The Framers Forum

Hi all,
Could you all share with me your glue advice ?
Whats the strongest glue you've worked with, etc etc... this is wood glue of course

thanks

R

I use polyurethane (from winzer wurth)for all bare wood frames, great for hard woods like ash and oak and it also seems to reduce the cracking at corners on gesso and gilded frames compared to PVA.
As for the strongest, someone once told me that cascamite (one shot) was the best and I was also under the impression that the traditional pearl glue was very strong, if mixed correctly and clamped for long enough.

My personal favourite is Mathesive 101, but I would say that as we sell it! However a box making customer showed me a new tightbond this week and by god does that stuff stick, takes a bit of time to get going but its like cement when its dry!

The wife likes no more nails...i'm sure our house is held together with it!

I have been testing No-More-Nails lately. Seems to stick like the proverbial to a blanket. I like it for bonding stacked frames as it fills gaps and does not run like PVA. I tried PU a while back and that sticks well, but you have to be sure to clean off any ooozing before it sets as hard dribbles are hard to sand off. One drawback is the shelf life once opened. I had some in a pump cartridge. Used about 1" and the rest went solid within a few weeks.

I use something which my local hardware store sells, it's just called "Waterproof wood glue" and it appears to be some kind of PVA derivative. The guy in the shop says that it's what used to be called "Dunlop resin W". A major reason why I use the stuff is that the hardware shop which stocks it shop is about 30 seconds from my shop, but it works well.

I also use Casamite, which is so stong that the wood will break before the glue does and I did like "Hard as nails", but I can't get it anymore. I often add Cascamite to other waterbased glues and finishes to give the other product some extra durability or to increase surface hardness. Obviously you won't get any official recommendation to do this from manufacturers, it's just something I tried and like the result.

I now use "Instant nails" in place of "Hard as nails" as a gap filling glue, again is that the hardware shop which stocks it shop is about 30 seconds from my shop. "Hard as nails" was very hard and could be sanded down to a great finish, unfortunately "Instant nails" is meant to be flexible and does not sand down to such a smooth finish.

One thing to remember is that most, if not all PVA based wood glues are stronger that the wood they join.

The real problem is that the 45° mitered corner is the weakest joint in woodworking.

thanks, i'll go get a few of the mentioned products, we do a lot of work with gesso and man, no matter how hard i try, some of the corners are always cracking, this is with biscuits and titebond glue.... i'll go have a search at the local hardware store and give a few a try over the weekend maybe......


r

we also use what used to be Resin W, in some other branded yellow container. Label says waterproof fast setting wood glue. Tastes like pva with vinegar in it (dont ask.... its a long story).
Likewise from the hardware shop in the buying group/shop branding "Home Hardware", i think they are in a few towns.
This stuff, if anything, seems better than the Resin W. Im pretty sure it is basically thick PVA with some other additives.

we do experiment from time to time, always looking for the perfect adhesive, so I'll also be checking out some of the suggestiuons above.
Cheers people.

we do a lot of work with gesso and man, no matter how hard i try, some of the corners are always cracking, this is with biscuits and titebond glue....

I went on a gilding course several years ago and to overcome the problem of the mitres cracking and the cracks continuing through the gesso we glued some very fine silk over the corners before applying the gesso. This appeared to work perfectly ok.

I went into the local Poundland this morning to get some cheapo brushes and lo and behold on a shelf all on it's own was a tube of Hard As Nails. Not No More Nails. So I got it. I'll keep an eye out next time to see if they restock.
Quid for a big tube. Can't go wrong.

well,. so far not so good. I tried the polyurethane glue from titebond, I used the titebond one as we use their PVA one which seems to be better than most PVA's, well, i am far from impressed with their polyurethane version..... i put together a small oak frame late yesterday, glued the mitres, cut some biscuits into them, glued the biscuits into it...etc etc, you get the drift.... well, almost 24 hours later, i gently pulled the biscuits out.... and i gently pulled the mitres apart.... not cool. i'll try it on some other woods tomorrow....

I have read the destructions on the lable, and all seems to be fine, the oak was a bit dry, but believe me when i say that there is enough moisture in the air... the glue was activated as it foamed and formed a hard crust around the biscuit.... oh well. i'll try harder !!!

try and try again !!!

R

A bit of a sticky subject this one……….

Sorry I couldn’t …..resist …..

raph.basan wrote:well,. so far not so good. I tried the polyurethane glue from titebond, I used the titebond one as we use their PVA one which seems to be better than most PVA's, well, i am far from impressed with their polyurethane version..... i put together a small oak frame late yesterday, glued the mitres, cut some biscuits into them, glued the biscuits into it...etc etc, you get the drift.... well, almost 24 hours later, i gently pulled the biscuits out.... and i gently pulled the mitres apart.... not cool. i'll try it on some other woods tomorrow....

I have read the destructions on the lable, and all seems to be fine, the oak was a bit dry, but believe me when i say that there is enough moisture in the air... the glue was activated as it foamed and formed a hard crust around the biscuit.... oh well. i'll try harder !!!

try and try again !!!

R

If you want a really good bond on oak, you can't beat the old 'poxy resin. But use the original slow setting stuff in the blue tubes. It's messy and it's expensive and you really need to clamp it very tightly for at least 24 hrs, but once cured it is extremely tough. Don't rely on nails to hold the joint tight while it cures. A strap clamp is ideal.
Tip for oak: Drill a few little holes in the face of the mitre for the glue to squeeze into.

Dermot wrote:A bit of a sticky subject this one……….

Sorry I couldn’t …..resist …..

If Terry Wogan had read this, Dermot, he'd have given you a slap!

prospero wrote:I went into the local Poundland this morning to get some cheapo brushes and lo and behold on a shelf all on it's own was a tube of Hard As Nails. Not No More Nails. So I got it. I'll keep an eye out next time to see if they restock.
Quid for a big tube. Can't go wrong.

My local pound shop in whitland has got loads of the exterior version. I got a whole box (12 tubes) for a tenner! To keep it fresh use a biro top (put some H.A.N. in the airhole and let it dry). This will keep it fresh for months, and comes off easily even when it is clogged with glue.

My normal glue is Lion's woodglue - I bought two when I started over a year ago, still haven't needed to open the second yet. On deep rebates I glue pin & clamp, once dry it takes a lot of effort to break it.

Just purchase a tube of 'Hard as nails' for £0.99 + The VODKA AND TONIC.

On closer inspection it's trade mark is '151 Hard as Nails'. It is a low temperature / outdoor adhesive product which seems to be as versatile as most, but does not mention the ability to be sanded. It is white in colour.

Do you think it is the same adhesive?