Best wood glues now?

[lynchnigel]

The glue or the Yankee? (Presuming glue) to be honest I ain't checked, but just have and its from just that website as far as i can tell, even Amazon dont sell it. I haven't used it either so its not a recommend either it was something I found after searching, Titebond apparently is melamine friendly but I suppose it depends what its being stuck to, chipboard or laminate.
I would go with that you said either way as you know what you are doing.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

The glue.

BTW Stanley haven't made Yankee screwdrivers for 20 or more years - cordless screwdrivers saw them off a long time ago. You'd probably be looking at secondhand, therefore, which means caveat emptor is the rule of thumb. Whilst you could get PZD#2 and PZD#3 bits from Stanley for the biggest Yankee (model #131, the biggest of them all) at one time (they were a mottled blue colour, I seem to recall) they were always uncommon and must be getting a bit hard to find nowadays. There are inevitably Chinese made copies of these bits, but gawd knows how good they are. There are also 1/4in hex bit adaptors for the #131 Yankees (again Chinese), so you could at least team a Yankee up with a decent impact bit (e.g Wera hard point buts), but I'd caution you that even when new Yankee spiral screwdrivers didn't make the best non-ratcheting screwdrivers. Way too sloppy. Still got mine, but for long reach a cordless drill and two Milwaukee 300mm extensions is pretty useful

I've been trying to figure out why you want to.glue melamine strip to anything. Normally industrial melamine strip is available in either pre-glued (back coated with a heat activated adhesive - the so-called iron-on option) or uncoated forms. The latter is designed for use in a machine called a glue pot edge bander (think £10k and upwards). I suspect that you have the latter. If so AFAIK you have but two readily available (in the UK) affordable choices - contact adhesive or iron on glue film (the sort of stuff used for small scale veneering)

 

[ETAF]

Super Glue
you may have had an answer in previous posts, I saw this many years ago at the ideal home exhibition (not sure when, may even had been in the late 90's) and I have been using it ever since , for glass, some plastics, excellent on metal, and only last week, on MDF & a plastic covering facing
Now on my 3rd bottle
http://www.hafixs.co.uk/

 

[lynchnigel]

I brought those two Yankees in the past year from flee bay, one looks like it's unused (the larger) and the other a bit more use but still in good nick. Good the bits with them, so they are still about.
My original one I had as an apprentice 40 huhhumm.. years ago....is more worn but still used, don't ask why I brought another large one!

Likewise I've got a pair of Milwaukee 18v cordless things now a days. But still like using my Yankee given chance.

 

[Diver Fred]

BTW Stanley haven't made Yankee screwdrivers for 20 or more years - cordless screwdrivers saw them off a long time ago. You'd probably be looking at secondhand, therefore, which means caveat emptor is the rule of thumb. Whilst you could get PZD#2 and PZD#3 bits from Stanley for the biggest Yankee (model #131, the biggest of them all) at one time (they were a mottled blue colour, I seem to recall) they were always uncommon and must be getting a bit hard to find nowadays.

Using mine (both a 130 & now 131 nowadays) see below why.

There are also 1/4in hex bit adaptors for the #131 Yankees.

See
https://www.trenddirectuk.com/snap-qcyl
I have one and it's brill - most of the time, just a bit bulky in tight spots.

 

[lynchnigel]

I have one and it's brill - most of the time, just a bit bulky in tight spots.

I've not seen one of those before, so what's the point?

 

[Deleted member 174758]

I've not seen one of those before, so what's the point?

In order to use an archaic tool in a modern world?

Yankees. Ever had one skate across a polished surface because you weren't paying attention? When I first got a 9.6 volt cordless drill/driver it was a revelation (and a revolution). It would also pull screws up tighter than a Yankee ever could (sometimes a necessity)

 

[lynchnigel]

Yankees. Ever had one skate across a polished surface because you weren't paying attention?

I was paying attention teacher, years of shopfitting the attention span dissipates ha!
I didn't understand that bit but now I've reread it, makes sense now sorry carry on
Yes polished surfaces makes a good target for yankees!

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Something I had my knuckles wrapped for a time or maybe two in the distant past

I know a chap who fits out and repairs narrow boats on the canal. He's a keen user of Yankees, but in his case it can be really awkward getting any sort of power in some of the places he works, so maybe understandable. Yankees were so prolific at one time that you could get refurb kits for them (springs, shims, ball, slider plate, etc) - but as I recall they weren't cheap

 

[lynchnigel]

Something I had my knuckles wrapped for a time or maybe two in the distant past

I know a chap who fits out and repairs narrow boats on the canal. He's a keen user of Yankees, but in his case it can be really awkward getting any sort of power in some of the places he works, so maybe understandable. Yankees were so prolific at one time that you could get refurb kits for them (springs, shims, ball, slider plate, etc) - but as I recall they weren't cheap

Funnily enough I was thinking the same about the refurb kits, with my other large Yankee being so old and the tiny screw missing bottom of the shaft, currently has a clip over it which use to be another thing we all used to do to stop them rolling away.. but as it wasn't too expensive to buy the second hand Yankees I gave up.

Have you come across anyone who makes the bits still?

I don't think you will be the first or last to have marked a polish surface or the point gone into polished wood, I was no doubt guilty at some stage.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Last people I know of who made them were Kunz in Germany (they still make hand planes). In the late 1980s I believe they were making Yankees for Stanley after Spiralux shut down in the UK

Seen quite a few over the years with small Jubilee clips round the bottom of the bigger part of the body, presumably to cure the issue of the screw going walkabout

 

[Diver Fred]

In order to use an archaic tool in a modern world?

Yankees. Ever had one skate across a polished surface because you weren't paying attention? When I first got a 9.6 volt cordless drill/driver it was a revelation (and a revolution). It would also pull screws up tighter than a Yankee ever could (sometimes a necessity)

Might be archaic but there are times when they are really useful.
Yes I've had one skate off more than once. But that can happen with any flat screwdriver (had lots of prob's as an apprentise using the 'masters' screwdrivers).
The adapter allows the use of replacement bits from cordless tools and equally as useful - drill bits with a 1/4" hex shank.

 

[EddieM]

I can never initially read shopfitting as shopfitting my brain always converts it to shoplifting, little things etc..

 

[teaboyjim]

A fabulous and informative reply to an endless question - thank you.

Agreed!

 

[lynchnigel]

Last people I know of who made them were Kunz in Germany (they still make hand planes). In the late 1980s I believe they were making Yankees for Stanley after Spiralux shut down in the UK
Seen quite a few over the years with small Jubilee clips round the bottom of the bigger part of the body, presumably to cure the issue of the screw going walkabout

Ha you have a good memory! Jubilee clip is what I was thinking about, my screw went walk about years ago but always on the look out for one, obviously not that hard as I've been doing it for the past 30 years ha

Spiralux is a name I've of in there past I will have a look for kunz but not end of the world as tend not to use them as much.
Nice collection of planes you have by the way!