Hi,

Can you use 5 or 30 min epoxy for the nock tip overlays on a fiberglass laminated recurve bow?  I used smooth on for the actual lams, but was wondering if I could get away from a 4 hr heat cure and use something from my local big box store.  

Thanks!
Chris

Loctite Professional super glue works great on self bows and backed bows. Takes about 5 minutes max to dry and be ready to shape.

Don't use the cheap, fast acting epoxy like you mentioned, your overlays wont stay put. It's junk.

I use the Smooth On. But I'm not in a hurry.

Smooth on has never let me down, can't say the same for some types of super glues and other epoxies.  I have used the blue top gorilla super glue without problems, once or twice but, have gone back to smooth on.

I use the Gorilla blue top a lot. Buuut smooth-on is the best.

I agree with Bowjunkie don't use the two part epoxy, it's crap don't matter what kind.

Smooth on is the best but I'm impatient so I usually use satellite city super t I've also had great luck with loctite impact tough gel. Wally world carries it.

Cory

I go with smooth on first... Gorilla blue top super glue second. The smooth on just blends in better than the super glues

Smooth On. Use the best and only cry once:)

roy you know you cry ever time your Coors can is empty. Never glued on tips so I can't answer that one.

I have had them turn loose with Gorilla super glue gel. Never lost one that was glued on with Urac. Tight bond type glues never worked for me on overlays. Two Ton or 5 minute epoxy works poorly for anything glued on a bow as well.

Im not understanding the thought that 2 part epoxies are "crap"?  The reason they don't work as well on tips is that they have no flex properties to speak of, a lot of the other mentioned adhesives do... that's why they are better for this specific use.

2 part epoxies, like Acraglass, or the Aero industry based epoxies are as good as it gets for what they are intended... when a high tensile, low expansion type adhesive is needed.

All of my risers and tips on the 4 bows I've made were atached with 2 part epoxy and non of them in three years have come loose or popped off.  I use west system with regular hardener.  Now the 5 min epoxy from home depot is crap, that stuff is way to brittle!!! I know there is people on here that have built WAY more bows then me but this has been my experience  

they are "crap" because of the reasons I cited above... they are not meant to flex.

The best "quickie" fix ive found for tips, and ive only done 3 or 4 sets of tips on older bows is the Gorilla "super" glue with the flex property listed on the description.

"Two part epoxy" isn't a good way to describe them... all epoxy is two part, Smooth On is a two parter. When I referenced the crappy stuff, I was talking about the 5 and 15 minute craft and dept store epoxy that comes in the pushdown tubes. I tried it on overlays and it doesn't hold.

There are good epoxies for use on bows other than Smooth On. Smooth On never lets me down though, so why change?

I'm not in such a big hurry that I can't wait a few hours for Smooth On to cure under a shop light... especially when I know I'll have no adhesion problems.... which is infinitely more important. I have plenty of other bows to work on while it cures.

I have tried them all and now I only use smooth on.  It sands the best and I think it is the strongest.

X's 2 bjansen

If you use smooth on you do not have to cure it with heat.  It will cure at room temperature.  I'd give it 48 hours though.

I use smooth on for all overlays.  If I want to finish the bow the next day I will put it in the oven for 3 hours at 100-120 degrees.  If it is going to be a couple days before I get to it I just put it in my spray booth/wood room, where I keep the air a little dryer.  
chad

The EA-40 "Smooth on" fades into the glass well.  Easier to shape the fading part of the overlays.  Besides, once it's glued with Smooth On you don't have to worry about it coming off, ever.