Does Cedar need special glue?

[Harlan Barnhart]

I experienced a joint failure in a cedar panel. The joint was well made, clamped and glued with liquid hide glue (Patricks old brown glue) but when it fell from bench level it split quite easily in the glue line with out taking pieces of the soft cedar. Suggestions? Epoxy? PVA?

Peace,
Harlan

[Paul Ryan]

I've made about a dozen toy boxes with western red cedar and have always used either yellow glue or gorllia WOOD glue and have never had a glue joint failure.

[Rob Young]

How long had you given the joint to set?

[Larry Marshall]

I experienced a joint failure in a cedar panel. The joint was well made, clamped and glued with liquid hide glue (Patricks old brown glue) but when it fell from bench level it split quite easily in the glue line with out taking pieces of the soft cedar. Suggestions? Epoxy? PVA?

Harlan, I don't mean to insult but I wonder how much experience you have with hide glue. If you're coming from modern glues where you have to clamp them for several hours you might feel that when you feel a joint not moving that it's "set up." This is not true for hide glue. Because its sticky it will hold things in place. Because of its nature, it will take an initial set fairly quickly. but to gain its strength you need to wait overnight before you start dropping joinery from your bench top :-)

You didn't mention what kind of joint you were making. If you're gluing end grain cedar, there is very little that will provide a strong joint. Just a thought.


Cheers --- Larry

[Jamie Buxton]

I believe that liquid hide glues have a shelf life, unlike man-made glues like PVA.

...yep... http://www.oldbrownglue.com/ lower right corner

[Gary Max]

If the wood is wet or full of sap---- you aint going to get glue to stick for long.

[george wilson]

Check the expiration date on the bottle. Hide glue has been used for thousands of years on all kinds of wood and other stuff.

[Harlan Barnhart]

The joint was a long grain on long grain and it was well cured, at least 24 hours maybe more. BUT after looking at my glue, I see the expiration date is rubbed off. I bought it about a year ago and the website recommends a six month shelf life.

[Stephen Shepherd]

You can extend the shelf life of liquid hide glue by storing it in a refrigerator. You will have to warm it up for use.

To test for freshness, put a little between thumb and index finger and touch the fingers together repeatedly, stringing, cottoning or legging will appear, little gossamer strands of glue indicate it is fresh. No stringing, thin it out and put it on your garden or use it for a crackle paint finish.

If you roughen up the joint with a toothing plane or rasp it will increase the holding ability of the glue from 5 to 30%.

Stephen

[David Woodruff]

Unless you are into doing things the old way, nothing wrong with that, use a good modern glue. I non expanding urethane will stick to about anything. If the glue joint fails then something is wrong with the glue.

Good luck