Making and Testing a New Woodworking Joint

Isopropyl alcohol is your best friend for removing hot glue, it basically takes its adhesion away and I generally apply it with a q-tip but just make sure it’s soaked works like a charm!

Very cool experiment, but I think a better test would be to apply a constant weight over a period of time and increasing little by little until reaching the point of failure. This will approximate real life conditions better than a sudden impact at the highest point of leverage.

The author does like to youtube.com/post/UgkxkNYRBJuiJ6EwD-tQSAlxg0eFKsnR2… from scratch, shaping and trimming wood from large blocks into fine finished products. As another reviewer mentioned, most projects require a lot of high-dollar equipment that most of us don’t have the room or budget for. But, knowing how to do these things, even if we won’t be able to practice the full stack project, is still great.

You never know what to expect from a Four Eyes video. Not just from the woodworking aspect but from a production standpoint. Love, the reality tv style presentation. We never really see Chris doing his thing behind the scenes.

Good experiment. Last break proves that although the beginning of the break was forced at the corner of the epoxy piece, it eventually ripped at the wood-epoxy joint. But it does seem like the epoxy is adequately strong for lighter applications.

Great experiment, Chris. Try one with the inside rounded instead of sharp. That would lessen the stress riser at that point. Bill

If Chris does this again, a standardized way of testing would be nice. Maybe put the leg in a vice and put a small platform on top. Them stack weights

Trying something new, with the sort of candid audio? I don't hate it

How about drilling some 1/16" holes in both pieces and using polished stainless rods to bridge the gap, then filling with epoxy. This "re-bar" would make the joint stronger and might look cool too.

Breaking stuff for s living sometimes. For the next time what you could do is clamp part of the leg, not including the joint part, and then using a string and someway to fasten weights, continue loading the other part of the leg with increasing weights. Then you know which mass was required to break the joint.

Try spraying your mold with poly vinyl alcohol. You won't need to use a chisel to separate the part from the mold.

I thought of two things you might try to increase the joint strength: 1) use a key bit to go down, then create a channel the epoxy will flow in so that it is inside the wood acting similar to my second recommendation, but with only the corner showing; or 2) Use a dovetail joint, so that the epoxy is not just on the corner, but within a channel in the wood also. It seemed the epoxy broke right at the connection to the wood itself. So making it inside a channel could greatly strengthen the joint, thereby allowing for a sturdier product while also giving the look being pursued here.

In order to assess the load capacity of these joints, you would have to have a real form piece i.e. wood on wood joint of EACH style. Domino, mortise and tenon, edge surface to edge surface etc, in order to have a proper control subject. Only then can you accurately assess the load capacity of each. Start by increasing wait in increments of your choosing until the control joint fails and apply that same “to failure”process on the epoxy joint. You guys are inspirationally creative and the new content format is a huge success IMO. Please never stop being true to yourselves and the community and keep pushing the envelope. Great work!!

IIRC, fibreglass and epoxy have the same refractive index as each other, so you added a handful of fibreglass strips in the void before pouring the epoxy, they should theoretically disappear in the resin, but add a grain for added strength. Probably wouldn't improve the wood to epoxy bond. Don't quote me on it, I am not an epoxy surgeon.

thanks for the video. It is a nice idea. Try next time to machine a angled domino from clear acrylic on your CNC and then cast that part in Epoxy. This might create a stronger joint

The Applebee's was funny, but the infomercial was straight fire. Loved the video.

Supper cool look and idea! Just though you could screw the legs to a table top and test them in a more realistic scenario... Standing, or dancing on the table... Then as the first breaks you replace it with a vertical leg until the last standing...

watch this video in the middle of the night, and don't forget to use your headphone. Listen to those crispy feeling sound noises that come from the hot glue gun. Damn, that makes me feel so good.

Hey Chris, enjoy your videos lol. Something on epoxy for other experiments. treat the wood first with a small amount of epoxy, then, give it a light sanding before you do the actual pour. this would prevent the bubbles. As someone that loves to work with epoxy, I freaking enjoyed this one (especially the informercial lol)

Embedding some glass fiber would make the joint a lot stronger. You could link that with domino recesses. The fiber would be invisible in the result.