Tiller Delamination

[TJ]

My tiller is delaminating, can someone recommend a glue?  Thanks for the replies, sorry to take so long to get back, been sick for a while but back now.  Tiller was delaminated when I bought boat so going to glue, then make new one.  Thanks again.   Ted

[Salty19]

You could use Gorilla Glue (follow instructions about wetting) as probably the least cost method. Epoxy would be best.

Just make double sure that rot has not seeped in to the area where the bolts pass through. If anything is soft, get or make a new one ASAP.

[brackish]

Titebond III has worked well for me.  I've made several laminated tillers and drop boards using it and have never had a delam problem.  I do keep the tiller covered when not in use and use a urethane coating on the tiller when it starts to peel off.  I'm not sure how it would work for a repair since I can't know what was used before.

last tiller in a Titebond III glue up:

[Duckie]

Depending on how your tiller is delaminating there are several methods you can use.  I assume that you have the standard laminated tiller that originally came with the boat.  If there is merely a slight gap of several inches in length opening up between the layers, epoxy is your best  bet.  If the entire stick is coming apart, it would probably be best to chuck it and make a new one or  buy a replacement.  I have a tough time thinking that the original tiller would come apart.  Mine is built like a rock.  You may have to find out what kind of glue was used to laminate the tiller in the first place to check for compatibility, but if you are simply trying to fill a gap, again epoxy with thickeners should be your best  bet.

I have also used titebond on some of my boat builds.  For things that won't be submerged very often or long it works fine.  I have made most of my canoe paddles with it and some are over 20 years old.  I would not hesitate to use it to build a new tiller.  If you are going to make a repair with it you will need to check that you have clean bare wood for it to work on.  That would mean scraping out the gap to get rid of any old glue that might still be in there.  Even if you use epoxy, you would want to do that.   

If you can post a pic of the problem it would help to figure out your best course.  

Al

[philb Junkie19]

Good to hear about the dependability of Titebond over time for new work. I love how epoxy works but would rather work with an alternative when practical. When my 16's tiller delaminated in places I filled in between with thickened epoxy and clamped it. The next year it opened in new places. It was probably time for a new tiller but I wasn't up for building or buying one right then. This time after opening and cleaning and filling the gaps and clamping I used three deck screws pre-drilled, countersunk and spaced along the tiller then filled the countersunk holes and heads with epoxy. The deck screws were thin and coated. The tiller has stood up well since.

[Duckie]

If I were you, I think I would toss that tiller and start new.  If the repairs that you did held up but other places started to come apart, that's no good.  I think that this is a golden opportunity to make just the right tiller that suits you.  You can adjust the length, shape and material to anything you want.  If you are going to use titebond though, make sure that you get nice tight joints and if you are going to bend the pieces, leave the glue to set over night at least.  I used titebond on a lot of the parts of my weekender like hatch covers and laminated combings.  Over time I found that the glue joints seemed to disintegrate just a tiny bit.  I ended up having to glass the hatch covers and fill the joints on the combings with epoxy, but not so much that you would notice.  Anyway, titebond should give you a stick that is more than tough enough for anything your 16 can dish out.

If I were to make a new tiller for my weekender, I wouldn't hesitate to use titebond on it, and I don't plan to use anything else on my canoe paddles.

Al