Glue

[Steve B]

I'm a rank newbie. I need some wood glue. If I had to buy one glue, what should it be? If there are many different applications, and different glues are needed to do different things, which others should I buy, and can you provide a brief description of what each does?

I am a bit overwhelmed after going to buy some glue today, a simple task, I thought. There are a lot of different types. But I know that basically, there is probably one main type that is used for lots of things, one that is used for many things, and one that is used only occasionally.

In the past, I have thrown away glue from it getting thick, probably from age. Are there any storage secrets for keeping glue? Cabinet with light bulb? Protect from freezing? Keep in small ice chest? etc ?

I just want to go buy some glue for building some birdhouses, the occasional wood repair around the house, and basic woodworking tasks, nothing really complicated or high grade. Just want some of what I will be using.

And how big a jar do I need to get without wasting it before I use it?

Thanks.

Steve

[Doug Winterburn]

The smallest bottle of TightBond II or if most of your projects will be out in the (wet) weather, Tightbond III.

[Ed Pawlowski]

For outside work like your birdhouses, Titebond III is best. Otherwise, whatever brand of wood glue the local store sells; they are all sufficient for 99% of what you'll do. It is good for about a year, maybe two. Keep it from freezing.

[DerbyDad03]

How's he going to keep the glue on the birdhouses from freezing? Little tiny propane heaters? ;-)

[SonomaProducts.com]

Cute. Don't let the bottle of unused glue freeze.

[RonB]

Ditto previous input on Titebond products. Titebond II works for most woodworking projects. You will need III for outdoor projects. Gorilla make a good outdoor glue too but it is messy and expensive, and for the applications you suggest it might be overkill.

RonB

[Scott Lurndal]

Simple white and yellow PVA glues will work for 90% of woodworking purposes.

Some PVA glues are formulated to be more resistant to moisture, this generally matters for constant or near-constant exposure. Some have colorants added to help hide glue lines in darker hardwoods.

Polyurethane glues are moisture activated, moisture resistant and have some gap-filling abilities (the glue expands into a foam when activated).

Hide glues are made from animal products. Popular with restorers due to historic use and ease of repair (heat will disrupt the bond). Used for veneering and furniture assembly (e.g chair legs) historically. Used warm, it requires a glue pot. The odor may be offensive to some.

Contact cement is used to adhere veneer (or e.g. formica) to a stable substrate.

CA (cyanoacrylate) glues (aka superglue) bond dissimilar materials but work with wood. Chemical accellerants and retardants are available to adjust bonding time.

Cool, dark place. Don't let it freeze. Storage conditions and lifetime are generally noted on container.

scott

[russellseaton1]

Believe it or not, plain old regular white Elmers school glue works just fine as a wood glue. I recall Sam Maloof using it for his rocking chairs. The various Titebond brand glues probably work better for outside applications and may even be better for inside too. But white school glue holds wood together very well. So if you're at the grocery store and need glue, buy the white school glue. If you're at Home Depot, then get the Titebond brand.

[Leon]

Gorilla Polyurethane is messy. Gorilla regular white wood glue is no more messy than TB, TB II or TB III. Keep in mind that Titebond also makes the messy polyurethane glue.

[Leon]

When your white or yellow wood glue gets thick try banging the bottle against a solid object ir the palm of your hand a few times. It is not unusual for the glue to thicken when it just sits. If the glue is still good it will re liquify almost immediately when you jar the container.

[Larry Blanchard]

Having just used hide glue in a glue pot for a veneering project, I can testify that there is little or no odor unless you overheat it. Past

150F it smells awful. My electric glue pot keeps it at 140-145.

However, it is messy. The liquid version (no heating required) is even messier.

But the stuff is reversible, doesn't creep under tension, doesn't block stains like modern glues, and the liquid stuff gives a long open time.

I would only use the hot stuff for veneering, and the liquid where long open time and/or the other attributes mentioned above are needed. For most stuff it's Titebond II or III.

[Father Haskell]

Squeezeout cleans up with rag and some hot water. TB requires first going onto rec.woodworking and getting 43 different answers, and even then, it's a pain.

Qualities that make it the favorite of instrument builders. A neck / fingerboard joint glued with hot hide glue isn't going to slowly bow and take a set from string tension over the guitar's lifetime. A violin body glued up with hide glue can be taken apart with a hot knife and reassembled without damage despite the instrument being hundreds of years old.

If it's fresh.

Type I is fine for anything that stays indoors.

You can substitute Knox gelatine for hot hide glue. 350 gram strength, *very* strong. Add one packet to 4 ounces water, microwave until 150 degrees F.

[Morgans]

"Father Haskell" wrote Qualities that make it the favorite of instrument builders. A neck / fingerboard joint glued with hot hide glue isn't going to slowly bow and take a set from string tension over the guitar's lifetime. A violin body glued up with hide glue can be taken apart with a hot knife and reassembled without damage despite the instrument being hundreds of years old.

*********************************

Seems as though you have some interest/experience in instrument making.

Got any favorite web sites, or videos that would help learning how to make a guitar?

Seems as though I have been tapped to help a student make one for a senior project.

-- Jim in NC

[Doug Winterburn]

[Lew Hodgett]

------------------------------ TiteBond II.

I use TB II as a general purpose woodworking glue.

After that it is laminating epoxy and microballoons for the tough jobs TB II can't do.

In any case trying to glue below 60F is a total PITA.

Have fun.

Lew

[Father Haskell]

Mostly older texts, Irv Sloane, Hideo Kamimoto.

Stewmac's site has a lot of useful tips, courtesy of Dan Erlewine:

Ford's page on using Knox gelatin as hide glue: knew you could use a tasty dessert as a glue? Surprisingly strong. I tested Frank's recipe with a couple of 1 x 1" poplar blocks. There's no way you can pull them apart with anything short of the Cygnus X-1 black hole.

[Morgans]

Thanks!

-- Jim in NC

[Father Haskell]

School glue is formulated to wash out of clothes, so squeezeout should be easier to clean up.