Cascamite glue

[Jake]

In your position, I'd give Semparoc (Balcotan replacement, polyurethane but a very good one) a go - the normal (not rapid) version has a good open time, no mixing pfaff, doesn't foam madly like the 5min types, easy clean to clean up, downsides = disposable gloves or hand-stains. Much better glue than PVA, even a crosslinking one.

 

[profchris]

Thanks for your input and research lads,I think I will try the aerolite,the cost is not too important. The main thing is it's reliability,you don't want glue letting you down.The failures I have had although being a pain are relatively easy to put right but imagine getting let down on something like a staircase build where remake costs could run very high.

Reliability should not be an issue with Aerolite.

I've been 5,000 ft above the earth's surface in a wooden glider held together with the stuff. Admittedly I didn't glue it together myself, but Aerolite has a long enough history of not causing plummeting aircraft that I felt comfortable

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I read an article on a woodworker in the woodworking press some decades ago, and when the chap was asked which glue he used he said Aerolite. Asked why he chose it he said it kept his plane in the air for years in the war so he felt it was perfectly adequate for furniture.

 

[Yojevol]

Well my gluing saga continues. The temperature in my workshop was about 10º yesterday so mid evening I went for a look-see and the glue hadn't set much so I turned the heater. This morning the temperature was up up to a balmy 13º and the glue was pretty well set. I've now got the rest of the veneer on and the temp is up to 17º with the wood burner going nicely. So it should all be ready to clean up tomorrow.
My only observation is really the difficulty in getting sufficient glue onto the wood surface. It seems you have to get the wood surface wetted with an initial application and then apply a bit more. This new formulation does not mix to give a smooth creamy or honey texture. It seems more like a paste.
Having said that, it does exude out of the joint nicely when pressure is applied.
I just wonder how easy it will be to apply with a roller applicator on larger jobs. Has anyone tried it?
There is a comprehensive guide and data sheet on polyvine.com

Brian

 

[Peter Sefton]

Brian sounds like you have the same issues with Polyvine as some of us, I would do some test joints before committing to something important particularly veneer. I fear it might fail.

Cheers

Peter

 

[deema]

Normal practise amongst small quantity users such as myself once the main container is opened is to decant the powder into several small airtight containers. This keeps the exposure of the powder to atmospheric moisture to a minimum.
That way, larger more economical purchases of the powder can be economically used over 12 months or more.

Thanks for that tip. Just bought s 1.5kg tub which fills 5 jam jars nicely.
Have just mixed up and applied the first batch. It's nothing like what I have been used to over the last 20 years. In the past I added a small amount of the water to the powder and after a few seconds a reaction would take place resulting in a creamy paste. This I would add more water to get an acceptable flow. This new stuff does not react like that, it goes into a rather granular paste. I found it rather difficult to spread evenly over the thick veneer I'm glueing. I'll see how it's cured tomorrow morning.
Brian

I’ve not bought any ‘new’ Cascamite and I’m about to after using up me stock. The only time I’ve ever had a similar reaction to what you’ve described was when I bought a new batch and it was off straight away or, when it’s absorbed too much water vapour in storage and again gone off. It has each time sort of set, but not glass hard. If it’s not gone glass hard I would perhaps try another tub with a different batch code or use an alternative glue.

 

[Yojevol]

I've just had a conversation with customer services at Polyvine. On describing my recent experience they thought that my new tub of Cascamite had absorbed some moisture. They are sending me a replacement tub. I'll do a trial mixing with the new stuff next week and report back
Brian

 

[Yojevol]

I've just had a conversation with customer services at Polyvine. On describing my recent experience they thought that my new tub of Cascamite had absorbed some moisture. They are sending me a replacement tub. I'll do a trial mixing with the new stuff next week and report back
Brian

New tub arrived today direct from Polyvine. Great service from them. Trial mix confirmed all is well with Cascamite. In fact I think it's a bit easier to mix - it immediately goes into a creamy cream.
Brian

 

[Steve Maskery]

That is good to hear. I've just glued up the end-frame legs for my new bench. I would have used Cascamite, but for this thread. Instead I've use Everbuild D4. Good glue, just not the leisurely open time.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I use D4 mostly, but for items like benches that will never go anywhere remotely damp I use 502 - it spreads a little more easily and it gives a little more open time. It lasts longer in the bottle, too.

 

[Doug71]

I know nothing about cascamite so this might not be relevant or may have been mentioned already but yesterday I got an email/advert from Marches ironmongery saying "Having problems with your current resin glue/cascamite, try this!".

https://www.marchesironmongery.co.uk/on ... amite.html

 

[Steve Maskery]

That's a lot of money and a lot of glue. I know some people decant into smaller quantities in ziploc bags, but has anyone tried keeping it in the freezer as well?

 

[AndyT]

Steve, if you do go down the freezer option, please don't colour the glue brown and roll it into balls first... Or get another freezer!

 

[Bignose2]

I know an old thread but I was looking for a really good glue for my replacement stair knoll posts I had to cut off at the bottom & join the new on top (huge job to remove from existing for full replacement). Wanted some gap filling as tricky to get exactly vertical and could lock in place with zip bolt hopefully allowing the glue to fill any small gaps.
Big zip bolt.

On looking for good instructions to use came across all this concern about the new formula.

Just my experience, never used before.

New tub of Cascamite from Screwfix (Nov 2022)

Top of lid actually says "Back to the Cascamite you know & trust", interesting

Not knowing it before I thought mixed pretty quick.
Just a few minutes and was a shiny & smooth paste, took a little to get all the powder to blend, not super quick but without all this talk I would have not have given it a second thought.

Glued the knoll posts & left for 24 hours.
Indoors so good 17 to 20 degrees warm
Of course did not stress test but could feel the post were rock solid, far more rigid that even the zip bolt pulled v.tight on its own.

observations.
after 24 hours left over In plastic cup. set but very flexible & bendy.
popped it out, about 4 to 5 mm disc.
The v.thin brittle layer on the side of the container actually dissolved when I cleaned with water

another 24 hours the 5mm thick plastic disc was rock solid, no flex, took a lot of force to break.
No sign of it dissolving in the water, even the wafer thin bits were very hard but v.brittle of course.

I guess the last observations are bit pointless as on wood imagine dry much faster & better but the "water resistant" does not give a huge amount of confidence, fine for me indoors.

Overall I have a lot of confidence in this & v.pleased.

 

[scrimper]

I know an old thread but I was looking for a really good glue for my replacement stair knoll posts I had to cut off at the bottom & join the new on top (huge job to remove from existing for full replacement). Wanted some gap filling as tricky to get exactly vertical and could lock in place with zip bolt hopefully allowing the glue to fill any small gaps.
Big zip bolt.

On looking for good instructions to use came across all this concern about the new formula.

Just my experience, never used before.

New tub of Cascamite from Screwfix (Nov 2022)

Top of lid actually says "Back to the Cascamite you know & trust", interesting

Not knowing it before I thought mixed pretty quick.
Just a few minutes and was a shiny & smooth paste, took a little to get all the powder to blend, not super quick but without all this talk I would have not have given it a second thought.

Glued the knoll posts & left for 24 hours.
Indoors so good 17 to 20 degrees warm
Of course did not stress test but could feel the post were rock solid, far more rigid that even the zip bolt pulled v.tight on its own.

observations.
after 24 hours left over In plastic cup. set but very flexible & bendy.
popped it out, about 4 to 5 mm disc.
The v.thin brittle layer on the side of the container actually dissolved when I cleaned with water

another 24 hours the 5mm thick plastic disc was rock solid, no flex, took a lot of force to break.
No sign of it dissolving in the water, even the wafer thin bits were very hard but v.brittle of course.

I guess the last observations are bit pointless as on wood imagine dry much faster & better but the "water resistant" does not give a huge amount of confidence, fine for me indoors.

Overall I have a lot of confidence in this & v.pleased.

Afraid that my experience with this glue is different to yours, I used it for the first time yesterday to glue up some boards and the fell apart today! I now have to do the whole lot again and I shall be using the tried and tested PVA rather than the Cascamite they say I can trust.

 

[rogxwhit]

Afraid that my experience with this glue is different to yours, I used it for the first time yesterday to glue up some boards and the fell apart today!

It would give your remarks more meaning if you described your methods a bit more - accuracy of jointing, cramping technique, and not least ambient temperature. ;-)

 

[Phil Pascoe]

In the other thread he says it's dated 2021, which probably explains the problem without going into any greater detail. Either it's from the time the manufacture was at fault and/or it's just absorbed a bit of dampness.

 

[scrimper]

It would give your remarks more meaning if you described your methods a bit more - accuracy of jointing, cramping technique, and not least ambient temperature. ;-)

I have in my thread started on Monday Cascamite. Is it my incompetence or the product duff?
I did not wish to bore people again with the same details, It was merely a reply to Bignose2.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Nice free sample -

 

[Blackswanwood]

Still waiting for mine - hopefully it is back to as it was.