cold glue

[Harry Goodwin]

It's been colder than usual and an old problem rises. What glue do you use in cold temperatures. Most of the yellow and white glue formulations have temperture poblems. I have been storing one bottle of titebond type in the house and doing the small work there but their are limits. Any suggestions for a brand to use in cold shop. Harry

[Peter Quinn]

Best I've found is titebond III that will handle 50-55 degrees. Most others require 65-70. Maybe polyurethane glues go a bit lower? They make cold cure epoxy but that gets pricey and difficult to clean, so at that point I'm out until warm weather. My basement shop hovers around 50 degrees and titebond III works well there. The open time is longer to boot at those temperatures!

[Bill Orbine]

That's a tough problem with the colder weather. The glue is not the only temperature issue, but the lumber and substrates needs to be up to at least minimum temperature as well. I believe that's a common problem so many people overlook and yet they often blame the failure on the product if the glue had or hadn't been tested in proper enviromental setting. I think for woodworking you should at least build your projects in closer to room enviroment for more reasons than establishing a good glue bond in woodworking. In other words, the lumber is also affected somewhat (moisture content, expansion/shrinkage, warp, etc.) and can affect the finished product.

[Curt Harms]

Thrift store electric blanket?

[Andrew Schlosser]

You could also use a small cabinet (wood, plastic, etc) and mount an on-all-the-time incandescent light bulb in there. My sister did that with their iguana lizard to keep him warm.

Or bring the glue into the house when you're not out there.

But neither of these solutions keep the wood and tools warm.

My shop is regularly around 55-60 deg and I haven't had any issues yet.

[Andrew Joiner]

You could also use a small cabinet (wood, plastic, etc) and mount an on-all-the-time incandescent light bulb in there.

.
I do the same thing on a larger scale and I get radiant heat and light for the same dollar.
I have 250watt clear (not red)heat lamps above my benches. It is all the heat I need in Oregon's mild winters.

Tightbond extend glue is good down to 40F by factory specs. I test my glue regularly and extend is the best PVA glue for shelf life, low temps,sandability, and open time.

[Wayne Cannon]

Plywood box + Styrofoam + light-bulb + thermostat = easy, controlled, warm temperature to keep epoxy from crystallizing

.. but would work well for other glues and finishing products, as well.

[Jim Heffner]

Here is another idea on the cold glue problem I use. I bought one of those small coffee cup
warmers from a thrift store for a dollar that heats well. I took a small metal can ( vegetable or soup can) that my glue bottle would fit into, put in some water plugged it in and in a few minutes had some warm glue to work with....just as good as working in warm weather!

[Bob Riefer]

Nice idea Jim, that idea could act as a replacement for the kitchen stove / double boiler for other liquids too (such as warming up linseed oil).

[Andrew Joiner]

Here is another idea on the cold glue problem I use. I bought one of those small coffee cup
warmers from a thrift store for a dollar that heats well. I took a small metal can ( vegetable or soup can) that my glue bottle would fit into, put in some water plugged it in and in a few minutes had some warm glue to work with....just as good as working in warm weather!

I'd test this in the actual temperature and conditions your working in. The glue makers say you have to maintain the temperature of the glue AND the wood until the glue is dry.
The Franklin tech dept says the longer you keep it warm the better,but I pay the heat bills. With Titebond extend I keep the wood and the glue above 40F for several hours and tested samples break the wood not the glue line.