Don Stephan
Posts: 825
Joined: 2003-07-18
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
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Having glued a few teak tables together, West Systems epoxy has worked well for me. Certainly with epoxy, and likely with any glue, teak needs to be wiped several times with a cloth or paper towel thoroughly wetted with acetone. This step removes the teak oil from the surface so the epoxy will adhere.
The biggest challenge to working with epoxy is that it is exothermal, meaning that almost immediately after mixing the two components the combination gives off heat. Lots of heat. Mix up 3 or 4 ounces in a styrofoam cup, let it sit for 5 minutes, and you'll likely see the cup melting. And heat speeds the curing process!
If gluing teak mortise and tenon joints I thoroughly mix the two components in a cup and then pour the combination onto a piece of 6 mil plastic sheet. In a thin layer, the chemically produced heat does not speed the curing time too much. Using a glue brush I can apply the epoxy as needed and assemble the joints. After the excess epoxy cures it'll peal right off the plastic sheet.
If gluing a piece of veneer, I would pour the mixed combination onto the substrate and then spread with a plastic putty knife or similar. The mixed epoxy might dissolve the black foam in foam brushes and roller pads - you'll have to try and see.
As always, experimenting with some scrap is strongly recommended.
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