Which Glue for Pin Installation

[macguy]

My experience with Loctite epoxy was horrible.

I decided to buy a few of their double tube syringe style at the hardware store to give them a try. I bought both the 5 minute, the 6 minute "gel type", and their overnight version. I had been using the Devcon brand for years up until that point and never had a problem with it. This hardware store I went to that time only had Titebond.

I hated the tubes they came in. In order to squeeze out the epoxy and the hardener evenly, I would always push on the applicator and aim the tubes at a scrap section of my mixing paper, until both the A and B parts flowed out evenly. This takes out any air. Then I would aim to a different spot of my mixing paper and push on the applicator and the mixture would come out perfectly. With the Titebod, to take out the air, I would have to push for quite a while compared to the Devcon brand before both the A and B parts would both flow out evenly.

The cap for the tubes is tiny on the Titebond. It is hard to hold onto, and hard to tell which direction it goes on. In contrast, the Devcon is very large and has a V shape to it so you know exactly which way to put it on.

Also, when I would finish with the epoxy, I pull up on the syringe to suck the glue away from the ends of the holes on each tube. This would keep the end clean for me to put the cap back on. With the Devcon, this works great, but with the Titebond, it never worked that well.

Finally, and most important to the glue performance, the Titebond I had would not harden completely. The glue left over on my mixing paper would not be fully hardened, even days after. I could dig my fingernail into it. The Devcon would harden completely. Maybe I got a bad batch of the Titebond, I don't know. But because of its tube shortcomings I won't try another batch of it. In fact I threw out all 3 tubes of it that I had bought event though they were barely used. That is how much I liked the product.

I don't know how the ones you had were made but in the past when using that type of applicators. I would take a hacksaw and cut them so the two syringes could be operated independently.

I would not be so quick to just forget the product, Loctite makes pretty good products. Some times when epoxy doesn't seem to want to dry completely it can be because of not mixing completely. You think it is mixed but it isn't. You need to mix and fold it back into itself for a full minute or more, just keep mixing even if you think you are done and do it the same way every time, no short cuts.

 

[billiardbum]

Thanks

Thanks to all who replied to my post. Very Helpful

 

[iusedtoberich]

That's a good idea about cutting the two syringes so they could be operated independently.

Once I realized the glue wasn't completely hardening, I tried it again mixing it very thoroughly, for probably 2 minutes straight, and left it on the mixing paper. It still didn't harden completely, so I trashed it.

 

[macguy]

That's a good idea about cutting the two syringes so they could be operated independently.

Once I realized the glue wasn't completely hardening, I tried it again mixing it very thoroughly, for probably 2 minutes straight, and left it on the mixing paper. It still didn't harden completely, so I trashed it.

You may very well have had a bad batch. With epoxy that is a 1 to 1 mix what can happen is a bad blend in the hardener. There is really no 1 to 1 mix epoxy. They put inert additive in the hardener to make up the volume so you can do a 1 to 1 mix. Other wise you would need to mix by weight or in a way that would be almost impossible for the average consumer, 1 to 1 they can just eyeball.

If the hardener is not blended properly in the tube, you may squeeze out what is an equal amount of hardener and resin but not really be getting the right mix. It may even set up, but is not really the strength it should be. Unless there is an actual failure, you will never know it is weak and prone to a future failure. That's why it is nice to use something like West where you know the mix is right because you did it yourself.

 

[Cue Crazy]

I also use T-88 By system three, as well as their 5-minute. Between the 2 of them, the five minute probably has the shorter shelf life, altough still not too bad. Things I like about t-88 are, I can mix It by eye without the need to bust out a scale to weigh It, and it still hardens fine. no major clogging issues, and the shelf life Is long.
Altough they worked fine when using a fresh tube, I always had tubes of other stuff that would lay around and go bad quicker then I could use them. I must have had every type of devcon & loctite epoxy the stores carried at the time. I still have a couple of 2ton devs, and few various loctite tubes that have never even been opened and have dust on them.
Even if you don't use alot It's good, because of the shelf life of the t-88, and you save money in the end. I've bought one kit a year for the last 2 years, and they each stayed good & usable for that full year. Before that it seemed like I was buying tubes left and right and was costing a small fortune, and I had some go bad that unfortunatly I did'nt realize until after I used It, so I'm happy with this, and it does seem to hold up very well. I am interested in trying some of the golf shaft epoxy though. I bet that stuff is tuff.

Greg