Need ideas/advice on acrylic to wood joint

[Aaron at Wingerts Woodworks]

A customer has asked me to put an acrylic lip rest on a stabilized wood whistle.  I think it would be really cool, and see a lot of you guys doing it on duck and goose calls, so I'm asking for some advice! 

Here's my question/concern:  My whistles have a 1/2" bore, and not a lot of wall thickness.  I'm worried that gluing the two blanks together with a tenon before drilling the bore wouldn't end well (potential for off-center hole).  So I'm thinking I'd drill a short length 5/8" female hole in the mouth end of the whistle as I drill the bore out, then make a corresponding male end with a 1/2" hole through it and a 5/8" diameter tenon, all turned on my 1/2" mandrel.  In my mind, those two pieces should fit right up without misaligning the 1/2" bore of the whistle.  After it dries I'd turn the outside to shape. 

No idea what glue to use, but am thinking JB Weld?  Would rather use something clear though. 

Also, how about wet sanding and polishing the acrylic?  I'm hoping to oil finish this call, so the idea of sanding slurry and plastic polish in the pores of the wood really spooks me.  Guess I could fit it up, then remove it an polish it before gluing it to the wood?

Would appreciate any tips and advice from those of you that laminate woods on your duck calls. 

[FDR]

I am not an expert on acrylic but I always use a tenon and epoxy.  Here is the link to the epoxy I use.
http://www.brownells.com/search/index.htm?k=epoxy&ksubmit=y
 Either Acraglas Gel or Acra Weld will work and dry clear.

[FS Custom Calls]

That sounds like a good plan to me, I would maybe put it together then on the mandrel and turn.  I think if you put oil on then wet sand the acrylic you should be fine with a good rinsing.  As for glue, I use gorilla glue super glue.  Its clear and fast and have yet to have one fall apart.  That I know of.

[J.Rode]

I think your on the right path with the tennon joint plan. I am not a glue expert, but I would think a clear epoxy would be way to go.  On the finishing you could get the wood portion to rough shape then polish acrylic then finish shaping your wood portion turning off any polish residue or tape off the wood part while polishing the acrylic.  I guess you could oil/wet sand the wood portion to fill the pores then polish the acrylic too.  You could "frost" the acrylic, then you would not have to worry about polish slurry.  If your concerned about the joint, build a practice call and give it the wrath of wingert, boy I'd hate to be that call....

Good luck.
Jason

[Chris @ STW Outdoors]

I have run into this problem when doing antler to wood with a solder inlay covering the joint. The best method I have found is to finish the acrylic piece and do you best to keep the slurry away from the wood. Some of the slurry will get in there. No way around that. Then wrap painters tape or the like around the finished acrylic. Get some steel wool and mineral spirits and really clean up your wood. That has worked for me when cleaning the wood. Another way I have done this, is to dip the wood part in spar or the like to help fill the pores before I put everything together. It seems to help with keeping stuff out of the pores. Just some ideas.

[FS Custom Calls]

Cant believe that you need advice to begin with.  | have your calls and wow.  I would coat with thin CA, can off, coat again, sand off.  Then the pores are full.  Then no worries.  And I love your whistle.  Finished alot of birds for the Wounded Warrior hunt this season.

[Callen]

Drill your holes in the two pieces. Make a tennon on the liprest. Rough both surfaces up and apply your glue. Then, as soon as you put them together, stick a 1/2" dowel into the pieces for a little while so they get aligned good and straight. I use a 5/8 bolt for my duck barrels, and just put washers on and tighten for pressure, but I know that wouldn't work for your whistles. I've never had a problem with gluing the dowel in, but you should probably watch out for that.

I use JB with all my acrylic to wood glueups and the line is pretty much invisible if the joint is flush.

Cody

[Aaron at Wingerts Woodworks]

Thanks guys.  I got a new forstner bit to work on this little project today, so I'll apply some of these ideas and will see how it works out for me.