What kind of glue?

[Tom Lewis]

I was given a lot of small pieces of different kind's of exotic wood. I thought I would glue them up and turn some small boxes.
What kind of glue should I use?
Several years ago I glued up some wood with epoxy and it came apart while I was turning.
I have heard a lot about Titebond, but there are several types.
Any suggestions will be appreciated.

[Robert McGowen]

I use Titebond II and have never had any problems at all.

[Dave Ogren]

Tom,

I am not a glue up person, but last week end I went to a demonstration by Malcom Tibbetts, and he says that he uses Titebond, I believe he said, origional. I would say that Malcom is the man to believe.

Good luck and happy turning.

Dave

[Tom Wilson66]

Tom, any of the Titebond glues will do the job, just the TBII and TBIII are for use where the piece may come into contact with water or be used outdoors. Some exotics may contain oils which will hinder the glue from holding the pieces together, I haven't glued any myself, but I have heard that wiping them with acetone just prior to gluing will help.

For any glue joint to work, the two pieces must contact over their full face. This means both faces should be flat, either sanded or planed. Also, the glue has to be allowed to cure completely, I try to give it overnight. When clamping use moderate pressure to keep from sqeezing too much of the glue out of the joint, this can also cause failure of the joint.

[Ryan Baker]

Titebond original will do almost everything you could ever need to do with wood and glue. You shouldn't have any problem with it coming apart on the lathe. If you are gluing certain very oily exotics, you may have to clean the saurface oil off with something like acetone right before gluing in order to get a good bond. Usually, a fresh-cut surface will be good enough to glue on oily wood too, but it depends on the piece. Make sure you are giving it plenty of time to set-up fully.

[Dave Ogren]

Tom,

Maybe I should expand on that thought. Malcom seemed to stress that the joints should be perfect. I am not sure just for looks, or the bonding action . He stressed either a great saw or sanding every end. He is a member of this forum. Why don't you send him a PM. I have talked with him, and he is a very friendly easy to talk with type of guy, and I am sure he will answer all of your questions. Good Luck.

Dave

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Titebond original is my favorite.
Made a butcher block style cutting board, with TB II, which is supposed water proof. Just glue, no biscuits. No problems.
As everyone already said, sand flat and get 100% coverage. Clamp overnight. I also do what they call a "rub joint" or something like that, where you rub the joints against each other, and that presses most of the glue out, then clamp. Makes a mess, yes. Keep a damp rag handy.

[Roger Wilson]

Note that Titebond I and II dry to a lighter color and Titebond III dries to a darker color. I'd do a couple of test glues first to make sure the glue line color doesn't conflict with your wood colors.

[Malcolm Tibbetts]

Tom, you've received some good advice. It's true that I use Titebond Original for most of my gluing. Regarding oily exotics, the wood extratives can be a problem, but usually only if you let the freshly milled surfaces sit around for a while. I don't bother with acetone, I simply glue as soon as I can after cutting any exotics (I never wait more than an hour). This minimizes the time that extractives can migrate to the outside surface. I'm not sure about the darkness of Titebond II, but the III will definitely dry darker and be more visible between light colored woods.

[Tom Lewis]

Thanks everyone, I appreciate the information.

[Jim Kountz]

Tom,

I am not a glue up person, but last week end I went to a demonstration by Malcom Tibbetts, and he says that he uses Titebond, I believe he said, origional. I would say that Malcom is the man to believe.

Good luck and happy turning.

Dave

Yep yep and oh yeah I almost forgot. YEP!!

[Bruce McElhaney]

For oily exotics like Cocobolo and such, I use Excel Xpress, polyurethane glue. Michael Mode used it in his segmented class at Arrowmont. Excel Xpress is a clear gel glue that turns white when cured. It foams less than most Poly glues, and comes in a caulking gun tube.

Excel Xpress is probably overkill for most applications, but it is the best glue I've ever used, next to Epoxy. It will bond most anything. It's not easy to find and has a self life, but can be ordered on the web at http://www.excelglue.com/xpress.htm I have no connection with them accept being a happy customer.

[Dean Thomas]

I've also used Titebond's dark wood glue when working with all dark chunks. I'd be curious about Malcolm's take on that product. It seems to make for less visible lines on dark to dark glue-ups. I've not used it for long enough to give reports on the years needed to wait before separations occur.

I do feel as though the use of epoxy is a crap shoot. Great quality epoxy used near or at the end of its shelf life can be disastrous. I have had epoxies yellow dramatically and go from nearly invisible clear lines between chunks of wood to suddenly brownish yellow lines between chunks of still very light maple. NOT complementary at all. If I'd wanted lines like that I would have added walnut veneer! :o