Glue

[Chris Grimbowyer]

What do you guys think is the best glue *considering water resistance* I can buy at lowes for a horn to wood bond?

[DVSHUNTER]

I use superglue for my antler to wood combos. I've had two part epoxy fail as well as titebond 2 and 3. I'm not saying they won't work... I'm just saying I like superglue.

[DVSHUNTER]

I use superglue for my antler to wood combos. I've had two part epoxy fail as well as titebond 2 and 3. I'm not saying they won't work... I'm just saying I like superglue.

[Swissbow]

I had some troubles glueing phenol and wood with epoxy. Now I use superglue for phenol and antler and never had any problems since then. And on top of that you don't have to let it cure for many hours.

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Andy

[Sixby]

To be exact use Gorilla Super glue. It has rubber added to make it shock proof. I have never lost an overlay or a nock using it.

[Chris Grimbowyer]

Do you guys think regular gorilla glue would work for horn to wood if applied correctly? The gorilla super glue just seems a lil expensive for almost 7 dollars for that tiny tiny bottle. I know most people talk down on gorilla glue... I used to but I used it for a axe handle repair one time (correctly). I was always forgetting to wet it first... and it worked great.

[DVSHUNTER]

I use the cheap stuff and have never had an issue. You ccan find it for about 25cents a tube.

[rainman]

If you are gluing horn to the belly I would use smooth on.

[4est trekker]

I'm assuming your talking about horn-to-wood in the context of a composite bow?  For sure, don't use Gorilla glue...it expands and is NOT suited to highly stressed bow joints.  Use Smooth-on, Urac, or similar.  Titebond III would be the only adhesive available at said stores that I would use, but you need to a have perfectly flat and smooth mating surfaces to ensure a proper bond with it. Just my $0.02

[Pat B]

Probably the best glue for a horn composite bow would be a good quality hide glue.
 For horn, antler, wood and leather tip overlays I have used TBII and TBIII, gell super glue(the cheap stuff) and 2ton epoxy, all with good results. If you are using antler with a pithy center you may want to "prep" it with super glue first before gluing it with non-gap filling glues.

[Chris Grimbowyer]

So you think tb3 will work? I have a bunch of it. Do I need to roughen the surface so it can grip better or make it smoother?

[AKmud]

Originally posted by Pat B:
Probably the best glue for a horn composite bow would be a good quality hide glue.
 

Hide glue doesn't play well with water though does it?

[Pat B]

If sealed properly it will. Jay Massey used sinew backed bows to hunt Alaska and actually dropped on in the river when his boat capsised. He recovered it the next day, no worse for the wear.