Glue for veneer and bent lam work

[nick brigg]

i know a lot of people love the urea-formaldehyde powdered glues. but the more i think about it, id really rather not use this stuff. is there another way glue for gluing shop-sawn veneers and bent lam work without using nasty chemicals?

[Mike Henderson]

You can use standard yellow glue, like Titebond glue.

When I visited Sam Maloof, I asked him what he uses for glueing up his laminated bent rockers. He pointed to some containers of Titebond.

And I've used Titebond on lots of small veneer panels. Just don't use too much and only put it on the substrate - not on the veneer.

I would not consider yellow glue to be "nasty chemicals" but that's for you to decide.

Mike

[nick brigg]

i wouldnt consider PVA glue to be nasty either. i've just read from a few sources that white or yellow glue isnt suitable for bent lam work or shop sawn veneer because it "creeps" too much. but i mean if you glue a chair together with it, why isnt it good enough for veneer work?

[Carroll Courtney]

Not that I'm a pro or have alot of experence at it,but I use yellow and white glue all the time for flat work and for some radious work that is not to extreme.I have just done some curve work bending 1/4 ply using 4 pieces and using yellow glue.I have also done marquetry work using yellow,so far no delaminations.If I spell it right:D So between white,yellow,hide glue and the nasty stuff,what else is there?

[Jim Becker]

I've been using a cold-press glue from Joe Woodworker for my veneering. For bent lams, the few I've done to-date, I used Titebond III PVA. You can call it "yellow" glue, but it's actually a light brown color that seems to disappear nicely.

[Micah Carter]

any cold-press glue will work

be careful using regular yellow glue for bent lam, as the tension can allow it to cold-creep over the years. Doesn't happen often, but I've seen it before.

[nick brigg]

just to clear things up, the cold press glue from joe's site isnt that ultra-cat stuff right? it's the "better bond" stuff? would that glue be good for bent lam work as well?

[Jesse Cloud]

My favorite veneer glue, after trying a few, is Titebond cold press. It has a longer open time than the yellow stuff and spreads easily. Having said this, the fine woodworking program at the college I attend uses original Titebond for bent lam.

[Jamie Buxton]

Epoxy is a good substitute for urea-formaldehyde for bent lamination. PVA is said to cold creep. Both urea-formaldehyde and epoxy do not cold creep.