Cascamite WBP

[Mead Camans]

Drop Cascamite and use this, you wont regret it.

https://www.adkwik.co.uk/adhesives/one-shot-powdered-resin-wood-glue
Cheers Peter

Looks good! What's the open time like? I do pretty much exclusively lamiate work, so I like the long open time of Cascamite.

 

[CHJ]

Doug, I've taken the precaution of decanting some into smaller airtight containers and ziplock bags, the bags are in larger airtight container with some silica gel, the same as I used to do with Cascamite to reduce the in use air contact. In the past I've got away with 18months +.

 

[Doug B]

Doug, I've taken the precaution of decanting some into smaller airtight containers and ziplock bags, the bags are in larger airtight container with some silica gel, the same as I used to do with Cascamite to reduce the in use air contact. In the past I've got away with 18months +.

Thanks Chas much appreciated

 

[TheTiddles]

Aerolite, cascamite, boiled hooves, they’ve worked for decades, why don’t we all use them all the time for everything? Because... progress.

 

[Peter Sefton]

The One Shot works and has the same properties as Cascamite, apart from the name you wouldn't know the difference (maybe a bit more expensive)

Open time around 45 mins, for shelf life they say 6 months plus, I would guess 18-24 if kept dry about 2 days if left open in a wet workshop. We use it for laminations, big glue ups, some veneering and it's good for gap filling sloppy joints.

Data sheets attached.

 

[Doug B]

The One Shot works and has the same properties as Cascamite, apart from the name you wouldn't know the difference (maybe a bit more expensive)

Open time around 45 mins, for shelf life they say 6 months plus, I would guess 18-24 if kept dry about 2 days if left open in a wet workshop. We use it for laminations, big glue ups, some veneering and it's good for gap filling sloppy joints.

Data sheets attached.

Cheers Peter

 

[deema]

Aerolite, cascamite, boiled hooves, they’ve worked for decades, why don’t we all use them all the time for everything? Because... progress.

Clever marketing I suspect for the vast majority of gluing job!

 

[Cooper]

Mosquitos. They had wooden frames, balsa iirc. That's where the "Aero" bit came from.
I remember a chap being interviewed in one of the woodworking magazines 30+ years ago and being asked why he used Aerolite and his replying that if it was good enough to keep him in the air during the war it was good enough for his furniture.

My father was a wartime mosquito night fighter pilot and when hostilities in Europe were over he was sent to India with mosqitos. There they were unable to fly them in action because the glue that held the planes together couldn't cope with the heat and humidity, when subject to the g forces involved in taking off. That didn't stop him being a lifelong mosquito enthusiast.

 

[Chunky Monkey]

I bought and used a couple of tubs of cascamite from Axminster about 12 months go to glue up some casement windows. After I'd made a couple of windows I saw some of the comments on here, which made me concerned, so I did a couple of test joints and all was good, I had no problems with it setting, and I was happy with the joint strength.

However, there's enough negative experiences on here for me to be very suspicious about using it again.

Jon

 

[BruceK]

Always used Cascamite for boatbuilding and furniture etc until it stated mixing badly and losing its grip. I tried Repair-Care's window repair system which worked well but it's really expensive so I decided to experiment by mixing my own. I now use 2 part epoxy resin which I buy in bulk. I 'paint' the glued sections with newly mixed liquid, allow it to soak in so it binds to the fibres of the timber and adds strength to the joint, then add a bit of magnesium silicate (talcum powder) to thicken it to a glue consistency and finally, with any leftovers, I add a bit more mag sil to thicken it up even more and use it as a filler. I also use it with chopped fibreglass or even string where added strength is needed and appearance is not too important. It's versatile, bonds really well, lasts longer than the timber and is easily shaped and sanded when dry. I've used it extensively to scarf in new window sections and insert new timber into rotten sills and even to repair broken plastic ducting. I understand you can also buy a flexible, rubber-based type powder to replace the mag sil for use in situations like boatbuilding where joints might need to flex a bit. I've even mixed it with dry cement when I ran out of mag sil and it worked a treat. Everything is available at a reasonable price online.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I've stuck stuff during repair (bodge) work with two part wood filler. Just add a few drops of styrene to make it a little more liquid. If you use any amount or colour range of two part filler styrene is a useful thing to have, anyway - put a teaspoonful or two over the surface when you close the tin up and the stuff will last virtually indefinitely. I've one can now I've had for at least seven years it's still perfectly useable.

 

[HamsterJam]

Does Cascamite have a shelf life?
I think I have a really old tin of it somehere.

 

[CHJ]

Does Cascamite have a shelf life?
I think I have a really old tin of it somehere.

It is essential that the powder is protected from atmospheric moisture, if not it will deteriorate rapidly. A half empty container is a significant risk factor.

If when attempting to mix it, it has any granular particles as opposed to a creamy constituency then it is spoilt and unsafe to use.

 

[Yojevol]

Does Cascamite have a shelf life?
I think I have a really old tin of it somehere.

I put mine into sealed jam jars as soon as I get it. A jar will take about 200gm. I have used a tub of silica gell in the Cascamite tub in the past.

I've been trying to delve into the history of Cascamite and its use on Mosquitos in the War. I came across this article written in 1941. I think Cascamite was used initially but it was superseded by Aerolite 306 which is still used for aircraft construction.
Brian

 

[Mark Karacsonyi]

I have cascamite from four years ago. Have kept it vacuum sealed, last use was 6 days ago. Still mix’s well. After reading this post, I made a test joint. Tomorrow going to put the lump hammer to it, mainly for over of mind.

 

[Droogs]

The problems seem to have started with batches made in the last 18 months or so

 

[Mead Camans]

Thanks all for the comments. Even though I'm probably going to move on to this Aerolite stuff, I was actually getting on quite well with the Cascamite. I made the switch to the WBP version because it seemed to be a lot better behaved than the regular stuff! I'd got the hang of mixing it as well and it always gave pretty consistent results if you followed the instructions TO THE LETTER! Still, onwards and upwards!

 

[Mark Karacsonyi]

The joint withstood the lump hammer test. The ash that was glued, with a mortice and tenon joint, did not.

Will buy the recommendation next time around. I bookmarked it.

 

[Limey Lurker]

My father was a wartime mosquito night fighter pilot and when hostilities in Europe were over he was sent to India with mosqitos. There they were unable to fly them in action because the glue that held the planes together couldn't cope with the heat and humidity, when subject to the g forces involved in taking off. That didn't stop him being a lifelong mosquito enthusiast.

I understood that it was the glue used for laminating the plies that was the problem; bulges would appear on what should have been flat panels, or the outer plies of a panel would lift away from the inner ply which would remain adhered to the rib or former.

 

[custard]

I agree that Aerolite One Shot is an excellent product. However, it's just not practical for most hobbyist woodworkers. The minimum quantity is something like 3Kg, so pretty much a lifetime's supply for many people, but Aerolite will only endorse a shelf life of 6 months. This is one of the key issues with most UF glues. I'm a full time woodworker, but unless I've got a big lamination job I end up chucking away loads of expensive UF adhesive because it just runs beyond date code. In fact it's common amongst one man band furniture makers to borrow a cupful of UF and the hardner when you only need a bit, and then return the favour when you've just got a batch in!

The great benefit of Cascamite are the tiny pots that are available. I've used Cascamite for many years, but my confidence was shaken by the problems I encountered a year ago. However, I do suspect the problem may have been overstated. I've heard from Axminster that this was at worst a very limited batch, and I know from my own experience that if you've got a dodgy pot you know it at the mixing stage because it just looks wrong (or at least it does if you're familiar with the product, I appreciate that doesn't help newbies).

Bottom line, I'm tentatively dipping a toe back into Cascamite, and so far I've not encountered any repeat problems with recent fresh product.