What's your favorite glue?

[Tom Cook]

I started making the bird house tonight and I bought/used Gorilla Glue on it.

The Gorilla Glue was so slick that the Kreg right-angle clamp couldn't hold.

What glues do you all like? Should I have stuck with Tightbond?

[Richard James Anderson]

I worked as an exhibit tech in a large shop,we made lots of different projects ,most wood projects were made of walnut,poplar was used if it was to be painted,the glue was alwys yellow glue,we bought it in gallons and used a gallon or two per day when we we in a high production mode,never any dowels or biscuts,just clamps,and never any failures.our work is on disply in the Pentagon,Army base the world wide,in most award plaques given by the Army were made from glued up walnut from our shop.
If we used other materials than wood it was glued with with poly or expoxy as needed,plexiglas and lexan etc was glued with a product recogmended and sold by the manufacture.
I have made plaques,boxes,toys,funiture,and face frame projects all with yellow glue and never a failure.
If you get fancy and used exotic woods or oily woods(purple heart ect) I have had good luck with super glue.
Also yellow glue mixed with fine sawdust makes a darn good crack filler or or small nail hole filler,or use it to fill imperfections in knots to smooth them out.

[Bo Pokol]

I found elmers has an ultimate glue. It looks just like the brown gorilla glue and foams up the same. It is also water proof and you get 16 oz. for $4.99 compared to 2oz. of gorilla glue for 4 to 5 bucks. One experience with gorilla glue lightly wet pieces with a damp cloth and use a disposable brush to spread the glue thinly before clamping.

[ofer n]

useing gorilla glue for bird houses is like going hunting for rabbits with a bazzoka, titebond indoor outdoor. works great and has a great hold, also wipes off nice with a damp cloth. while still wet. until it drys. like earlier posts, gorilla glue is a polyurethane, it will expand, only time i personally use it is when i curve a piece of wood by cutting bending and reglueing/clamping in its angle. although gorilla glue is strong, its just difficult to work with.

[Larry Barnett]

I build a lot of porch swings ,adirondack chairs ,gliders, and patio furniture. I use Weatherproof Titebond II. I have tried the Gorilla glue which is very strong but very messy. You can clean up the excess and come back later and the expanding glue that has dried is hard to clean up.
Larrybsingle

[Jim Bontrager]

I have built everything from rocking horses (one had 10' rockers and is 5' high at the saddle) to bedroom furniture and use nothing but Titebond. Don't use as much glue now that I have my Kreg Jig.

[Kim C]

I may be somewhat naive but I still use good ole Elmers wood glue, interior and exterior... for 12 years now. I like that it cleans up easily (and washes out of my clothes)! But, I do think I should probably take some of these suggestions to heart.

[mark anizan]

I glue up alot of boards to make signs,have tried them all and by far the best for me has been Titebond 111 .Many of my signs are made of Cedar I can glue them up with no dowels or bisquits just clamping ,Have never had 1 ever come loose with Titebond. Also use it making jewelry boxes same result no failures ever.I use 2 part epoxy glue for pens that I turn to glue in the brass tubes,have had failures with everything else I tried but not with epoxy.
Mark1945

[Brian McNulty]

Hi Tom,

Bird houses. I'm not completely clear on why you need to glue them, but polyurethane glue would be my choice for outdoor projects like that. If you're able to hide it, you could always start by shooting the joint together with an 18ga brad first, and to be honest, for a birdhouse, the brads and glue may be all you need. Either way, it should hold the joint just enough to allow your clamp to do it's work until the screws are in.

Let's see lots of pictures of it. The good ones bring in praises, the bad ones go out as lessons.

Brian

[KregRep]

Tom, it looks like you've had a done of good suggestions here from the members... I also wanted to post this link. It's the content from our July 2009 Kreg Plus Newsletter which discussed the difference between "Yellow Glues" and "Polyurethane Adhesives" which are prone to foaming up and expanding a great deal as they cure. Good luck!

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=106219669901

"Yellow" Glues
By far the most common and useful glues in woodworking are polyvinyl acetate glues (PVAs), most often referred to simply as “yellow glues.” These glues are similar to ordinary white glue (school glue)but in a more refined version. Manufacturers give them names like “wood glue” or “carpenter’s glue.” When it comes to bonding wood, yellow glues are tough to beat. They bond with wood fibers on a molecular level to form glue joints stronger than the wood itself. And yellow glues are the “go-to” glue for about 90 percent of all woodworking projects. You’ll find yellow glue in a variety of formulations from standard glue for indoor projects to water-resistant, and even waterproof glue. There are also slow-setting versions that give you extra time to get complex assemblies put together. Best of all, yellow glues are inexpensive and easy to use.


Polyurethane Adhesives
Polyurethane glue is the relative new kid on the woodworking block. It works differently than standard yellow glue and can offer advantages in certain situations. First of all, polyurethane glue is waterproof, meaning it can be used for projects that sit outdoors. This type of glue is also flexible to withstand climate extremes well. Polyurethane glue bonds non-porous materials, as well, such as glass, metal, and plastic. So it’s ideal for projects that include these materials. Unlike yellow glue, which cures when exposed to air, polyurethane glue cures when exposed to moisture. That means you’ll have to dampen the wood to ensure enough moisture. Most of these glues foam up and expand a great deal as they cure, too. This causes a lot of squeeze-out and can push apart joints that aren’t clamped properly.

[Phil Shull]

I've found that the Titebond is somewhat slippery if too much is used, but that it is not a real problem. It 'tacks up' pretty quickly, a few seconds usually, and is fairly easy to position the pieces during that time. The Gorilla Glue does foam-up a lot as it cures, nut if you scrape it off just after is first sets it seems to clean up pretty easily. Sanding also works well, but takes a little longer.