Low Temperature Glues?

[Jim Dannels]

With Winter not far off and predictions of heating costs skyrocketing.
My garage shop will probably be heated only when I`m out there.
It may be difficult to keep temperatures above the 50 degrees that is needed for conventional glues to work properly. So I`m looking for alternatives.
Over 30yrs ago in highschool we used hide glue that has been around for centuries. I have`nt used it since and really know little about its working properties.
Is this an alternative or do you have other options?

[Jamie Buxton]

It may be difficult to keep temperatures above the 50 degrees that is needed for conventional glues to work properly.

I know of temperature restrictions on a few woodworking glues -- for instance urea-formaldehyde -- but not for the most common wood glue, PVA. PVA gets harder to spread at lower temperatures, but I've never seen it fail to cure.

[Larry Reimer]

Jim, from what I understand about PVA glues, they will withstand a freeze\thaw cycle or two. They might be a choice for cold weather use. Plastic resin glue shouldn't be used below 65 degrees per instructions. Hide glue has a water component and thus would surely freeze. If you use a "hot" pot and keep the shop above freezing I'd sure not be afraid to try hide glue. An epoxy might be an alternative, it sets a lot slower in cold, but I don't think it affects it's strength.

[Tim Sproul]

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=20013&cat=1,110,42965&ap=1


cold cure epoxy from Lee Valley.

I've successfully glued-up with PVA down to 50 degrees. But I leave the clamps on for 24+ hours. When warm in the shop (80+), I can take the clamps off of a PVA glue up in 30 minutes.

[Bob Johnson2]

Fast hardner for Epoxy works down to about 40, it'll take most of a day to cure though, a few days to cure completely. It'll mix easier if you can warm the resin/hardner in the house before use. I usually leave the cans sitting on a space heater for a bit first

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

I know of temperature restrictions on a few woodworking glues -- for instance urea-formaldehyde -- but not for the most common wood glue, PVA. PVA gets harder to spread at lower temperatures, but I've never seen it fail to cure.

PVA most definitely has a low-temp problem. Check the bottle, and believe what they tell you...else you could come out the next day and find a chalky mess instead of the familair yellowish squeezout. Another reason I quit using it (creep being the primary).

I usually run the heat in the shop during the cool months, but this year I'm gonna get an elctric blanket and try that on a few glueups and see if I can save a buck or a hundred.

If there's a concern about freeze/thaw of the glue itself, just take it in the house with you when you're done.

KC

[Jim Dannels]

Well I think it`s time for some experimenting.

I have used the yellow glue, for many years now(1984), without exception.
Thats kind of a funny story. Was repairing a porch for a lady.
Put plywood up on the ceiling and propped it in place with a 2X4 t-bar.
Squeeze out stuck to the t-bar and when I pulled it down it tore a hole in the plywood. After some headscratching, I convinced the owner that was the perfect place to mount a recessed light.

And like you say Kirk, I always take my glue in the house in winter.
I think the electric blanket idea is a good one, I`ll use it.

I also am intrigued with the Hide glue and the idea I can mix only what I need for a given project. So will be trying that as well.

Epoxys, I also have not used, so maybe that will be in the future.

[Steve Evans]

Out of the Titebond family of PVA glues, Titebond III has the lowest chalk point. I can't remember off hand what it it, but it's about 5deg C lower than Titebond II.

Steve