Glueing oak with epoxy

I have been hearing for years that oak should not be glued with epoxy. WEST SYSTEM has been testing this theory and their findings contradict it. They do not have conclusive data, because they are waiting for field tests.
http://www.epoxyworks.com/31/pdf/So Stands the Mighty Oak.pdf

 

The oak stuff I bonded 20 years ago is still going strong.

You should not fasten it with steel screws, though.

Perhaps they got confused when someone said "epoxy is as strong as steel"

 

I used G2 epoxy on a bunch of kiln dried, yellow cedar doors and windows I made years ago and they are holding together fine. Never worked with oak so I can't comment on that one but it may be a similar acidic issue, I don't know.

-Tom

 

My tests and long term exposure suggests that epoxy and oaks do mix, though prep is the key to success. I've said it here and elsewhere, wash out the tannins and provide sufficient tooth, the epoxy will stick just fine.

 

I made about 15 sixteen footers--4 strips of 1 "red oak laminated them together with epoxy as a first coat then mixed some cabasel with another coat of epoxy and applied that---the trick is to make sure after you plane your strips down to scuff them up before gluing-I also clamped them on a jig until the resin started to come out the sides---but not to hard and it worked great,