OSB & Glue

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Any input? Any reason I should (or) not use a titebond glue. West is too runny for OSB.

The application is engineered truss type beams
1/2" OSB set into 5/8" deep dadoes on 2*2 KD pine.

The beams are for a torsion box.

[David DeCristoforo]

Resourcinol:

http://store.hamiltonmarine.com/browse.cfm/4,18747.htm

[Michael Schwartz]

PL400 or some other heavy duty construction adhesive.

[Cody Colston]

Ditto the construction adhesive.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Most OSB that I have used has a wax coating to help it resist the effects of weather (moisture). This could interfer with the ability to glue some together. In half inch ( actually 7/16) one side is textured to provide footing.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I put together some OSB and Titebond III joints. I made small 6*3" strips and glued 'em mating and opposing sides and another two gluing on the different sides to a strip of pine.

about 3 hours later I tore 'em apart. The Glue, of course, wasn't properly set up in that time but, I was somewhat surprised at how well it stuck tearing flakes of the OSB away when I broke the joints.

At lease I can be pretty sure that it's now wax coated.
I hadn't anticipated wax. I wonder if that is an older wafer board application from when manufacturers hadn't gotten as confident in their glue technology and didn't have years of field experience regarding moisture retention and swelling to look back on.

I think I'll use the construction adhesive anyway. I'm going to try that Formalhyde stuff that David suggested: Resourcinol and see how I like it. It's used for boat building a lot and I may want to use it for more outdoor applications.

Gracias guys

[Michael Schwartz]

Just be carefull with any urea formaldehyde adhesive, glue it up outside or in an open garage, and I reccomend wearing a resperator.

[David DeCristoforo]

Just be carefull with any urea formaldehyde adhesive, glue it up outside or in an open garage, and I reccomend wearing a resperator.

Good point. But it's killer glue for stuff like this and, unlike PL400 (which is great stuff) it sets HARD!

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

and, unlike PL400 (which is great stuff) it sets HARD!

Which was the deciding factor. The DAP product is a tiny little thing (5 ounces) and they want a fair bit of money for it

I found a larger container 32 ounces (& 6 ounces of hardener) in aluminum bottles here for $64.00
o-------http://www.chemical-supermarket.com/G_1131_Resorcinol_Structural_Adhesive-p90.html--------o

They the stuff keeps for "minimum of 2 years." If you keep it in its aluminum bottles and store below 70 Deg.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Well the best laid plans of mice and men aft gang aglay.

I got the Data Spec sheet on resorcinol adhesive and it has absolutely ZERO gap filling capability. I checked a boat builder’s forum ( cause it's a boat builder's glue) and found the same issue cropping up there. No gap filling and it needs to be a tight well clamped joint.

I am insetting OSB into dadoes. The fit is snug but, there’s no clamping possible and OSB has a highly textured surface one side being imprinted with zillions of little dimples and the other just bumpy from the wafers.

So I set a bunch of identical titebond glue ups in various configurations along with a control piece of straight pine and tomorrow I’m going to do a controlled hammer drop fracture test to see how the stuff performs.
So unless some one who has used the stuff can explain to me that the snug dado is plenty snug enough it’s going to have to be Titebond or Epoxy.


I am shy of the adhesives in a tube cause they may move too much under stress. But then I've never used 'em in this sort of app.

[Joe Branch]

What is wrong with the construction adhesive they sell at the borgs? Something like Liquid Nails?

[Michael Schwartz]

My only worry about Epoxy is that it might be too brittle, and again it to does rely on clamping force.

I think think in an industrial setting that Urea Formaldehyde adhesives would be used in the application.

Does anybody know what adhesive is used for TGI Joists?

[Noah Katz]

"My only worry about Epoxy is that it might be too brittle, and again it to does rely on clamping force."

Only if that's what it takes to make sure the joint has contact.

[David DeCristoforo]

I don't think the "dimples" in the OSB would be a problem. And if the fit is snug, you should be OK without clamping. While you are making test pieces, try one with resorcinol. I don't think you will be disappointed...this is some serious adhesive. Just slather it into the dado and pound in your OSB. If it comes apart, I'll eat the can.....

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I don't think the "dimples" in the OSB would be a problem. And if the fit is snug, you should be OK without clamping. While you are making test pieces, try one with resorcinol. I don't think you will be disappointed...this is some serious adhesive. Just slather it into the dado and pound in your OSB. If it comes apart, I'll eat the can.....

Hmmm. Well if you eat the can can I keep the left over contents?

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

What is wrong with the construction adhesive they sell at the borgs? Something like Liquid Nails?

Hardness. Most of those glues in a tube tend never to get hard. They are great for underlayerment and that slight give is one of their "good" characteristics in that application.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

"My only worry about Epoxy is that it might be too brittle, and again it to does rely on clamping force."

Only if that's what it takes to make sure the joint has contact.

There's contact. And Epox if made right can fill gaps very, very well. West isn't the only epoxy producer.
However West does have some filler agents that will thicken their epoxy.

[David DeCristoforo]

Hmmm. Well if you eat the can can I keep the left over contents?

Only if you take the "leftovers" out of the can before I eat it....

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Only if you take the "leftovers" out of the can before I eat it....

It's a deal. However I understand there's a really hefty buzz in formaldehyde.

[David DeCristoforo]

It's a deal. However I understand there's a really hefty buzz in formaldehyde.

There should be enough residue left in the can.....