
better then acetone as it tends to draw oils to the surface.


I haven't had any problems gluing lignum with Titebond after being
cleaned with Acetone. I've hit the planes with a hammer to adjust them
with no problems so far. I suppose if I were selling planes I
wouldn't want a product in the market that might come apart with one
good hammer hit.

it's not going to just fall apart but when I tested the joints with a hammer
blow the joint was the weakest of any I had made.

--
Knight-Toolworks & Custom Planes
Custom made wooden planes at reasonable prices
See http://www.knight-toolworks.com For prices and ordering instructions.