# Joining together 2 pieces of 3/8" teak



## willd (Mar 9, 2011)

I resawed a piece of Teak and would like to bookmark it for a door. When trying to glue with Gorilla Glue it didn't make a good bond. Does any LJs have a way to get a strong joint on 3/8 wood. Thanks Will


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## jbschutz (Jan 12, 2011)

Will,
I think Gorilla glue has its place, but I would go with Titebond III…. and an eighth inch spline running the length of the joint. Draw it up tight and leave it for 24 hours. 
Hope it works for you, John


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## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

You may want to clean the edges prior to glue up with acetone. The oils in the wood make it tough to glue. Ive had to employ that method when using cypress.


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## ClintSearl (Dec 8, 2011)

I agree with any of the Titebonds. Make sure the dry fit joint is perfect without clamping. Then a spare bead of glue without over clamping. Keep it flat during the cure.


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## willd (Mar 9, 2011)

You's guys are great! No down time ask a question and you get an answer in real time. John the spline should do the trick. I do have some Titebond and will clean the joint give it another try. Thanks all. Will


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## degoose (Mar 20, 2009)

All of the above… and this is a great place to have questions answered in real time… there is someone around the world awake…


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## MR_Cole (Jun 1, 2012)

Either a spline or use a biscuit jointer with some titebond.


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## fussy (Jan 18, 2010)

Be careful with the spline. Sometimes they swell and keep the joint from fitting. If you can, use leftover teak for the spline. Another thing to consider; as edge-grain to edge-grain makes a very strong joint without any help (glues are stronger than the wood or they're useless), just run your bead and clamp. Use c clamps on the ends to force them to line up, a mallet in the centeer and tighten the clamps in steps. Don't over tighten.

Steve


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## LeeBarker (Aug 6, 2010)

No one mentioned lacquer thinner or naphtha to get rid of the oils. And I agree; no splines, no biscuits.

Boatbuilders regularly use epoxy on teak with great success. They clean as well, and definitely underclamp.

Kindly,

Lee


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## handi (Mar 31, 2006)

Wiping the edges with acetone is critical. The teak has oil in it that will ruin even an epoxy bond.

I like to use "V" bit sets for edge gluing thin panels. The V gives more glue surface and keeps the joint aligned so there is far less need for flattening afterwards.

You can see the process in a video on my website. Scroll down the "Skill Building" page, it is About the 5th one from the top, Aligning Thin Edges for Glue Ups.

Ralph


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## MonteCristo (May 29, 2012)

The Gorilla glue should have worked but maybe you didn't dampen the surfaces first ? I would have thought Titebond was not the best option given the naturally high oil content of teak. Also, clamping boards only 3/8" thick requires some care as they could easily flex and compromise the glue joint. You should use some scrap wood strapping to prevent this.


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## usnret (Jul 14, 2011)

I used Titebond III on teak for edge gluing and gluing end grain and it has held up for 8 months now. Before you glue the edges wipe them down with denatuted alcahol or mineral spirits to remove any natural oils from the wood.


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## willd (Mar 9, 2011)

There definitely is not one way to do this. It seem like everyone has had successes with different technique. There seem to be one common thread, to clean the joints of the natural oils. I did use Titebond and hopefully it will hold. If I were to do it again I would of made two panels. Time to research rail and stile bit sets. Thanks for the info. I will post the project when done. Will


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