How To Refresh Tite Bond Glue?

[Derek Arita]

So a few years back, I bought a gallon of Tite Bond Glue. I'm about half way down now and the glue is getting almost too thick to poor. Is there a recommended way to refresh what I've got left or should I toss the whole thing?

[Robin Dobbie]

The manufacturer says you can add 5% of water to it without too much ill effect. That said, the strength may still be compromised. Obviously do a strength test before using it on a project of any importance. After you add the water, put it in the fridge. Use it as quick as you can. I believe the manufacturer and others state that the shelf life is a year. While that isn't true, it certainly doesn't last forever.

[Van Huskey]

Personally, I would toss it. Compared to the time and effort I spend on a project fresh glue is really cheap.

[Mel Fulks]

Good solid comments. But the glue is only cheap in quantity. Five percent makes a very thin glue ,but 4 or 5 percent water has a good place in laminating. I would thin in a little and use it. I strain it into another container,and toss the old one.

[Wayne Lomman]

Time to get rid of it and buy a new lot. It's way past the shelf life and won't perform in the long term. Cheers

[Andrew Hughes]

Don’t throw it out save it for non critical things like a one time fixture or jig. Go add water I do it for laminated glue ups thinner glue spreads faster with a roller.
Ive tested many times and the bond is good and glue lines are smaller. :)

[Derek Arita]

Ya...I think I won’t buy gallons anymore, for sure.

[Doug Garson]

Ya...I think I won’t buy gallons anymore, for sure.
Or find someone to share it with.

[Jim Becker]

Ya...I think I won’t buy gallons anymore, for sure.
I did that....once.... ;) :) :D

Seriously, I'd only buy a gallon if I had a major project that I knew it was going to get used up on. I'd rather pay a little more for the 16oz bottles because I know it will always be fresh with my general usage rate.

[Clint Baxter]

I did that....once.... ;) :) :D

Seriously, I'd only buy a gallon if I had a major project that I knew it was going to get used up on. I'd rather pay a little more for the 16oz bottles because I know it will always be fresh with my general usage rate.

+1 Smaller bottles mean you'll have fresh stuff when you need it.

Clint

[Derek Arita]

Would storing the bottle upside-down help preserve it? Don't ask me why it would, but I've heard this before.

[Dave Sabo]

Don't the bottles say the shelf life is 24 months ?

I know it's listed as such in the properties sheet.

[Roy Petersen]

Would storing the bottle upside-down help preserve it? Don't ask me why it would, but I've heard this before.
Probably not, as it would have just as much air inside a partially used bottle on top as on bottom flipped over. In addition, while not porous enough to leak glue, the plastic bottles not totally air tight and will "seep" a bit of air in/out over time, albeit small amounts.
I use a few gallons of Titebond 2 per year, and it will last fine overwinter if kept from freezing and reasonably airtight. I've even had some that got frozen that thawed and worked fine, but nothing I'm doing with it is "fine" woodworking. 2 years is pushing it.
Your own mileage may vary. :)

[Larry Anderson]

Ya...I think I won’t buy gallons anymore, for sure.

That was my thought

[Martin Wasner]

Is there a recommended way to refresh what I've got left or should I toss the whole thing?

Dumpster. Glue is cheap

[Zachary Hoyt]

I buy in gallons, once or twice a year. I've not had any around long enough to get thick but I wouldn't try to use it once it has.
Zach

[Jim Andrew]

I buy gallons of glue, and while the only that has failed was some Titebond 2 that was allowed to freeze, have had no problems with Titebond original.

[Mike Cutler]

Derek

It cost me a lot more, per usage, but I buy Titebond in small quantities now. I just don't do enough glue ups with Titebond to have a gallon of it on hand. I wish I did though.
I almost always use epoxy, and while yes, it is much more expensive, epoxy doesn't "go bad". Worst I ever have to do is put the resin/hardener containers in a pot of hot water to liquify them again. Generally just the resin.

[Wayne Lomman]

Two things. Firstly, Titebond is a cross linking glue. Once past it's shelf life it has started to form the chemical bonds that don't reverse with adding water. Would you add water to half set concrete and expect it to still work? By all means use it for non critical stuff like temporary fixing but don't expect any proper service out of it.

Secondly, all polymer glues have a shelf life including epoxy. Information like this is found on product data sheets which should always be studied for every product used. Cheers

[Jon Grider]

I sometimes buy green wood at a local auction in small lots, usually less than 100 bf. Something I tried and it worked for me was coating the ends of the boards with old TB111 that was past it's useful life for bonding joints. Seals the ends up pretty well for air drying.

[Pete Staehling]

Ya...I think I won’t buy gallons anymore, for sure.
Maybe, but consider that it is enough cheaper per ounce when bought by the gallon to offset any waste when/if it goes bad.

Also consider buying a gallon and putting it all in smaller containers with little to no air inside. If you do that I bet you could use up the whole gallon before any went bad.

On the other hand it is easier to just buy quarts.

[Derek Arita]

Ya...just got tired of having to run out to HD, just to get a bottle of glue. It wasn't so much a cost issue as it was a time and trouble thing. I had a couple of projects that got me thru 1/2 the gallon bottle pretty quickly. Guess I'll go back to the smaller bottle.

[terry mccammon]

I am with Jon, I cut the cheapest white glue I can find with water and use it as a grain sealer. Also, I have taken "old" glue from folks and done the same. Seems to work very well. The advantage over anchor seal, leaving out cost is that if you spill it on the floor you don't have a super slick spot looking to give you a chance to lay on the floor.

[Andrew Hughes]

That another great use for old glue i haven’t thought if that.
Waste not want not.
I also take heed to what Wayne L says about thinning glue.Im going to do some more testing before I do it again.

[Frank Pratt]

I've only had a gallon go bad once & that was, ironically, Titebond Extend. I got it for my workbench project & about 3 years later the leftover had gone very thick so I tossed it. I always buy by the gallon. It will easily last a couple of years & even if you end up throwing half of it away it's still cheaper than getting it in the small bottles.

[Jim Becker]

Ya...just got tired of having to run out to HD, just to get a bottle of glue. It wasn't so much a cost issue as it was a time and trouble thing. I had a couple of projects that got me thru 1/2 the gallon bottle pretty quickly. Guess I'll go back to the smaller bottle.

What I do is keep two of the smaller bottles...one I'm using and one for when that runs out. Once the first is gone, I just get another when it's convenient. I keep a list of things that need to be picked up "when it's convenient" in the same application we use for grocery shopping and Costco shopping and... :)

[glenn bradley]

Would storing the bottle upside-down help preserve it? Don't ask me why it would, but I've heard this before.

What constitutes expensive varies with each of us. For the amount of money and effort I sink into a piece of furniture. $10 is not going to make me "cheap-out" on it.

One man hobby shops don't consume glue like a production shop, even a one man production shop :). I have moved to buying quarts as that is what I consume in a timely manner. Your timely consumption quantity will be different. The dollar or so that I spend by not buying a gallon is offset by the glue remaining viable to the last drop. I also know how much glue I have and pick up the next bottle when a sale and a lower glue level coincide.

As to storage, I may be a bad example as I live in a place where 80 degrees Fahrenheit is not hot and 45 degrees is "dang, its cold!!!". My humidity is also low by many standards. All that being said, my shop is insulated but, not temperature controlled.

I pour glue from the quart bottle into a large and a small Glu-Bot. I then squeeze the bottle to get most of the air out, close the lid and set it on a shelf. The balance of the glue will get used within a year at the most. This system has been working well for some time. I don't worry that the squeezed bottle will become distorted as I only use it to store the glue, not to dispense it.

[Van Huskey]

Lets put the money in perspective. I used Woodcraft to get some comparative numbers. One gallon of Titebond Original is $20 and pint bottle are $5 so by the pint a gallon is $40. So it is twice as much BUT just $20, and while $20 is $20 if you aren't using a gallon in a year (so that it goes bad) then we are talking about spreading the $20 over a year or two.

I just buy a pint before starting a new piece of furniture, its about $4 on Amazon and we get Amazon deliveries 2-4 times a week. I usually keep a couple of left over bottles for non-critical use and toss the oldest when I get a new one. Compared to the cost of wood glue is dirt cheap.

[David Wiper]

Buy a glue-bot, and keep the glue. It is air tight, and easy to use.

[Van Huskey]

Buy a glue-bot, and keep the glue. It is air tight, and easy to use.


You can cheat overall shelf life, its chemistry. The Gluebot isn't anymore airtight than the original container but they are indeed excellent glue containers and reduce the impact of any skin that develops since they "pour" from the bottom.

[Derek Arita]

Buy a glue-bot, and keep the glue. It is air tight, and easy to use.

Wow...bought a Glue Bot a couple of years ago. Used it for while, but recently I went to use it again and the glue had started to go bad in some places. I tried to clean it out, but with all the nooks and crannies, it was tough, so I think it's toast. I couldn't think of a good way to get it cleaned out well.

[Robin Dobbie]

All this talk about throw it away, it's garbage, crosslinking, the paperwork says it's bad... What I really want to see now is a strength test between a new bottle and the old garbage. If its joints are no longer stronger than the wood itself, then that's something to consider.

[David Utterback]

The biggest mistake that I have made as a woodworker (and there have been many, many other ones) was to grab a bottle of glue that I had had for no one knows how long to glue the edge joints of a dresser top that I completed a few years back. One of the 2 glue joints has failed. Being G&G style, the top has a breadboard end with plugs and expansion joint inserts so the only thing I can think of as a repair is replace the entire top. Could recycle some of the existing top at least.

I now place a date on each of my new glue bottles and never hesitate to throw them away after a year has passed.

[Wade Lippman]

Secondly, all polymer glues have a shelf life including epoxy. Information like this is found on product data sheets which should always be studied for every product used. Cheers


You are wrong about epoxy; well, West Systems anyhow.
I had some 8 year old epoxy and contacted them about the shelf life. They said it was good forever.
That was 7 years ago; I am still using it and it is still good. Dark brown, but still good. (I figure the dark brown will prevent UV damage.:rolleyes:)

[Rick Potter]

Listened to a talk a couple months ago by a Tite Bond rep. He said if it is getting stringy and thick, pitch it. As others have said, it is 'linking'.

[Wayne Lomman]

You are wrong about epoxy; well, West Systems anyhow.
I had some 8 year old epoxy and contacted them about the shelf life. They said it was good forever.
That was 7 years ago; I am still using it and it is still good. Dark brown, but still good. (I figure the dark brown will prevent UV damage.:rolleyes:)
Sorry but this is incorrect. All epoxies have a shelf life beyond which the manufacturer will not guarantee the results. It is not forever. Sure, the user may get away with it but that's just what it is - getting away with it. I work with a wide range of epoxies every day of the week. All of them are shelf life limited. And no, the colour change won't help with UV stability. It's just a sign it has gone over. Cheers

[Justin Meyer]

I have a 20+ year old bottle of TB1 I unearthed a while ago... every year or so I add an ounce or two of water and massage the crosslinked mers back appart. Mind you, it's always been stored 60-80degF. I use it for non critical panel laminations, sizing, etc. Been a while, I should probably go check on it.

[Curt Harms]

I just tossed a bottle of System3 T-88. One of the two bottles - don't recall which one - was fine if a little thick. The other bottle seemed solid. They were purchased in 2012 so pretty good shelf life I guess but not infinite. I imagine that not all epoxies are created equal either.