Woodworkers glue question....

[Chuck Wintle]

Is there a difference in the "white" woodworkers that are commonly sold everywhere? When constructing a wood joint is there a specific way to ensure the maximum strength will be realized in the joint?

[Richard Gillespie]

When I worked at the cabinet/furniture making shop I was taught that, for the yellow Carpenter's glue, you wanted a tight joint but not so tight that you needed force to put it together. The max. force needed should be light blows with a dead blow hammer. We used machine set ups and strived for .005" difference in the joint. The white glue we used, was a special formula the owners had found that did well with end grain uses such as a mortise and tenon joint. With polyurethane glue, the instructions specify no more than a .006" gap for a total difference of .012". Epoxy should be used if the gaps are greater than that.

I hope that helps.

[Chuck Wintle]

When I worked at the cabinet/furniture making shop I was taught that, for the yellow Carpenter's glue, you wanted a tight joint but not so tight that you needed force to put it together. The max. force needed should be light blows with a dead blow hammer. We used machine set ups and strived for .005" difference in the joint. The white glue we used, was a special formula the owners had found that did well with end grain uses such as a mortise and tenon joint. With polyurethane glue, the instructions specify no more than a .006" gap for a total difference of .012". Epoxy should be used if the gaps are greater than that.

I hope that helps.
The white glue I am referring to is the ordianary Lepage type that anyone can buy. I think its a PVA type glue. Th
reason I am asking is my son is building a popsicle stick bridge for a competition and the materials are white PVC glue,
popsicle sticks and dental floss. He was wondering about how strong that type of glue is.