I built this copper counter top about a year and a half ago. it’s about 10 feet long, bound in tile and stucco on three sides, formed on a break and glued down with contact adhesive over 3/4″ AC ply like I’ve done a bunch of them in the past. Suddenly last week with a big cold snap drying things out a bit I get a call that there is a 6″ wide bubble front to back across the middle of the counter top. The home owner (knowing what I would recommend as a first try somehow) had already used her clothes iron over a wet tile to try to re-activate the glue and get it to re-adhere with no luck. Looking up from underneath I don’t see any sign of a seam in the plywood or any other obvious defect. I’m inclined to remove the top, strip off the copper and re-do it but would like to hear if anyone here has any other bright ideas.
Replies
Humidify the 3/4 substrate for 10 days, then retry the iron and towel trick?
SamT
Anyone who doesn't take truth seriously in small matters cannot be trusted in large ones either. [Einstein] Tks, BossHogg.
If you know of the right substance to squirt under the copper to reactivate the adhesive, I can probably get it under there.
I'd come up with a very good depth stop (block of wood) for a number size drill matched to the size of a large vetranarian needle. Drill a few holes directly under the bubble, barely cutting the top surface of the wood and squirt the solvent or thinned adhesive up into the bubble. Some manipulation of the bubble would seem to move the liquid around and coat the edges of the bubble.
If the bag of "Oh crap" strange problem solvers wasn't in storage I could measure the needle and drill used in the past. If you're in a bind and need it quick, a meat injector at the grocery store has a pretty large needle and would probably work with a 1/16" drill bit, although it's pricey for what you get. Online something like the "Chair doctor" glue injector from Rockler (or woodcraft? woodworker.com?) is just the ticket.
I'd take a scrap of 3/4 to practice drilling the hole with the length stop. It would really suck to have a sliver of wood push up from the drill bit and make an otherwise good repair have a lump in it.
Hopefully someone will have a proven solution for your situation, but that's what I'd try.
Good luck.
Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.
I had a stainless steel top formed for my own kithchen island I just recently put together. I had PL adhered it to an MDF top. I had been getting used to putting hot stuff on it when I really did it - B A N G ! The hot pan I put on it trapped enough heat to expand the steel and break the bond. I was looking at a 12" round 1" high bubble- I was pissed at myself, but to my surprise it all cooled back down to normal. You'd never know anything happened.
Sounds like your customer may have gotten to comfortable putting hot stuff on their's. I doubt the "cold-snap" caused this.
Edited 2/18/2007 4:33 pm ET by byrnsie
Thanks for the advice. I may try the inject-a-glue thing but I suspect I'll just go ahead and replace the whole thing. A couple bills and I know I'm done with it. Given that the contact adhesive failed me here what is the best adhesive for holding copper to plywood? Michael