Gluing Problem

[chris kelly]

I am trying to glue up some flat panel cabinet doors with a mitered frame and biscuits to support the miter joints. . It seems like just as quick as I apply glue to all the parts and start clamping the glue has started to set. The glue has become so stiff I can’t get the parts to lined up. It is not taking me more than 1.5 to 2.0 minutes to apply the glue. The glue I’m using is Titebond original wood glue. Is there another glue that I should be using? I hope everyone can understand what I’m asking. I’m at my wit’s end on this project.

[Mark Singer]

You probably have a bad batch...I would get some Tite Bond 3 .....there are longer settting glues , but that should work

[Doug Shepard]

I tend to use mostly the Titebond II Extend just for the extra 5 mins or so of open time. But still, I'd have to suspect some bad glue there too if it's setting up after 2 minutes. Just curious - what's the ambient temp where you're gluing up? Also, are you sure it's the glue actually setting up that's stopping things from going together and not the biscuits? Sometimes those can swell up pretty quickly and make assembly tough especially if they were tight in the slot to start with. I tend to plunge twice just to give them a bit more wiggle room.

[Mike Vermeil]

Ditto on what Chris says. Biscuited miter joints can be a real pain to glue up due to the biscuits swelling so quickly. When gluing up flat panels with biscuits, the same thing often happens but you can almost always overcome the sticking with the force of the clamps. On a miter however, it's very difficult to apply that much clamping force, as the joint tends to slip too far in one direction as you're tighting up the clamps one by one.

I'd suggest:

1) Switch to a plastic resin glue - the biscuits will swell very little if at all, or
2) Drop the biscuits and reinforce the miter joints with a spline after they're glued up.

[lou sansone]

I agree with others, use an extended open time glue like tightbond 2 extend or tightbond 3. Can you reduce the amount of pieces in one glue up? that might help as well.

lou

[Alan Tolchinsky]

It has a longer open time and is supposed to be the same as yellow glue for woodworking.

[chris kelly]

Thanks for the help everybody. Mark after you replied I hit the road for the Depot. Got some T.B. III and was on my way. Soon as I got back I started gluing. That is what I needed or maybe I bid have a bad batch. The pieces fit pretty well. I have never done a mitered door and panel before and man your cuts have to be precise. Thanks once again.