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Glueing Cocobolo

#3
This has been discussed many times in here...

Anyway, here is what I do:
-wash the gluing surfaces with Acetone. My rag end up red because of the dissolved sap.
-Then I use regular yellow wood glue: Titebond, Lepage, Dural... It's all the same to me.

I know some use Gorilla Glue, but I don't like this idea. This glue is more like a cement, and could leave a visible glue line in the joint.

Good luck!
 
#6
I tried acetone/titebond once and it gave loose after about 6 months. Ever since then I've used 2 part epoxy. There is not much as professionally embarrassing as a customer calling you to say his fingerboard is falling off.
 
#9
There is also a ton of info over at the MIMF on this - apparently the result of stress tests there indicated that the best joint is obtained on a freshly planed/scraped/sanded surface without using acetone first, with Titebond (original, not II or III) and epoxy adhesive both rating well.

That said, I think the only time acetone is really a problem is if you don't allow it to flash off before applying your adhesive.
 
#12
Necromancer//

Just ordered a Cocobolo fretboard and want to use titebond to adhere the board to a 5 piece walnut/purpleheart/ipe neckthrough bass. It's rough sanded to 60 I believe and the neck is rough as well so tooth is not a problem. Will rubbing with acetone until the oils/saps come out and then immediately gluing yield a strong enough bond?
 
#16
If you're having trouble with oily wood there is a glue called Aerolite 306, it's a two part urea formaldehyde glue which has exceptional glueing properties with timbers like teak or Cocobolo. I will hold your fingerboard down without any further issues but if it ever needs to come off then you'll wish you used titebond.
 
#17
In my experience with cocobolo, the most important thing is to sand the surface with 60 grit paper and dust it off, right before you glue it. Like, a few minutes before. You want to cut fine grooves into the wood's structure and get it glued before the wax oozes back into them.

If you do that, Titebond, LMI Instrument Maker's Glue or epoxy (like West Systems) will bond to it just fine. I've put about a hundred cocobolo fingerboards on necks for Mike Lipe over the last several years using the LMI glue, and haven't had any failures.

I don't think wiping it with acetone is a good idea. It's just going to soften the wax at the surface and smear it around. Picture a hard sponge soaked with thick grease. That's cocobolo.
 
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#18
Bruce Johnson said:
In my experience with cocobolo, the most important thing is to sand the surface with 60 grit paper and dust it off, right before you glue it. Like, a few minutes before. You want to cut fine grooves into the wood's structure and get it glued before the wax oozes back into them.

If you do that, Titebond, LMI Instrument Maker's Glue or epoxy (like West Systems) will bond to it just fine. I've put about a hundred cocobolo fingerboards on necks for Mike Lipe over the last several years using the LMI glue, and haven't had any failures.

I don't think wiping it with acetone is a good idea. It's just going to soften the wax at the surface and smear it around. Picture a hard sponge soaked with thick grease. That's cocobolo.
Click to expand...

Oh I cut grooves all day everyday . Haha. In all seriousness, there are horizontal grooves running up and down the length of the piece which would give me some great tooth for this glue job. I'd like to stick with titebond because it's what I know and am used to so this is some good advice.
 

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