Laminating birch to ash, yellow glue?

[Brian Hale]

I'm gluing 3/8 curly birch to 1" ash, the parts are approximately 6" wide by 13" long. Will Titebond 2 be a good choice?

Thanks
Brian

[Tom Bender]

Assuming no crossgrain issues, and normal loads, you could use almost any glue without problems. Any of the Titebond glues will be fine.

[Ryan Lloyd]

Hi Brian,

Everything described simply as "wood glue" is polyvinyl acetate (PVA) in various formulations. When used appropriately, wood joined with PVA glue can be more difficult to tear apart than the solid wood itself.

PVA glues may have different colours, open times (the time it takes for the glue to set or become firm), and resistance to breakdown in wet conditions. Titebond II, for example, is moderately water resistant, yellow in colour, with modest open time. Titebond III is more water resistant, with more open time, and is brown in colour.

All else being equal, my default glue is Titebond III because I appreciate the additional few extra minutes of open time versus most other PVA glues. However, you may find that Titebond II is a more discreet colour choice when bonding birch and ash. I keep both Titebond II and Titebond III in my shop, because of these differences.

As to your original question: Titebond II would be a fine choice for your application.

Regards,
Ryan

*Edited for formatting