I want to make some boxes out of 18mm white melamine faced board. I'm intending to used biscuit joints. Any thoughts on what glue I should use?
Thanks, Roy
I want to make some boxes out of 18mm white melamine faced board. I'm intending to used biscuit joints. Any thoughts on what glue I should use?
Thanks, Roy
Erm! have you thought of wood glue?
Titebond.
was about to suggest that, although for chipboard edge to a melamine face I'm not sure. One could scribe away the melamine below the joint so that it's "wood" to "wood"
Normally corner jointing is done with a jointing method going through the face into the edge, but I suspect that Roy wants a clean glue and biscuit only joint.
I'd consider that pretty much essential. An alternative, if facilities are available, may be to mitre the corners. Though that would require a pretty small biscuit.
If you want the biscuits to strengthen the bond (ie they are not just for alignment) you need a water-based glue to make them swell. I'd suggest PVA.
If you have a good quality biscuit joiner and cut carefully, the biscuits will be a fairly tight fit anyway and other glues such as polyurethane, or epoxy can be used.
I am not convinced about the use of PVA with the edges of chipboard, although it is fine for MDF.
Contact adhesive may be a better choice for chipboard but using the biscuits purely for alignment.
In solid wood maybe but I don't think you'd get a clean, tight fit in chipboard. How about dampening the biscuits with water (so they swell) then using polyurethane glue - that needs moisture to cure anyway.
No need. Fit will be good in chip, and just welly in PVA, slam in the biscuits and wipe off the squidge with a wet sponge.
The melamine wont take the glue but that's why you have biscuits right?
Of course. I have a small plant sprayer that I use for this purpose.
Biscuits are mainly an alignment device. If the bond on the edges of the material is poor, then relying just on the biscuits for mechanical strength is likely to lead to disappointment. If the box is small then probably OK, but not anything of substantial size.
Correct,thats why worktops use an inlaid anchor bolt to secure the surfaces together and at the same time pull them in tightly. As Mr D said they're are basically an alignment guide for heavy material.
oops! sorry MrHall changed your name there for a minute. ;-)
Many thanks to all for the responses.
It is indeed the melamine to chipboard interface that I'm concerned about. I'm using the biscuits for alignment and a little bit of strength (in the right direction).
As Andy noted - I do want nice clean edges. However In the absence of a perfect glue for this application I think I will go for some secondary KD fixings. some of the edges won't be visible - so I'll arrange the KD fittings around them.
Thanks, Roy
Two bottles of PVA. Both are the cheap (couple of quid) plastic squeezers from Axmonster. Both are filled with cheap builder's PVA. One has a biscuit-shaped nozzle and is thinnned down a bit. The other has a roller or squirt nozzle for coating the edges and isn't thinned (or isn't thinned so much).
I wouldn't use Titebond - maybe for the edges, but not the biscuits. It works fine, but it's a bit thick to apply.
Use good biscuits.
Glue the slots, not the biscuits. Cheap biscuits swell instantly and they won't fit in the slot afterwards.
Get a _white_ rubber mallet for thumping stuff together (or a fist), but black rubber or wood will leave marks or dents.
For the scope off chipboard with adequate biscuit numbers, the biscuits can represent most of the strength. Edge-gluing chipboard is never going to be particuarly rewarding.
Personally I just wouldn't use chipboard. Ply or MDF, every time.
Sure. Melamine coated MDF is readily available from wholesale suppliers of sheet goods like Silvermans. Ply seems a little less common with melamine
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