Scale spacer failure

[Dave B. Martin]

I am trying my first spacers on scales. Desert ironwood, g10, copper. The copper did not bond to the g10. I roughed all surfaces with 60 grit and wiped with acetone. I used 30 minute epoxy that is about 2 years old. What do I need to do differently?

[Brian Dougherty]

Your epoxy may be  a bit too old.  Additionally, not all epoxies are created equal.  Some brands just don't work well.

Other than that, copper to g10 should be pretty easy, and your prep sounds good to me.

[Alan Longmire]

I'd add a couple of pins to help hold it all together, but I also suspect the epoxy was expired.  It has a shelf life. 

[Joël Mercier]

A back liner also helps. That's what I do on this type of arrangement. 

 

Back liner, pins, and I drill holes that go through the tang and liners. It creates some sort of hidden epoxy rivets. If you do all this and use a good epoxy, I swear to god it's not going to move anywhere 

 

 

Edit: Btw, this thread just reminded me my GFlex is 2 years old and I need to replace it...

I also forgot to mention that 24 hours epoxy usually has a stronger bond. It also gives you more time to glue everything together before starting to cure...

Edited January 6, 2022 by Joël Mercier

[Gerhard Gerber]

Same for me, multi-piece handles I always assemble on a liner, then the fun of drilling so they match......

[Tim Johnson]

With the copper, it will also transfer heat very quickly when shaping, too, so keep that in mind!  I've had a few handles with metal spacers get too hot when shaping and the epoxy let go.  I also try to do a liner on the bottom as well so it is all glued to a bottom piece, not just the segmented handle pieces.  I use JB Kwik Weld and JB Plastic Welder and usually have pretty good luck.  Oh yeah, if the epoxy is too cold, it may deteriorate or not work as well.  I keep my epoxy in the house during the colder months.  If it freezes, it could be an issue!  I would try a fresh batch of epoxy and see if that helps.