gorilla glue for veneering? anyone tried it?

[David Zaret]

just curious - has anyone done veneering with gorilla glue? i normally use unibond 800, but i'm just curious if gorilla couldn't be an easier approach in some circumstances.

who's tried it?

---dz

[Jeff Roltgen]

Assuming you mean the polyurethane version, it is the last thing I'd think to reach for.
Then, I saw this:

https://www.finewoodworking.com/2016/11/02/polyurethane-is-my-go-to-glue

Scroll down and open the full article for his approach/tips on veneering with it. I just may try it soon...

jeff

[John TenEyck]

The properties of PU glues like Gorilla Glue are right in line for veneer applications.

John

[Richard Coers]

First concern would be adequate moisture to kick off the adhesive without expanding the veneer. Especially if multiple sheets are laid up. Excessive moisture could result in open seams when it dries. It will also take extreme film thickness control as excess foam will really make a mess inside a vacuum bag. Absolutely not an option in my shop. What properties make it sound appealing to you?

[al ladd]

I think it has a lot going for it, and use it often, with great results for many years now. It's especially good for doing many panels at once in a bag with shop sawn veneer, which if water based glue starts to work on , can become a potato chip mess quickly. I use it in some applications for veneering only one side. I know, not supposed to do that, but the introduced water stress from a water based glue is one of the main reasons one sided veneering creates problems.

You can spread it out as thin as you can imagine. I use a thin piece of wood like a scraper for spreading it. Low on the noxious scale, readily available, reasonable clamp time and open time both. It's a bit of a well kept secret. It's also great for frame in panel assemblies that need to slide into place during clamp up. First it's a lubricant, and then it's a glue. Can combine with PVA for the frame joinery for faster clamp turnover.... Craig Thibodeau is a pretty good endorsement too!

[John TenEyck]

First concern would be adequate moisture to kick off the adhesive without expanding the veneer. Especially if multiple sheets are laid up. Excessive moisture could result in open seams when it dries. It will also take extreme film thickness control as excess foam will really make a mess inside a vacuum bag. Absolutely not an option in my shop. What properties make it sound appealing to you?

One part product - no mixing, good open time, low creep, MUCH higher strength at 150 F than yellow glues, and it's completely waterproof. I've used it on several MDF skins on ladder back door frames. Dispense out of the bottle on the frame, spritz the MDF with water, press. Why is the strength at 150F important? It's not, unless you make exterior doors exposed to the sun. Then it's really important.

John

[David Zaret]

john, you nailed it.

i've not tried it, but i'm about to do a big job and was thinking about the "overhead" of using the urea resin, and just got curious. it does seem compelling. i'm doing wood veneer on MDF, and i think i could "spritz" the MDF prior to applying the glue, imparting enough water. spritzing the veneer isn't going to happen, so let's hope there's enough moisture in it naturally. i use a press, so i'm not worried about the mess (at all). if my press can handle epoxy, it can handle polyurethane. anyway, this is interesting feedback, and i think i'll run a test. it sounds as though others find success with it.

-- dz

[Kevin Jenness]

I think it's worth trying. The squeeze-out may make a mess but I always wax the bottom platen and use a poly cover sheet to protect the press membrane.

[David Zaret]

yeah kevin i have a piece of waxed laminate at the bottom of my press, and then use laminate, or taped cauls on the top side. the pieces get covered with a piece of 30mm clear vinyl, and that's pressed by the poly press top. even if i get squeeze-out, it has really nowhere to go where it could cause damage.

i'll try it and report back!

-- dz

[David Zaret]

i'm most interested to see how bleed-through works. that's my biggest concern. that, and cleanup from spreading it.

[Kevin Jenness]

I'll be interested in your experience. Spreadability (seems to be high viscosity), shelf life after opening (short in my limited experience) need for additional moisture, amount of squeeze-out /cleanup, etc. Could be a good thing. Costs similar to marine epoxy. I try to keep things simple so I have Titebond Extend, Titebond 2 and epoxy on hand, all w/ long shelf life, but if polyurethane gives a waterproof, heat resistant bond with low bleed-through and good workability it could find a place in my shop.

[David Zaret]

i'm veneering tomorrow, so i'll try it. agreed on your concerns, same ones i had. i'm thinking that for spreading, i won't use my roller - too hard to clean - maybe the small notched trowel, but that might leave too much glue. we'll see.

[Lee Schierer]

First concern would be adequate moisture to kick off the adhesive without expanding the veneer. Especially if multiple sheets are laid up. Excessive moisture could result in open seams when it dries. It will also take extreme film thickness control as excess foam will really make a mess inside a vacuum bag. Absolutely not an option in my shop. What properties make it sound appealing to you?

There is enough moisture in the air, wood and substrate to trigger the reaction. Adding moisture to wood just causes excess foaming. If you you want to test this. Place a drop on a piece of glass. The glue will cure just sitting in the open air.

I made a bunch of torsion box platforms for a church display gluing 1/4" plywood to a frame with the interior void filled with 1" foam insulation. I spread the glue with a plastic Bondo spreader. It allowed me to make thin glue layers and then cleaned up easily after the glue set up.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I use it with out wetting to glue Formica to projects that are small enough to be clamped and weighted. It works with out wetting if you are not in a hurry. I spread it with a Formica scrap, body putty spreader, or old credit card.

[Stan Calow]

Anyway to increase the spreadability?

[Kevin Jenness]

I believe the setting rate depends on available moisture. In a situation with low humidity or very low wood moisture content you may well want to add some water to the glueline. I haven't used Gorilla glue for a long time but I seem to recall that the package called for 10% mc - currently they suggest adding moisture to the mix. No doubt it will cure fine without added water in most situations but it is a factor to consider, especially if you are trying to cycle panels through the press quickly.

[John TenEyck]

I use a plastic autobody spreader and spread it as thin as possible while still getting a complete film. Squeeze out mess is a non-issue when it's that thin, a few bubbles here and there.
John

[Curt Harms]

I believe the setting rate depends on available moisture. In a situation with low humidity or very low wood moisture content you may well want to add some water to the glueline. I haven't used Gorilla glue for a long time but I seem to recall that the package called for 10% mc - currently they suggest adding moisture to the mix. No doubt it will cure fine without added water in most situations but it is a factor to consider, especially if you are trying to cycle panels through the press quickly.

I imagine the need to add moisture depends on where you are. If you're in high desert where relative humidity is 10% -15% or winter in a heated shop in a cold climate you'd probably need to add a little moisture. Anyone living east of the Mississippi during the 3 warmer seasons for example, probably not. More foam is not desirable, more foam = a weaker joint. I think Norm Abram on New Yankee Workshop gave bad advice on polyurethane glue.

[Roger Feeley]

Years ago, I used PU glue on a bent lamination for outdoors. Whoever built our house thought it would be cool to make one corner of our back patio a 6’ radius. I was replacing the pergola over the patio and decided to follow the curve. I made 6’ sections of redwood 2x6. I used PU for its lack of creep and it’s weather resistance. To make the structure more weather tight, I put 1/4” plywood over the “joists” and covered that with copper flashing. That protected the end grain of the posts too. It all worked out great.

When we sold the place, I left a spare section behind.

[Wes Grass]

Glad I read this. I've never had the least interest in using PU. All the articles I've read, with the wetting and foaming, were a complete turnoff. I've got a little goof-around project right now that could be a good candidate, but not sure it's a good idea for a first try. I'm still debating over TB vs epoxy.

[Mel Fulks]

Still not as fast as “hammer “ veneering . But hammer veneering is a skill ….not a bottled product .

[Richard Coers]

Glad I read this. I've never had the least interest in using PU. All the articles I've read, with the wetting and foaming, were a complete turnoff. I've got a little goof-around project right now that could be a good candidate, but not sure it's a good idea for a first try. I'm still debating over TB vs epoxy.
If you have a small project, buy the smallest bottle you can. That adhesive is famous for curing in the bottle and making the bottle a one time application.

[John TenEyck]

If you have a small project, buy the smallest bottle you can. That adhesive is famous for curing in the bottle and making the bottle a one time application.

It lasts a pretty long time if you put the bottle in a quart mason jar that has rice in the bottom. The rice absorbs the water in the air. Silica gel would likely work even better. I've had bottles last nearly a year. The same thing works for bottles of superglue.

John

[Tom Bender]

Very handy stuff for misc tasks.

Agree on the small bottles. Mine last a year or so after opening but I am careful to open, squirt and close. No open on the bench time.

To moisten a big surface you will want consistency and only a little moisture. Spritzing might not give you that. Maybe a paint roller would work well. You can test easily enough.