Is cheap woodworking glue generally ok?

In woodworking, in general, the wood (or other structural components) needs to take the load, not the glue.

So, I would be looking to strengthen joints with things like dowels and biscuits - and then use glue to keep the parts of that strengthened joint from moving.

However, to address you question.

Yes, glue can be used as an engineering material, where the glue itself bears the load. And, in that case, quality matters.

However, in woodworking, if the joint is a good one, cheap glue is fine. A really good joint needs no glue at all. IME, YMMV.

-- Sue

The art of carpentry with gkue is twofold

2/. To ensure that the above holds true even under variable humitidty. I.e a tenon joint with the mortice ALONG the grain may fail becuse the tenon shrinks more across the grain then the mortices does along the grain.

Which is a reaon to use dowels..

And chipboard. Which is pretty uniform and low in its expansion rates.

With flat pack composite material stuff,the glue really just stops it falling apart ..the real strength is in the pegs and the holes.

Cheape glue may have less additives..so it may go mouldy in teh pot, etc, but its very little different from more exepsnive glues, and good enough.

Thanks for the reply. The IKEA units have dowells and fasteners and all those things you mention. No glue would normally be needed but one or two fasteners do not grip properly.

So my glue would be used as you suggest: with dowels etc.

The problem I was asking about was if cheap PVA wood glue was generally ok or if these cheap wood glues were like one or two other products from the discount stores (although not all products) in that it might be so crap that it's best not to use it.

You seems to say cheap PVA wood glue is fine.

I find nice "runny" glue is best with dowels (and biscuits). It needs to be thin enough to displace up the dowel grooves as the joint is put together. The water present in the glue will be absorbed into the surrounding material, causing it to expand slightly. That expanded state is then held in place by the dry PVA - producing a nice, tight, joint. So, counter-intuitively, thicker glue can actually produce a worse joint. YMMV.

But, yep, I have had no problem using cheap PVA wood glue with dowels.

So, you smear PVA over the dowel, position it over the hole and give it a smart tap with a mallet ...

... and it sprays PVA all over you, the IKEA stuff and the carpet. :o(

Nope, never done that (yet).

Not much chance as, (1) I don't buy kit furniture and (2) I do woodworking in my workshop, not drawing room and (3) it doesn't sound to be a very *smart* tap, if that is the result. ;)

However, the point is well-made. Unlike most kit furniture.....

IME Pound Shop glue is fine but it's runnier than the proper stuff, which can get on your nerves if you're trying to position it accurately

Been on the "fruit juice" again?

So it's not fine then....

It *is* fine, the dowels do the positioning, the glue does (some of) the sticking.

Why on earth there is a discussion about proper vs. cheap glue amazes me.

In terms of the investment in time and materials on a project, the difference in cost here is second order negligible.

At least we agree on something ;-)

To the OP:

Glue it and screw it. If the fixings issue is because you stripped the holes by tightening up the screws too much, then (a) calm down next time, it's only wood and (b) fill the holes with a filler made of sawdust and PVA, wait for it to dry then screw them in again. Or if you have enough good solid fixings, just dab some PVA in the holes, screw it together and leave it. The PVA will act as a good-enough threadlock once it goes off.

At least as far as materials go, if the wood is coming out of a skip and costs nowt, then the glue is quite a large part of the materials cost.

Owain

But you can use cheap, good glue. I buy anti-creep, cross linking PVA (at least I think that is the wording) by the litre for not a lot from Andy Hall's favourite High Wycombe shop. Well, not a lot compared with Evostik, Titebond, etc. Never had the slightest problem with it.

Horses for courses. No need to use Cascamite for everything. I wouldn't use anything else in the kitchen, bathrooms, utility room or outside. But pound-shop PVA is fine for bedroom furniture. Even the four poster..

The glue may not be expensive but I have the cheap stuff sitting right in front of me.

It seems a waste (and a cost) to use My car for the not-so-short journey to get some. So alternative wood glue would need ordering.

So the question I asked was if the cheap stuff is good enough. Seems reasonable to me.

Ideal for some jobs where the pukka stuff wouldn't be ideal

cheap !=3D improper neccessarily, as i suspect you well know. How much opportunity cost did you waste reading this thread and posting replies?

MBQ

Pound Shop glue is 500 ml and comes with a very fine spout. Can't put a price on that