Best glue for tips?

[PatM]

I've always found it odd that people have to be patient about so many facets of bowmaking but getting those overlays on has to be NOW. lol

[Springbuck]

Well, guilty as charged.   I have little patience for sanding, either.

[DC]

Once you find a fast way that seems to work it's hard to go to a slow way. I've never done them with anything but thick CA. So far so good.

[gfugal]

I'm thinking TB3 personally but I have used epoxy. But since I rubberband/clamp them too hard I worry about starving the joint since they work best with a micro gap. I feel TB3 would be a better option if you are going to clamp them on good (especially since you basically have to to make sure those suckers don't move).

[Mesophilic]

With epoxy you can drill shallow holes or score the wood.  This allows you to clamp tighter and not worry about starved joints.  It also provides mechanical hold, as shearing is the biggest weakness of any epoxy joint no matter how tough the epoxy is.  This only works effectively with gap filling adhesives.  I won't go into too much epoxy theory, but I am in the process of glueing up some knife scales so I'll  take pics and do up a little how to for the forging section.

[Marc St Louis]

I used superglue many times, a commercial grade, until I had failures.  Switched to TB3 and never had a failure since.  One thing about superglue is that it is a brittle glue and it may be OK on a lower stress design such as a straight limb bow but a recurve puts a lot more stress on the tips

[PEARL DRUMS]

I think its important to include what you are using for over lay material as well. Horn, antler and wood require different approaches.

[gfugal]

I think its important to include what you are using for over lay material as well. Horn, antler and wood require different approaches.

I've wondered about that. What works and doesn't work for Horn or Antler?

[loefflerchuck]

Thanks guys, loctite sounds like the plan. One problem I had with superglue was the design. The horn stuck out beyond the bow so when stringing was the only thing in contact with the ground. The other happened not on my watch so I can't be sure. Your answers give me plenty of confidence.

Pearl, both of the problems were with horn on wood. If that means another answer, I'm listening. I used good hide glue without problems in the past, but was wondering about a faster glue.

Thanks again for the help.

[Pat B]

With porous material like antler you need to size the porous section with glue, let it dry, sand it smooth then glue it to the tip. If you don't prep the antler first the glue will be sucked into the antler and starve the joint. Some glues are gap filling and others need smooth, well matched mating surfaces.

[AndrewS]

I use a two tone epoxy for glueing horn tips.

[Dances with squirrels]

I get them mated well then prep the surfaces with a toothing plane blade held like a scraper, creating grooves parallel with the limb's length. I use Smooth On. Failure? Ain't happening.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Horn is what I use 95% of the time, Chuck. Osage otherwise. I sand the horn and the bow micro smooth and clean it up with a dry rag. Add the Loctite Pro and gently clamp it down with spring hand clamps. The few times I've had overlays come apart wasn't a result of glue, it was poor material choices. I hold my work pieces up to a light to be absolutely sure there are zero air gaps. I want 100% perfect mating surfaces. With antler, I do as Pat mentioned. Back fill the antler until it wont take anymore, then I use the same steps I do with horn.

[CallanJ]

New to the forum so please excuse my failure to understand some of the acronyms used here.  In that regard, what is CA?  Thanks.

[PEARL DRUMS]

CA is "super glue". But, not all are created equal.