Glueing stems

[Hugh Stafford]

We are using the East System epoxy. When glueing the stems do we need to use cotton filler?

[Noah's]

When using East System, MAS, West System or other any low to medium viscosity systems it is a good idea to thicken slightly with Cabosil. Cotton Fibre should be added if there are gaps to fill, but if the pieces fit reasonably well Cabosil alone should do the job. Ash, Oak and other hard tight grain woods are particularly difficult to get a good bond with Epoxy. Don’t sand or plain the pieces to be glued, if the surface is very smooth try hand sanding with 40 grit or use a wood rasp to rough it up. Apply a thin soak coat of unthickened epoxy to both surfaces, let stand for an hour or so then apply another coat thickened with Cabosil and assemble. Don’t use any more clamping pleasure than is necessary to close gaps, over clamping will squeeze the glue out and weaken the joint.