What's Your Favorite Glue?

[Scott Hildenbrand]

Since someone brought up glue, it got me to thinking. What is your favorite [most] glue to use?

Mind you, not for those specialty things that pop up. Just your every day "glue that tenon, build those drawers" type glue.

I've got a bottle of Titebond III that I'd all but drank. So far no complaints about it. Though think I'm dropping to II.. Just got the III to do some outside stuff and then just kept using it. :p

[Myk Rian]

Titebond III

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Titebond III usually, II if I want the lighter viscosity.

[Dave Lehnert]

I use Elmer's.

[David Christopher]

titebond II

[Richard M. Wolfe]

Original Titebond. Never had a glueup failure. I made a small rectangular shadowbox that I decided I didn't want and put it outside to check the glue endurance. Only glue holding it together and the joints in the corners were about 3/4" wide and about three inches long. It lasted ouside in the elements (hung on a tower and then a fence) for at least seven years before I found it in pieces. Well, I guess you could call that a glue failure...:rolleyes:

[Jamie Buxton]

For most things, good 'ol PVA -- Titebond original or Elmers carpenter glue -- whichever is less expensive when I need a gallon. For bent lamination, Unibond 800, a urea-formaldehyde. For odd things like wood-to-metal, epoxy --- System Three.

[Paul Ryan]

Gorilla WOOD glue, not the poly glue. It has the strength of titebond III in my unoffical tests, and dries clear. The drying clear is the reason I use it. Because when you assemble somethings after staining. In those hard to reach places you end up some squeeze out you cant get all of the glue out. Once it dries you cant see it. That is not the case will the yellow glues and the brown one. I will use titebond III when I need a longer open time but that is it. And the gorilla sets up about 2 times faster than most of the yellow glues, about the same set time as elmer's pro bond, my past favorite. I like the fast set times because I can get back to work quicker. I have run panels through a wide belt that have only been in the clamps for 30 minutes on a warm day. You could never do that with titebond III.

[Mac McQuinn]

I like the Titebond 3 product, very tenacious grip and easy for me to work with.

Mac

[Joe Jensen]

Elmers or Titebond, whichever gallon is cheapest when I buy. I've never had a failure

[Matt Armstrong]

Elmers or Titebond, whichever gallon is cheapest when I buy. I've never had a failure

I do not like Titebond III. I prefer Titebond II by a large margin

[Joe Jensen]

I do not like Titebond III. I prefer Titebond II by a large margin

I don't think I;ve ever tried TB3, is there just a titebond?

[Rick Fisher]

Usually Lepages..

Bought Tite bond this last time.. dont like the bottle as much as the lepages bottle..

Lepages next time..

I am more interested in the bottle and application end.. Yellow glue all works..

[Brian Penning]

Used to be Titebond III but I found I was getting too much glue creep with it.
Have gone back to Lee Valley's Cabinetmakers Glue.

[Greg Hawthorne]

Kleiberit 303

[mickey cassiba]

I'm using TB II, mostly because I get all I want at work. We sell 1 pint squeeze bottles, that are filled from 1 gallon jugs. When I noticed that the jugs were being tossed with 1/4-1/2 inch remaining, I asked and was told to take all I wanted. I now have several pints stored in a cool, dry (under the moble home) place.
Can anyone tell me the practical shelf life in a sealed container. I have read the mfr's spec sheet, but I suspect it was written by the marketing department.
Mickey

[Cody Colston]

TBIII because of the slightly longer open time over TB Original and TBII.

[Cliff Stannebein]

I use hide glue with the hot pot or out of the bottle.
This elliminates most all stain problems and it can be dissasembled.
Tests have shown it is as strong or stronger than most other glues.
It is very GREEN. (from organic waste) And you can eat it. It's very high in protein.

[Darrin Davis]

I just got a couple of gallons of titebond & titebond 2 and it seems to be thinner than the last time I purchased some. No complaints, I love the way is spreads quickly. Has anyone else noticed this?

[Rod Sheridan]

Lee Valley Cabinet makers glue.............Rod.

[John Thompson]

TB III for open time and color of dry.. TB II for smaller projects where open time is not as critical and I want a clear fill.

[george wilson]

Cliff,I sometimes eat out of the glue pot,but pulled out 3 fillings from not chewing fast enough!:)

Actually,the harp makers of Wurlitzer used (use?) Knox gelatin as a glue.It is a refined hide glue used in making desserts. They actually would use some to make a dessert after lunch.

They work with maple a lot,and that refined,clear glue makes the most invisible joints on those harps. It must be extremely strong,as a harp is under great tension.

[Tom Esh]

I've had a few creep issues with TBIII, so now I use it only when I really need it's extra water resistance or tolerance of lower temps while curing. I was using TBII for everything else ...until I tried TB Extend. I love the extra open / assembly time and the fact it doesn't try to put a death grip on the work before I can get the clamps on. Makes glue-ups so much less stressful.

[Bill Spievak]

I use the Lee Valley 2002 for work that will be painted. If it is stain grade or something that may have to be repaired or something that must not creep, I go to hot hide glue in the pot. I use 3 different grades, depending upon requirements. For most work it is the 192gs, I use 251gs with urea for laminations that require time, and 315gs for rub joints and joints that will be under high stress.

[Matt Jackering]

We have had great results with and use exclusively Titebond on our projects.

We also have an online store and have recently become an authorized Titebond dealer.

You can find all our TB products at http://www.woodworkingparts.com (http://www.woodworkingparts.com/)

We event have a discount code for you to take advantage of.
Coupon Code: AOV2YNAD24R5
Discount Amount 10%
Minimum Purchase: $0
Can be used 2 times
Coupon applies to All Categories
Expires 10/17/09

Be sure to sign up for our newsletter for future discounts.

[Jamie Buxton]

I just got a couple of gallons of titebond & titebond 2 and it seems to be thinner than the last time I purchased some. No complaints, I love the way is spreads quickly. Has anyone else noticed this?

Yes, a new jug can flow more easily than the end of a gallon jug. I attribute this to water loss in the old glue. If you want, you can thin the old PVA by adding a little water to the jug and shaking hard.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I use Titebond a lot
I don't use III unless I have an out of doors or waterproof/resistant application. I don't like the color and I don't like the way it never really gets hard. The latter seems to always cause the glue line to become apparent.

I use Epoxies a lot too. There are applications where nothing else will do and others where it's just plain stupid to use 'em.

I use resorcinol glue in some applications.

I use WeldWood in many applications ( never the water soluable crap)

I use spray on 3-m adhesive occasionally.

I use hide glue on guitar fretboards
(I understand that Fish Glue is really strong)

And on occasion I have even used vegetable protein glues like buckwheat or rice.

[Sean Nagle]

Tightbond Original by the gallon.

[Art Mulder]

Lee Valley Cabinet makers glue.............Rod.

Yeah, I use 2002GF from Lee Valley a fair bit. I've never had any complaints. Doesn't seem to get noticed much on the forums though. I wonder if they mostly sell it in Canada from their stores, vs in the US?

I also use Titebond II. Works fine also. Can't say I've found one to be much better than the other in my hobby shop.

...art

[Rob Young]

Lately I've been experimenting with using TB liquid hide glue and so far it is my favorite for small boxes and furniture carcass work. Obviously not appropriate for things like cutting boards or outdoor furniture.

People like to bag on the strength of the hide glues and the TB liquid in particular but so far it has held up and in some simple (and admittedly non-scientific) tests I did to prove to myself its strength. Simple tests like glue up a panel, wait 24 hours then try and snap the panel along the glue line, or make a stub-tennon joint and step down on the angle to break it. Wood (red & white oaks, soft maple and poplar samples) gave out first. But of course what I don't have is long term data.

And really liking the minimal impact of hide glue on finishing! Nice to be able to wipe up squeeze out with a damp rag and not worry obsessively about the glue blocking finish. Saves a step over popping PVA glue beads later. I'm sure I'll eventually find some situation where the finish is buggered by this but so far, so good on simple oil based finishes.

[Chris Tsutsui]

My TB3 turned really watery after a couple months.

I'm going to stick to TB original. If I need a more water proof glue I will try a different brand next.

Or I'll even use elmers. :D

[Scott Hildenbrand]

TB liquid hide glue

I was looking at that a bit ago and wondering what the heck they meant by "unique crackling effect on wood" on their website description??

[Rob Young]

I was looking at that a bit ago and wondering what the heck they meant by "unique crackling effect on wood" on their website description??

You can used as an undercoat to latex (and probably milk paint) to get that cracked, fakey-antique look. You can also do something similar on glass.

[Scott Hildenbrand]

Oh.. Well... Just the effect I can not stand... Thanks for the warning.. :D

[Michael Schwartz]

Tight-bond II for about 95% of stuff
Tight-bond III for applications like cutting boards (waterproof)

[Kent A Bathurst]

I don't think I;ve ever tried TB3, is there just a titebond?

TBII and TBIII have a longer open time than original TB, IIRC, which I jumped at, back when I was starting out. I use either TBII or TBIII - no issue with either, and no real preference.

[Kent A Bathurst]

I am more interested in the bottle and application end...

I got a bunch of 8oz squeeze bottles from Rockler, and use them all the time - DA, shellac, min spirits, etc., and TB glue - big improvement over the standard TB dispenser/cap.

[Dan Lee]

Depending on application
TB2 - indoor
TB3 - indoor or out door and if I want the darker color
West Sytems Epoxy - certian laminations for rigidity
Better Bond or Uni Bond 800 for vacuum pressing

[Phil Thien]

For inside projects, good old regular Elmer's white glue, the kind your kids use for school projects.

[Dave Lehnert]

For inside projects, good old regular Elmer's white glue, the kind your kids use for school projects.

I use Elmer's white glue all the time but one should use the Elmer's glue-all and not the school glue.


http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:Q0M6jVmnw7ni0M:http://s2.thisnext.com/media/230x230/Elmers-Glue-All-Glue_D9B4A6BF.jpghttp://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:NUnS_8rfgOKsiM:http://image.orientaltrading.com/otcimg/57_5001.jpg

[Phil Thien]

I use Elmer's white glue all the time but one should use the Elmer's glue-all and not the school glue.


http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:Q0M6jVmnw7ni0M:http://s2.thisnext.com/media/230x230/Elmers-Glue-All-Glue_D9B4A6BF.jpghttp://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:NUnS_8rfgOKsiM:http://image.orientaltrading.com/otcimg/57_5001.jpg

Yep, that's what I use (Glue-All). I guess I forgot that they had the wash-it-out stuff now. When I was growing up I think all we had was one type of white glue.

[Steve Clardy]

Tightbond Original by the gallon.


Ditto. Thats all I've ever used.

Tried some II a few years back and had some door panels come apart while surfacing them after glueup. That gallon went to the trash can. Never did figure out why the joints let loose.

[Keith Christopher]

I have TB II and TBIII

I use TB II the most.

I have gorilla poly glue I use for oily exotics and 'wet' applications.

[Martin Shupe]

Old Brown Glue

Hide glue in a bottle.

[Larry Edgerton]

West System
Kangaroo glue
Resorcinol
Titebond II

For recreation I prefer airplane glue. Just kidding!;)

[Richard Jones]

TBII for most applications, TBIII for those that need for more open time, like cutting boards or any multi-piece glue up. The waterproof gene in the TBIII is just an added benefit.

I've never had anything fail with this, provided I did my prep job properly and the wood was stable.

I found an small squeeze bottle of Elmer's Carpenter's yellow some time back, didn't even have a top on it, just the original slit. Must have been leftover from when I was working at the last cabinet shop job I had, which wasn't yesterday, something like 20 years. Other then being maybe just a bit thicker, and I mean only a bit, it seemed fine. Maybe I'll try it on some scrap to see about shelf life. I do know that the TBII and TBIII seem to last forever, well, a long time.

Good thread, always interesting to hear how others do everyday tasks. We see so much about how-to's on exotic stuff, we tend to forget that most of what we do, while important, is usually mundane............


Now epoxy or CA, now that's a whole 'nudder thread............

Rich

[Brian Ashton]

My all time favorite has been UF109 with the acid catalyst. Working time is forever. Role on UF109 on one side and role on the acid catalyst (with another roller of course) and they only go off when put together. Clamp time is significantly reduced with heat. Though not considered water proof (even epoxy isn't) it can handle the vast majority of wet conditions. Not a food safe glue thought as it off gases urea formaldehyde.

Only problem is getting the acid catalyst. When you find a supply you buy lots.

[Rob Young]

Oh.. Well... Just the effect I can not stand... Thanks for the warning.. :D

Ha! We're here to help.

The effect on glass is somewhat more interesting than the fakey-antique paint look (for that sort of stuff, the word "hokey" was invented). Might be ok on some small accent panes but probably not suitable for large surfaces.

[M. Dale Rockett]

Lee Valley 2002 GF

[Scott Hildenbrand]

Ha! We're here to help.

The effect on glass is somewhat more interesting than the fakey-antique paint look (for that sort of stuff, the word "hokey" was invented). Might be ok on some small accent panes but probably not suitable for large surfaces.


Reminds me of the stained glass look we did on the side windows of our old house.. Did it with silicon caulk. LOOKED great! So long as you didn't touch it, people were clueless. ;)

[Scott Perkins47]

A few years ago I had need for engineering analysis of different
glue joints ( building man carrying airplanes ) and via some testing
at a university and the USDA Forrest Products Labs we had
the Titebond guys confirm that the bond and shear strengths of
their different glues and what I found was that ultimate
strength is traded for open time and water proofness.
I am surprised The Gorilla claims didnt get them sued out
of business. Their moisture cure poly glue is really a foam
glue and weak is heck. Ultimately some Epoxy glues are the very
strongest today that are easily available although resourcinal formaldehyde
glues from the 1940s are still the strongest water proof glues
ever made. Still the only glues allowed in "certified by FAA" wooden
aircraft.