Cutting Board glue-up fail

[Marty Tippin]

I'm working on an end-grain cutting board. Not sure what happened, but twice in the last two days when I've tried to glue up the long edge-grain strips, the glue joint has failed between a walnut piece and the next piece (maple or white oak). There seemed to be plenty of glue squeeze out when I clamped the pieces together, but when I started cross-cutting the first glue up to make strips for the end-grain glue up, the strip broke always at a walnut joint.

After the first failure, I started over, milling new strips for the entire cutting board, glued up the strips and again the joint failed when I started cross-cutting.

I don't think it's my milling technique - the ash, white oak and cherry strips all glued together just fine, but not the walnut.

Is there something magical about walnut that makes it harder to glue up than other woods?

[Brian Holcombe]

How thick is this cutting board?

[Marty Tippin]

The initial strips were 1-1/8" thick. Final thickness for the end grain strips was to be about 1-1/4".

[eugene thomas]

Might want to post some pics?

[Barry Richardson]

Walnut is a good gluing wood, shouldn't fail. Are you using yellow glue?

[scott vroom]

How long are you allowing for the glue to set before cutting?

[Larry Copas]

I've made a lot of end grain cutting boards. I use Titebond 3 because I feel it gives a bit more open time. A lot of work before it gets clamped. Are you running out time?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v12/5tucker/boards/f30.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/5tucker/media/boards/f30.jpg.html)

[Craig Behnke]

a long shot here, but is it "roasted" walnut? I've tried to glue that stuff before and the joint failed completely. after the fail, I researched it and i've read comments that it doesn't hold glue well. a long shot, but ya never know.

[Bill Orbine]

a long shot here, but is it "roasted" walnut? I've tried to glue that stuff before and the joint failed completely. after the fail, I researched it and i've read comments that it doesn't hold glue well. a long shot, but ya never know.

Interesting!!!.... I googled this up. As it goes the "roasted walnut" really isn't walnut at all but may be maple or some other wood that share similar grain characteristics as walnut. If that's quite true, then we'd be missing that familiar and distinctive aromatic odor when we cut walnut, wouldn't we?

[Marty Tippin]

Maybe I need to let the glue cure longer, I waited about 30 minutes or so. Using titebond iii.

I'll check next time to be sure my pieces are all milled perfectly square - maybe I was off by a little on the walnut.

Thanks for all the replies. Seeing Larry's example gives me hope!

[Mark Kornell]

From Titebond's web site:



What is the clamping and drying time of Titebond Wood Glues?

For most of our wood glues, we recommend clamping an unstressed joint for thirty minutes to an hour. Stressed joints need to be clamped for 24 hours. We recommend not stressing the new joint for at least 24 hours...


30 minutes from glue-up to cutting just isn't enough. You probably don't need to change anything about your milling and glueing techniques. Just wait overnight before you cut into the glued-up boards.

[Erik Christensen]

from the manufacturer's website - "We recommend not stressing the new joint for at least 24 hours" - give your glueup at least 24 hours before cutting - I doubt that you are doing anything else wrong but being in a hurry :)

[Prashun Patel]

Dumb question alert: Are you gluing walnut face grain or freshly milled edge grain? Is it possible that there's some surface contamination on the walnut that's preventing a glue bond? I've seen people here have trouble finishing walnut for this reason.

[johnny means]

Ding, ding, ding. Think you solved your own problem. TIitebond III is barely past its open time in 30 minutes. Patience.

[Mark Bolton]

I've made a lot of end grain cutting boards. I use Titebond 3 because I feel it gives a bit more open time. A lot of work before it gets clamped. Are you running out time?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v12/5tucker/boards/f30.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/5tucker/media/boards/f30.jpg.html)

Hey Larry,
It catches my eye that many of the segments in the board are different of course assuming sap and heart wood? Whats the lighter two species in the board? Im not going to lie and say that I dont find the disruption in the symmetry confusing but knowing that its sap/heart makes it a little more acceptable... Interesting.

[Myk Rian]

How long are you allowing for the glue to set before cutting?
Glue is wet, so it introduces moisture into the wood. That creates stresses, as you found out.
Let it dry out longer while it is clamped.

[Bill McNiel]

+1 on johnny's observation. Absolutely! Try letting it set for 24hrs and see what happens.

[Marty Tippin]

It's probably related, but I glued up the end-grain strips I could salvage, also letting them set up for about 45 minutes or so before unclamping and sanding flat with the drum sander. I found that the cutting board warped significantly - like over 1/16" in 12" - by the next morning. I assume that's from the moisture in the glue and/or from the heat of the drum sander.

Sounds like a longer drying time is what I need... I'll try again and report back with my results.

Thanks again to all who've replied!

[Bill Huber]

It's probably related, but I glued up the end-grain strips I could salvage, also letting them set up for about 45 minutes or so before unclamping and sanding flat with the drum sander. I found that the cutting board warped significantly - like over 1/16" in 12" - by the next morning. I assume that's from the moisture in the glue and/or from the heat of the drum sander.

Sounds like a longer drying time is what I need... I'll try again and report back with my results.

Thanks again to all who've replied!

I have made a bunch of end grain boards, I have never used walnut, just purple heart and maple.
I clamp the boards and let them set for about 3 hours then take the clamps off.
Scrap the glue and then sand them in the drum sander just to get the glue off.
Then I let them set until the next day before I do the finial sanding in the drum sander.

NEVER lay them flat, always put them on their edge before you finish them. If you lay them flat they will bow like made.

[Pat Barry]

NEVER lay them flat, always put them on their edge before you finish them. If you lay them flat they will bow like made.

This is good advice - I hope I can remember it for the next time I do an edge grain exposed lamination.

[glenn bradley]

Bingo! 24 hours for s full cure before stressing a joint. 30 minutes is long enough for "handling". That is, removing clamps to use them on the next assembly or relocating the piece to clear the bench but, that's about it in my book ;-)

I am in the camp that has not had failures with walnut at TB-III.

[Chris Padilla]

Remember, adding glue to wood also adds moisture. Adding moisture causes swelling. It is usually best to leave glue ups alone for 24 hours for two reasons:
(1) Full cure/strength and (2) So the added moisture dissipates. Sanding too soon after gluing can lead to depressions in the wood or non-flat surfaces.