Unibond 800 - what catalyst color?

[Jeff Ranck]

I am making a bed and need to make posts (4.5"x2.5") by gluing up thinner boards. I'm not sure whether I need to worry about glue creep if I used my old standby tightbond. So I was thinking I may use unibond 800. However, having never used it, I was wondering what catalyst I should use for walnut.

[Brad Shipton]

What are your lamination thicknesses? I had a similar concern when I built my stair stringers from 1.5" thick laminations and I was generally told that creep wouldnt be an issue and PVA would be fine. They were correct.

If you do want to use uni-bond, many have used the medium or dark and were pleased with the result. I usually use the medium, but I dont work with a walnut usually. One downside of uni-bond is that it is not a particularily good gapping adhesive, so if you have any lamination problems you could end up with a few areas of less than ideal bond. West epoxy might be better if you need any gapping abilities.

Good luck.

[Jeff Ranck]

I guess I should have talked about the thickness of the laminations. They are between 3/4" and 7/8", depending on the part.

If I could use PVA, that would be helpful since I am familiar with how it works. I worry about using a new glue on an important project for the first time. Much better to use it on a workbench or something that can have a few mistakes. :)

[Jamie Buxton]

I use their neutral catalyst for everything. Glue lines are supposed to be so thin that their color doesn't matter.