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Thread: glue 1 surface or 2

  1. #46
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Missouri
    Posts
    2,151
    Most of the glue joint failures I have seen are not due to glue failure. A joint usually fails because of stresses beyond the capability of the glue, gap filling, wood shrinking, cross graining, wrong glue used, over stress, and abuse. It doesn’t mater if you spread it with your finger or opposing pieces as long as both sides are coated.
    Jim

  2. #47
    Join Date
    Dec 2019
    Location
    The old pueblo in el norte.
    Posts
    1,846
    Quote Originally Posted by James Pallas View Post
    Most of the glue joint failures I have seen are not due to glue failure. A joint usually fails because of stresses beyond the capability of the glue, gap filling, wood shrinking, cross graining, wrong glue used, over stress, and abuse. It doesn’t mater if you spread it with your finger or opposing pieces as long as both sides are coated.
    Jim
    I wish we had a like button sometimes.
    ~mike

    happy in my mud hut

  3. #48
    This is one of those situations that lend itself to testing, rather than opinion. My suggestions:

    1. Spread glue on only one surface, clamp it to another board, then take the glue joint apart and see whether the "dry" surface is fully coated.

    2. Glue up two samples, one with glue on one surface and one with glue on two surfaces. Let the glue cure well and then try to break the pieces apart.

    3. For those worried about the glue developing a "skin". Put glue on one surface and let the glue sit for your selected time. Then perform the first two tests. Report how long you let the glue sit on one surface.

    Report your results here. I've done the first two tests - I never worried about the glue developing a "skin" - and I'm very satisfied that applying glue to only one surface is quite adequate.

    Mike
    Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.

  4. #49
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Location
    Fairbanks AK
    Posts
    1,566
    Plenty of observations here. My baseline is to put glue on one surface, wiggle the mating surfaces against each other, then clamp.

    My benchtop, 2x4 Doug Fir, was glued face to face for a top 3.5 inches thick 3+ years ago with this method. I then brought in some 8x8 and some 4x10 to learn barn sized joinery on because my eye sight isn't what it used to be. I have used my bench top like rented mule, no hiccoughs. I upgraded to the one inch Crucible holdfasts, use a 6 pound engineers hammer to set those, and a 1.5 inch Barr chisel to cut and pare mortises. I have clobbered the Barr chisel with the six pound hammer more often than I care to admit.

    I edge glued a small table top with the same method, nominal 11x32x4/4 poplar in two inch wide strips, same regimen. It was in service for two years before I had a different problem with the total assembly. I have not been able to break my glue joints over the winter using an inside hammer and inside methods. Local we got another inch of snow here Monday morning, but in a few days or weeks I will take the poplar top outdoors with an outside hammer and see what breaks first.

    For stuff I can't wiggle, like apron tenons going into the mortises in table legs, I apply glue to both surfaces before assembly. If you can wiggle the mating surfaces 3-4 inches and get relatively even glue squeeze out, I don't see problem applying glue to only one surface.

  5. #50
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    NJ
    Posts
    1,363
    When using pva, I either glue both sides or just the one side, then rub the joint faces, pull them apart to see that glue has spread evenly on both mating surfaces and then clamp together.

    For hide glue, I glue both surfaces always. My wife laughs whenever she comes into the shop while I'm using hide glue. I stole a little fondue pot of hers many years ago and still use it to keep my squeeze-bottle off glue warm. Best thing ever really, keep it on low and you have all the time on the planet to glue stuff up.

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