Epoxy or Wood Glue for bonding plywood

[Richardx]

Dumb question. If I want to bond 2 x 3mm plywood Center Rings (to make it thicker), what would be better, Epoxy or Wood Glue (Titebond III)?
I was going to Epoxy them, but I am thinking "wood to wood" bonding might be better with the wood glue. Better flex under load?!?
It is a L1 cert rocket. So it wouldn't matter that much but something to learn towards L2 cert build.
I have ton of 3mm sheets for my laser cutter and don't want to buy 1/4" just for few center rings.
Thanks

 

[SolarYellow]

With the large surface area, I'd go with epoxy. The wood glue will have a hard time drying all its water out across that distance, especially once the edges dry and become more or less impermeable.

 

[cls]

1/8" is sufficient for L1 MMT rings.

 

[Sooner Boomer]

I'd go with the Tightbond. The thinner glue will penetrate the wood better. Light clamping while the glue dries will help. Given sufficient time to dry. the glue will be stronger than the wood. In practice, either would probably work as well as the other.

 

[Richardx]

I'd go with the Tightbond. The thinner glue will penetrate the wood better. Light clamping while the glue dries will help. Given sufficient time to dry. the glue will be stronger than the wood. In practice, either would probably work as well as the other.

That's what I was thinking. Clamping and few days of drying could yield stronger bond than epoxy.
Thanks

 

[jmasterj]

Either one is fine and will be strong enough for your use. If you use epoxy, you should consider using it again to bond that new double ring because any inside or outside surface with epoxy on it won't bond (to motor mount or airframe) with wood glue anymore.

 

[Spitfire222]

With the large surface area, I'd go with epoxy. The wood glue will have a hard time drying all its water out across that distance, especially once the edges dry and become more or less impermeable.

Considering that it's not uncommon in woodworking to laminate sheets of wood and plywood, I would not be concerned with wood glue drying across the surface area of model rocket centering rings.

 

[Steve Shannon]

It really does not matter. Either adhesive is stronger than the wood.

 

[rcktnut]

They don't call wood glue wood glue for the heck of it. If gluing wood use the wood glue, why fool around with epoxy.

 

[lakeroadster]

When gluing wood..... use wood glue. It's easier than epoxy, and the wood glue provides a joint that is stronger than the wood.

 

[rharshberger]

Considering that it's not uncommon in woodworking to laminate sheets of wood and plywood, I would not be concerned with wood glue drying across the surface area of model rocket centering rings.

Exactly, the wood will "pull" the moisture from the glue allowing it to solidify.

 

[troj]

When bonding wood/wood, wood/paper or paper/paper, wood glue is a better adhesive that epoxy as long as it's a tight joint. Wood glue is bad for gap filling. If I were laminating two wood centering rings together, I'd definitely use wood glue and clamp it tightly.

That said, for your application, I'm not convinced sandwiched rings is necessary.

What's the diameter of the airframe versus the motor mount? How many centering rings are you using?

-Kevin

 

[BABAR]

Different point,

Make sure you dry fit everything to your satisfaction a couple of times before you commit.

Your wood glue may “lock” pretty quickly when you slide the mount into the body. epoxy gives you more predictable working time. Wood glue is lighter, no fumes, no need for gloves. A damp towel nearby is handy to clean off your fingers!

 

[NateB]

Different point,

Make sure you dry fit everything to your satisfaction a couple of times before you commit.

Your wood glue may “lock” pretty quickly when you slide the mount into the body. epoxy gives you more predictable working time. Wood glue is lighter, no fumes, no need for gloves. A damp towel nearby is handy to clean off your fingers!

I have found Titebond II to be prone to grabbing like that, especially on cardboard to cardboard joints. I ruined a coupler and vent band for my 3" Excel when it grabbed and locked almost instantly.

 

[BABAR]

I have found Titebond II to be prone to grabbing like that, especially on cardboard to cardboard joints. I ruined a coupler and vent band for my 3" Excel when it grabbed and locked almost instantly.

For paper to paper, when you aren’t in a hurry and especially when it’s stuff like motor mounts or couplers, which don’t need to be “held” like fins, white glue is cheap and at least for low power works just fine , with much longer working times than yellow. @neil_w has recently show evidence that white glue CAN shrink like yellow glue, I haven’t seen this but my defect tolerance is much higher than his.