Tommygun

My Feedback: (2)

I was trying to get together some stuff to finish a couple of planes the old school way, with fabric and dope. I also needed some Ambroid, because according to the Harry Higley's book "There are No Secrets," you need to use Ambroid on areas that require lots of sanding since it's the only glue that sands well. Tower now lists it as discontinued. All the different Ambroid products. Is there a similar glue available? Why did they stop making it?

Bad_Daddy

It took less time to do a Google search than it did for you to type your questions.
http://www.google.com/search?source=...=Google+Search

G17Staggerwing

My Feedback: (159)

Tommygun,
Imight be able to be of some assist. Belive it or not I happen to still have a case of 12 4OZ tubes that are left over from when I used to build airplanes with my father. I have one tube that I have tapped into to build with every now end then just for the sake of nostalgia and that FANTASTIC SENT!!!! I have been toying with the idea of putting them on e-bay but haven't quite had the heart to do it as of yet. If you are interested I might be persuaded in parting with one or two? I could send you a picture on your e-mail of a couple of tubes. My e-mail address is [email protected]. My name is Nevin and I go by G17Staggerwing. You can check my feedback ratings on e-bay and RCUniverse if you would like.
Regards
Nevin
G17Staggerwing

jrcaster

You can use Elmers Probond Woodglue, or Titebond 2. They are both inteior/exterior wood glues and are fairly water resistant after they cure. They also sand better than Ambroid, and don't have that smell.

ChuckW

Sig-ment from Sig is pretty similar to Ambroid. It is more of a clear color but stinks just the same. I like it now and then for edge gluing sheeting and stuff. Tight-bond seems to be stronger though and sands almost as easily.

AERORICH73

Hi Tommy: Just found my old tube of Ambroid dryed up. Went to the LHS and found the price for Ambroid had exploded; so purchased a small tube of TESTORS cement for wood under $2.- . I have some foam wing sheeting to assemble, and like you follow what the Higley books suggest also. Any of the soft sandable glues will do the job; so just choose which one you prefer. In my case, the sheeting will be strongly attached with epoxy so I do not have to think about having a weak glue joint to contend with, and sanding will not be a problem either when using this TESTORS WOOD CEMENT.

Let us know how the job turns out.

Rich S.

nhblacksmith

After seeing how well Ambroid held up in 40-50 year old planes that I inherited from my father-in-law, I decided to try building with it but I, too, was unable to locate large tubes so I wrote the company. This is their response:

Neal:

We have been in back order for some time on some of these products. We
are however producing product as fast as we can therefore not all
distributors currently have stock.

Please call Horizon Hobby for a complete stock of Ambroid. We are still
working on the 102 (3.2 oz tubes) but have plenty of the 1.8 and 1.0 oz
tubes.

Thanks, August Baur

I have a couple tubes that were at least 35 years old and they are still not dried up but they seem to have lost their adhesion in the test pieces I tried.

Neal

housedad

NHBlacksmith -- was this a recent email?

Everywhere I look online the companies have it listed as discontinued[]

nhblacksmith

I received that response on January 2nd of this year (2008). It was a direct response from the manufacturer, Graphic Vison, Inc., in Swanzey, NH. http://www.graphicvisioninc.com/

Neal

Deerfly

Any updates on the availability of Ambroid? I have used Ambroid for ages and really miss it.

Rod Bender

I know a guy that has a friend, and he might be able to "get the stuff man"

There's nothing like the smell of ambroid in the shop

RCFlyer

ambroid?[:@] worst glue I ever used.

I built a PT-19 that had cross bracing in the fuseledge, When it crashed just a few feet from the
ground it became an instant kit. Most of the joints came loose where I used ambroid. I threw
that stuff away, and started using Titebond wood glue, and been using it since the late 60s.
Like jrcaster and ChuckW states about Titebond being easy to sand, and is fuel, and water proof.

Don't get your fingers stuck together

Clarence

BelAirBob

I just got an email from Ambroids marketing people. They say the demand for Ambroid glue is through the roof. They still make it but can;t make it fast enough. But they have recently sent a shipment to Horizon Hobby. They said to call, because the stock on the website is often behind. This will eventually work back down to the hobby shops....


bob

Rod Bender

No bro, it's only to be used as an air freshener.....

A hobby shop nearby has it in stock at all times, course he's a builder from the 70's also...

Flying freak

http://search.horizonhobby.com/index...d=118EE6DFE078

ivyspoppy

Get out of the stone age. I use cybo or probond glue

ivyspoppy

I meant CYNO

BelAirBob

You guys don;t know what you are missing.....great smell, it is sandable, water proof, fuel proof, etc.....

nhblacksmith

...and it lasts and lasts! I have about 15 old airplanes in my cellar that my father-in-law built with Ambroid in the late 50's and early 60's-Lou Andrews kits, Esquires, Live Wire Super Cubs, etc. There is not a loose glue joint in the bunch. Some are intact and some were crashed but it was the wood that broke, not the glued joints. I did find that after 40 years, the quart cans of Ambroid that he had still look and smell like new but they are no longer bond as they should.

Neal

WEDJ

One of the keys to using Ambroid is to pre-glue the joint. You smear the glue onto the wood (both surfaces), wipe off the excess, then let it dry. This drives the celluloid deeper into the grain, where it locks into place. Then glue as normal with a second coat. This will soften the surface and make a good bond with the already dry first coat.

Done this way, I guarantee the wood will fail before the joint does.

navy47

My Feedback: (59)

Thers is a small hobby shop in that I go to still sells it. Its in Angola Indiana Its called MWC Aircraft. Tel # is 260 665 7753

Augie11

I saw some Ambroid the other day in JoAnn's. It's like a Hobby Lobby. Give it a try if you have one in your area. Apparently it's still popular for craft things.

049flyer

My Feedback: (18)

One other advantage to ambroid is that in the event a repair is required you can dissolve the ambroid joint quickly with a little acetone.

ARUP

Ambroid, Sig-Ment and Duco are the perfect glues for strip planking that is to be sanded as the finished surface for covering, bar none! As Alan has stated- you have to preglue the edges to be joined. CA is the worst glue to use for this application. CA is okay if you don't mind having to use fillers to level the surface ABOVE the CA joints.

BelAirBob

I grab a few tubes everytime I see them in the hobby shop. Evidently a lot of people still buy it. Years ago, we used to buy it by the quart and fill syringes. My brother, father and me would build build build......ah, the good old days....

bob