Gluing wood can be a very resistant method and often more elegant than using nails or screws. For the furniture, floors and decorative elements to be durable, you need to know how to choose the right wood glue for your needs.
Wood adhesives can be divided, among others, due to their construction and composition. It is worth getting acquainted with the signs and names, because different types of wood require different treatment. It is not always the most expensive available adhesive that proves to be the best choice in a given case. Sometimes also the use of expensive specialist glue is pointless, because the conditions require choosing the simplest adhesive.
To choose the right glue, you have to ask yourself some preliminary questions. They are of course first about the nature of the materials to be glued. The operation may involve one or two different types of materials. These materials may also be absorbent or not. Then you have to wonder about the application itself. The materials to be glued may indeed have to bear a load or be exposed to heat or moisture.
Clean the surface you want to glue
Note that, whatever the type of glue chosen, it will be necessary to ensure that the materials to be glued are clean otherwise the setting could be compromised. It will also be necessary to respect the drying time. Otherwise, glued surfaces may not adhere well.
Finally, it is often advisable to do too much that not enough, it is not quite the case with glue. Indeed, applying too much glue lengthens the drying time and may even jeopardize its adhesion qualities.
Between formats, texture, color and all contraindications or precautions, it is sometimes difficult to navigate. If you want to know how to choose the right wood glue for sure, just follow this guide.
The wood glue allows two elements to be assembled in a solid and durable way, and to spread the load evenly over larger areas. Each of these fasteners is, however, subject to specific uses.
Wood glue – what must be the composition?
The most popular wood adhesives are polyacetate adhesives, popularly known as vixen ones. They are very versatile, they can be used for both soft and hard wood. They are also suitable for joining wood-based materials, such as plywood and chipboard, and sometimes also for other materials. Wikol adhesives have a specific smell and are easy to use and generally available. Actually, they should be present in every house where there is wooden equipment – they can be very helpful in various types of repairs.
Resistance
Polyurethane adhesives are more resistant than virgin adhesives. Due to their high durability, they can be used, for example, for gluing stairs or other heavy elements. However, they have two major disadvantages: first, they act quite aggressively on wood, which is why they are not suitable for gluing delicate objects. Secondly, the weld formed by them is sensitive to sunlight – under the influence of UV rays, the adhesive weakens.
The last group are aliphatic adhesives (or, more precisely, on the basis of aliphatic resins). These are specialist, extremely strong adhesives – usually it is enough to gently spray the glued surface to get the desired effect. They are most often used when combining wood with other materials, such as upholstery or laminates. These types of adhesives are even more aggressive than polyurethane adhesives.
Variables when selecting your glue for woodwork
Example of wood glue for carpentry
Wood resins is an excellent alternative to traditional assembly products such as brackets, staples, screws or nails, in order to make and fix woodwork. They also help to avoid cluttering up portable electrical machines such as screwdrivers, drills, etc. But when you are faced with the multitude of wood glues available, take into account these variables to make your choice:
- Characteristics of the surface on which you will stick: support smooth, porous, rough;
- The place where the collage will be made: inside or outside;
- The object you want to assemble;
- The weight of the item you want to stick;
- The different kinds of glues and their uses for your wooden work
It is therefore essential when you want to glue wooden objects, to use the right product according to its application
Glue Products to Consider For Wood
White vinyl glues
These are the most used for most common jobs. The so-called “quick grip” will be perfect for small repairs while the “slow grip” will allow the implementation of more complex tightening requiring more time of implementation (panels, furniture frames, etc.). When it comes to “external” glue, it will be reserved for damp structures (bathroom furniture, kitchen or boats, etc.) or outdoor structures sheltered from inclement weather.
Polyurethane glues
They provide a very powerful bonding and are compatible with many materials: wood, glass, leather, and fabric, plastics (except polypropylene, polyethylene & polystyrene). They are especially ideal for all outdoor collages exposed to water and demanding strong mechanical resistance. Their total cure time varies from 1 to 5 days depending on the ambient humidity (humidity accelerates the setting).
Neoprene contact adhesive
The neoprene adhesive called “contact” has the advantage of ensuring the position of the materials as soon as they are assembled (gluing is instantaneous) and before the complete drying of the glue. It is, therefore, the glue of choice for gluing wood or laminated veneers on flat or curved surfaces. It allows the bonding of all types of panels between them (except polystyrene, Styrofoam, foam …), veneers on these panels, wood or PVC edges.
Varnish and melamine glue
It allows the addition of decorative profiles and other accessories on materials known to be difficult to glue such as melamine, laminate or varnish (i.e. non-porous or slightly porous materials). It, therefore, solves some delicate problems in the layout or even open up many design possibilities since it simplifies the application of coatings and finishing accessories.
Hot melt glue
State-of-the-art sanding technology for furniture edges places high demands on the adhesives used. In this respect, the invisible seal serves as a reference. DDU offers pioneering solutions, developed in close collaboration with renowned machine builders.
Collage of tiles for bathroom or kitchen:
If the perfect visual of the tiles is very important, the quality of the gluing and the coating of the narrow surfaces is not less important. For furniture installed in wet environments or in contact with steam, hot melt glues should be used; with physical hardening based on polyurethane and followed by chemical crosslinking, which substantially increases their resistance to temperature and humidity.
Hot strong cabinetmaker glue
This adhesive is simply a well-balanced mixture of bone glue and nerve glue and combines the same time their two advantages: tackiness and flexibility of the joint. It is the most traditional of all and is essential for restoration by its reversibility (we can restart the book if necessary).
It is easy to use and allows instant grip without clamping means. She can work “in thick joints” and fill gaps in the damaged joints (chair repair) or the new assemblies with a little too much game … functional!
I hope you learned a bit more about how to choose the right wood glue. In case you have any more questions, feel free to contact me or drop a comment below!
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