another Clyde Puffer

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

I think either would do for a model boat.  One is waterproof, the other water resistant.

Len

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

The trouble with Cascamite is that it is incredibly hard and hence unbelievably strong in compression.  In fact I once used it to make poured chocks to set up a pedestal drill on a stone floor.  The problem that brings is that it is also very brittle, which can then make it prone to cracks over long periods of time, especially when holding flexible materials together.

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

The trouble with Cascamite is that it is incredibly hard and hence unbelievably strong in compression.

Yes, not ideal for planking plus it takes a long time to set. Before the days of GRP cloth I used it to stick brown paper parcel tape to my hulls and finished off with a couple of coats of shellac before painting. The Cascamite bonded the tape to the hull and the shellac sanded beautifully.

I think that before Cascamite and Aerolite came along the practice was to boil down horse hooves….

Colin

[Fred Ellis 1Participant @fredellis1]

Colin I think you may be thinking of Scotch Pearl Glue, the head office of Sheppy Glue was in Redhill Surrey, and there works were in Battersea and Queensborough, they were one of the main producers of bone glue in the day.

Fred

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

That brings back memories.  When I did woodwork at school, to ‘O’ level no less, we used either Cascamite or bone glue on all joints.  PVA, in the form of Resin ‘W’, was the new fangled ‘modern’ stuff that no-one trusted!

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Cascamite is a wood glue.

It is not intended as a paper glue or a casting compound for bedding machine tools.  It is unfair to blame a glue for failure when it’s been misused.

Used correctly on wood inside the joints there should be nothing to sand down.  Any excess that appears is easily wiped off with a damp cloth.

The long setting time is advantageous when several parts need to be fitted at the same time.

It gives a very strong joint where the wood will break first if forced.

It is totally waterproof.

It is expensive.

My experience is that it will hold wooden structures together for many years even when the wood is totally sodden.

Comments about bone glue are just silly.

Len

 

 

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

I think people were simply enjoying a moment of reminiscing, as frequently happens here.  Anyone is free to join in, or not, according to preference.

As regards Cascamite, the comment I made about using it as a pouring chock was actually to demonstrate one of it’s strengths, not weakness.  It’s not abusing it, Cascamite is a resin, which is precisely what pouring chocks are made of, even on ship’s main engines.  It’s main downside still remains that it is very brittle.  The fact that it remains widely used today, 87 years since it was introduced, is testament to its value as a glue although the formula has been modified significantly since I used it at school.  It is even now claimed to be ‘fast drying’.  It is still highly waterproof and heat resistant.

As I said in the first place there will be as many answers as there are members.  By coincidence I was watching “The Repair Shop” on TV only a couple of weeks ago and Will was repairing some sort of wooden cabinet.  He used a bone glue for the repair.

I also believe that, not only do we have our own preferences when it comes to glues, or paints, or tools, but we should keep an open mind as regards which might be the best glue for a particular application.

Probably the reason why I would not consider Cascamite is simply convenience.  When I am building something involved such as a framework or detail work, I usually have three grades of cyanoacrylate to hand, a bottle of polystyrene cement and a bottle of PVA.  The PVA is frequently squeezed onto a plastic palette so I can dip a toothpick in it to apply it.  When the blob starts to dry or gets used I put another blob on the palette.  I can’t imagine having to mix up quantities of Cascamite every time I want to do something so, for me simple convenience plays a big part.

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Comments about bone glue are just silly.

My original comment was largely tongue in cheek but acknowledging that collagen glues still have a place such as when restoring antique furniture. Apparently horses are better than elephants as the chemical makeup is slightly different….

Richard is right about the formulation of Cascamite though, I bought some a few years back and it is very different indeed from what I remember back in the 60s and more difficult to mix. Maybe due to the drying agent perhaps.

Not so long ago I had a behind the scenes tour of No 4 Boathouse at Portsmouth dockyard where they build and repair wooden boats. In addition to standard carpentry joints they also build up shapes by laminating plywood. Their choice of adhesive is one of the slower setting epoxies with the time depending on the job.  A very interesting place to visit as  there is a constant turnover of boats and projects. The restaurant is pretty good too.

Boathouse 4

Colin

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

For those who like an easy to sand adhesive might I suggest flour and water.  We used to use it all the time when I was a kiddie to make papier-mache models.  Works well on model boats providing the flour is self-raising.

Len. 🙂

[mmcp42Participant @mmcp42]

thanks for all the advice

I went with this . . .

[mmcp42Participant @mmcp42]

and started using it 🙂

 

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