: I did a better job of using epoxy on my second series of testing
: but I did not use thickened epoxy - the spline joint is pretty
: tight so I suspect it would not have been easy. I may do another
: test with the epoxy using such a technique - what should I use
: as a thickener?

: I did not note the precise time but I normally worked on them
: between 10 and 2 on a given day and left them overnight in a
: clamp to set. I tested the next morning before 10 normally.

: You have certainly given me ideas of what I should have done to be
: fair about the results! However the FG both sides joint was
: clearly much stronger than any other. I admit I was a bit
: shocked by the Gorilla especially after I read that I missed the
: dampening of the wood - if all fails read the instructions! It
: was quite a bit stronger than the epoxy (based on the way I did
: it). The good news is that I think I could use my splines,
: probably with Gorilla, and have a joint that is pretty strong.

I haven't had a chance to get through your site yet, but I am not surprised that gorilla glue worked really well if the joint is really tight-fitting. If you've got a tight joint it's really strong stuff. I'm not an expert expert on epoxy, but as a glue it needs some sort of thickener, like wood flour/sanding dust, to be effective. It also takes a long time to reach full-strength. Sometimes up to a week. Again- I'm not saying that I lean toward any one adhesive as the best- a test will tell you that. I just think you need to test on a level playing field to get accurate results. If you're inclined to continue messing with this instead of building a kayak- you could give a call to the tech line of your epoxy's manufacturer and tell them what you're doing and ask the best way to get the highest strength from the joint, including optimal cure time. I wouldn't be surprised that if the joint is really tight gorilla glue would still come out on top- but then again, I wouldn't be surprised if epoxy did either...

m