| FAQ: Gluing Techniques for Woodworking |
From "Ask DIY"
episode ADI-505 |
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According to DIY woodworking expert Bruce Johnson, glues are an essential element for every woodworking project. The challenge is selecting the right glue for the job. Bruce answers some frequently asked questions on wood glues. Q: I'm getting ready to build a bookcase and would like your recommendation for the best glue to use? A: If you're working with new wood -- regardless of whether it's pine, oak, mahogany, rosewood or other wood -- the best choice is the old stand-by: yellow woodworker's glue (figure A). This is not to be confused with ordinary white glues such as household glue or the kind children use in school. The woodworker's glue is made to penetrate into the pores of the wood, and has a higher degree of holding power. - Application tip: You may want to apply woodworker's glue using an inexpensive foam brush (figure B). This will make it easier to apply the glue evenly, in a thin coat onto the surfaces to be joined, and the technique may help reduce squeeze-out.
- Woodworker's glue typically allows you 5 to 10 minutes of working time, to get the boards positioned properly before it begins to harden.
- To ensure a strong bond, use clamps to apply even pressure and get good contact between the surfaces as the glue dries (figure C).
- Though it dries to the touch sooner, allow 24 hours for woodworker's glue to set completely.
Q: I have a kitchen chair I've re-glued several times, but it's still loose. A friend says I should use epoxy. Is she right? A: Yes, epoxy is the right glue to use when joining surfaces on old or worn pieces of wood furniture, particularly when the piece has been re-glued previously and the pores of the wood are filled with old glue (figure D). - Epoxy is a different type of adhesive from yellow woodworker's glue. It is a two-part formula -- resin and hardener -- and only hardens when the two components are mixed together. Typically, epoxy comes in a syringe-like tube that keeps the two compounds separate until they are squeezed out together (figure E).
- Squeeze the epoxy components onto a work surface -- such as a scrap of paper -- and mix the two parts together thoroughly using a toothpick, match-stick or similar implement. Typically, once the components are mixed together, you only have about 5 minutes of working time before the glue begins to harden.
- Before it begins hardening, brush the mixed epoxy onto the surfaces to be joined (figure F).
- Coat the joint thoroughly, then pull it together using clamping pressure (figure G) to hold it secure as the glue hardens fully.
- Once clamped secure, clean up any excess epoxy using lacquer thinner on a disposable shop rag or paper towel (figure H). Clean up any excess squeeze-out before it has a chance to harden.
- Though it's quick setting, to be on the safe side let epoxy glue set overnight to harden completely.
Q: Which is correct: wiping off excess glue or letting it dry and then scraping it off? A: Though removing excess glue can be done either way, the easier method by far is to wipe it off before it dries using a wet rag. Scraping and sanding is much more time-consuming, and you run the risk of gouging or damaging the wood surface. To wipe away excess glue while it's still wet, make certain that the rag is wet with water -- not just damp -- to avoid leaving smeared glue behind on the wood surface. Even small amounts of excess glue left behind on a wood seam will make it difficult for wood stain or finish to penetrate later on. Click here to order your tools and materials for this project from Woodcraft!
RESOURCES :
The Weekend Refinisher:
How to Make the Most of Your Furniture-A Step-by-Step Guide
Author: Bruce E. Johnson
Publisher: Ballantine Books
ISBN: 034535866X
The Wood Finisher: How to Finish Everything, From Decks to Floors to Doors
Author: Bruce Johnson
ISBN: 0345372972
Ballantine Books
Fine Woodworking
A magazine devoted to high-quality craftsmanship in woodworking.
The Taunton Press Inc.
Website: www.taunton.com
Woodworking Techniques: Best Methods for Building Furniture from Fine Woodworking
Author: Editors of Fine Woodworking magazine
Publisher: Taunton Press
ISBN: 1561583456
Furniture Repair & Refinishing
Model: 1580110061
Author: Brian D. Hingley
The Complete Book of Wood Joinery
Author: Robert J. Decristoforo
Publisher: Sterling Publishing Co.
ISBN: 0806999500
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