types of glue used in the flexiglass basketball boards

This type of glue is probably the newest of the group listed here, but they are rapidly gaining popularity due to their unique properties. Trade Names: West System, Zpoxy, Superbond, Smith It’s often used for laminating veneers, gluing parts where avoiding water in the glue joint (from water based or water curing glues) is beneficial, pore filling, and more. It shines in its great gap filling ability, control over curing time, and in many cases its ability to bind well to oily woods. Trade Names: Tightbond Original, Elmers, LMI FGXĮpoxy is a two-part adhesive resin that is available in hundreds of different variations for temperature ranges, strengths, and viscosities. These qualities (which can vary by actual brand of glue) can include good working time, quick set, short clamping time, easy clean up, resistance to cold creep (aka thermoplastic creep), and more. The yellow glue especially lends itself very well to guitar making which explains its popularity.

Probably the most commonly used type of wood glue in the world, the PVA family of glues which includes white glue and the closely related (though with much better characteristics than standard PVA) Aliphatic Resin glue (yellow glue). PVA / Aliphatic Resin ( Polyvinyl Acetate ) Trade Names: Hide Glue (Milligan & Higgons), Norland High Tack Fish Glue, This is some amazing and great sounding glue with an impressive set of features such as zero cold creep (thermoplastic creep), easy reactivation for repairs, and superior sound transfer. These glues can be sold in a granular form that needs to be mixed and heated or liquid form ready for use out of the bottle. Animal based glues are made from the tissue, skin, and bones of animals similar to gelatin. For centuries animal based glues were all they had to use, but don’t feel too bad for the luthiers of old, it’s amazing stuff and still widely regarded as the best for many different applications. This is the traditional glue for luthiers. These form the basis of our palette of adhesives that we can draw from as we find just the right glue for each part of the guitar for function AND sound.

With that in mind let’s start off by looking at the types of wood glue that have been successfully used by many great luthiers to build their wonderful creations that still inspire the music of guitar players and music lovers around the world. From there we can explore and endeavor to add our own unique chapter to the living chronicle of the guitar as it evolves and grows with us collectively. I need to understand that first, otherwise I’m starting over from scratch and it could take me a lifetime to get to the point where they left off, that would be crazy right?Īs luthier’s we have the privilege of accessing the wealth of knowledge left to us as an inheritance to use as our starting point.

By tradition I mean, what other great men and women before me have tested and proved and invested their lives to learn. BUT that being said, I always build a strong foundation on the tradition first. If you’ve read my guitar making book or any of my lutherie articles, you might already know that I’m a fan of pushing the envelope. Now after experimenting with every glue I could find on over 100 guitars, I have a set of glues that have proven to be the optimum choices for each individual application based on structural properties, cure time, AND the way that they affect and help to shape the final voice of my guitars.īefore we get into that part let’s start by looking at the main types of adhesives for guitar making and the most commonly used glues.īasic Types Of Adhesives For Building Guitars However, as the years went by and I built more and more guitars, I started developing a more refined sense of how each different glue was influencing the sound of each part and even the final voice of the finished guitar. Most people understand the importance of having a glue that is strong enough to hold the guitar together, and that the glue must have the right working time or cure time needed for a specific part of the guitar, I got that part. I found that by carefully choosing the best possible adhesives specifically suited for each part of the guitar, I could improve both the structural/functional properties of my guitars AND noticeably improve the sound of my guitars at the same time! Maybe you never really thought about it much or just used whatever adhesive was recommended in your instructional lutherie book or course, which is a great place to start – I know I started out that way.īut as I grew as a luthier and gained experience, I began to discover a secret that helped me improve and refine my guitars.

Types of glue used in the flexiglass basketball boards