What kind of glue should I use for a paddle?

[SavantStrike]

Well, with the leather for my paddles due to arrive on my doorstep in the next few days, I need to make a final decision about what kind of glue I want to use to hold it to the paddles.

My thought was wood glue, but is there a possibility of the wood glue being absorbed by the leather and then creating areas of the paddle strop which are "harder" than others? Should I be looking into a faster glue like a contact cement?

Help me decide. We like pontificating here, lets pontificate about what glue I should use!

 

[mparker762]

I use some 3m spray-on glue. I'll post the specifics when I get home.

Oh, and barge cement works too. I used to use that but the spray-on glue is faster and easier.

 

[turbine712]

I have used 3M 77 spray glue and have also used barge. IMO barg worked the best but cost the most. Both products you need to spray both the leather and the paddle. Then wait till both pieces are almost dry but still very tacky. Be very careful to place the 2 pieces together because you only get one shot otherwise you need to start over. Just make sure especially with the barge that you use a very thin coat over both pieces. If you can thin that product out the better it will work for you. When we used it in the Othopedic labs the motto for gluing was, "Thin to win" LOL
Good Luck,
Bill W

P.S. Also, sand the wood that what ever your gluing to it will have better adhesion. Make sure you glue everything together prior to putting any Neatsfoot or chromOx on the leather.

 

[leighton]

Contact cement.

Fnord says Gorilla glue works too.

 

[mparker762]

If you use barge cement then it helps to beat it a bit with a rubber mallet after you've put the pieces in place. I don't know if it just ensures better contact between the two surfaces, or work-hardens the rubber, or what, but it helps.

 

[SavantStrike]

Contact cement.

Fnord says Gorilla glue works too.

I'd use wood glue at that point... I never understood gorilla glue.

If you use barge cement then it helps to beat it a bit with a rubber mallet after you've put the pieces in place. I don't know if it just ensures better contact between the two surfaces, or work-hardens the rubber, or what, but it helps.

Hmmm...

That sounds like more work than should be necessary. I think I'll go with some super 77, I've used it before and it does work like a charm. I hadn't even thought to use it on paddles though .

 

[Bruce]

The shoemakers and cobblers I've known preferred Barge contact adhesive for sticking parts of shoes together before stitching, but also said that their teacher told them to make sure they hammered every square millimeter to make sure that one glued surface was in intimate contact with the other adhesive coated surface.

When I adhere plastic laminates, both the laminate and substrate are glued, placed, and rolled with as much pressure as I can muster to insure that two materials are forced into intimate and thorough contact.

I've made up paddle strops with both wood glues and contact adhesives and for leather to wood applications prefer contact adhesives. For something like balsa(wood) to wood(harder and stronger stuff) I prefer wood glues. Elmers or Franklin is fine; the urethanes, like Gorilla Glue, are unnecessarily expensive for what you're making, which isn't going to live outdoors and doesn't require an exterior rated adhesive. The wood glue attachment also requires a caul to spread the clamping force over the entire stropping material's face and to prevent denting from the clamps. It's an extra step which is fine it you have those extra devices and the time it takes for wood glues to set up.

So, try a contact adhesive for mating leather to wood. I prefer brush-on to help work the adhesive into the flesh side of the leather, but a spray is second choice and just fine. Once the adhesive is dry enough so it won't transfer to your fingers, the materials are ready to get put together (if the glued surfaces get dead dry the bond will be ineffective). Be careful now, once they touch, they're there. Now, once hand placed, take a rolling pin and squeeze them together for all you're worth. Your new paddle strop is now a permanent device; it will not come apart for love or money. And that's a tight bond.