Glue is so **** annoying

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  • Carlos
    Veteran Member
    • Jan 2004
    • 1893
    • Phoenix, AZ, USA.

    Glue is so **** annoying

    How do you guys store and use your glue? I've tried the Gluebot, it's great as something to use for a day or two, but it dries up if you store it in there. The big bottles of Titebond are nice to hold, but always go bad. Sometimes quickly. I have one dated 7/19, and it was skinned over when I went to use it yesterday. It was closed. Now, my garage has been up to 110 degrees since then, so I don't know if that's over maximum temp for it. I generally use Titebond III for everything. I don't see any reason not to, even if I don't need the waterproof factor. But I'm open to others. I'm tired of glue annoyances.

    I do like the Rockler silicone trays and brushes for some jobs. Often though I just want to apply it from a bottle, quick and dirty.
  • capncarl
    Veteran Member
    • Jan 2007
    • 3564
    • Leesburg Georgia USA
    • SawStop CTS

    #2
    I don’t know that heat itself is a factor in Titebond drying.
    Moisture levels above 10% can slow the drying of water based wood glues such as Titebond Original, II and III to the point where, wood above 16% moisture content, may not dry at all. Being you are in a very low humidity area (don’t I remember someone saying “ it’s a dry heat?) it stands to reason that Titebond will dry quite fast. I suppose that clamping keeps out moisture so the workpiece will dry. How about storing bottles of Titebond in a 5 gallon bucket with some water in it?

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    • mpc
      Senior Member
      • Feb 2005
      • 979
      • Cypress, CA, USA.
      • BT3000 orig 13amp model

      #3
      A trick I've heard for smaller glue bottles - besides squeezing the excess air out of them before storage - is to store them upside-down so any skinning happens away from the nozzle/tip. Just make sure the cap seals well! A different screw-on cap; without a dispensing tip, is a better idea for such storage. That way you can bring the tips to a sink to wash them out before whatever glue in them hardens.

      I have some rather old Titebond bottles myself and they seem fine. My System 3 epoxy however, also several years old, let me down yesterday. It refused to cure/harden leaving me with a gooey mess. All are stored in what amounts to a detached garage (walls insulated but no ceiling/roof insulation so it can get toasty in there); the glue is stored in a wall-mounted cabinet with a loose fitting door.

      mpc

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      • LCHIEN
        Internet Fact Checker
        • Dec 2002
        • 20914
        • Katy, TX, USA.
        • BT3000 vintage 1999

        #4
        Gorilla PU glue goes bad on me fast.
        The woodworking glues, I try and store upside down like mpc says
        if I'm not working much in the garage shop I try and bring the glues inside. Keeps the temperature extremes down.
        Loring in Katy, TX USA
        If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
        BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

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        • Slik Geek
          Senior Member
          • Dec 2006
          • 669
          • Lake County, Illinois
          • Ryobi BT-3000

          #5
          You are blaming the glue and the storage container, but the problem isn't either of them. The problem is storage - you are storing the glue at excessively high temperatures.

          I get more than a year of storage time for my Titebond glues, actually two years, but mine are stored in my basement so the storage temperature is much cooler than your garage. I use the Gluebot with Titebond Original, and have no storage issues (I have to crank the lid on very tight to get it to seal properly). I bought a gallon jug of Titebond Original and it is still usable two years later (about 1/4 remaining).

          I haven't used Titebond III recently, but it is a higher performance glue, and higher performance glues tend to be fussier for storage. So I went to their website. Titebond's website specifies the following:
          • Store product below 75°F. Storage above this temperature may cause product to thicken and reduce the usable shelf life.
          • Keep from freezing
          • 24 months in tightly closed containers below 75°F
          Store your glue (both the original bottle and the Gluebot) in a cool place, with the lid very tight and you should get the two year usable lifetime. Of Titebond's three consumer wood glues, III is apparently the most sensitive to storage temperature, hence your problems.

          The website also states this (maybe you can recover some of your glue): If thickened, shake vigorously by firmly tapping bottle on a hard surface until product is restored to original form.

          I too like the Rockler silicone tools and tray.

          Originally posted by Carlos
          I generally use Titebond III for everything. I don't see any reason not to, even if I don't need the waterproof factor.
          Here is the reasons that my main glue is the Original instead of Titebond III:
          • Shorter assembly time, about half that of Titebond III. Usually I want it to stick faster. If I need more working time, then I'll use Titebond III
          • Original sands nicely, great for cleaning things up that I missed earlier
          • Yellow color, while Titebond III is darker. In light wood applications, the glue seam is less obvious
          • Cheaper
          But if you need longer working time, are doing an outdoor project, or need glue that is thicker so it runs less, Titebond III is a better choice.

          Comment

          • woodturner
            Veteran Member
            • Jun 2008
            • 2047
            • Western Pennsylvania
            • General, Sears 21829, BT3100

            #6
            Originally posted by Slik Geek
            The problem is storage - you are storing the glue at excessively high temperatures.
            Agree - Titebond III is rated for use and storage between 45F and 75F

            It's a wonder it's working at all so far outside it's spec range.
            Last edited by woodturner; 11-05-2019, 07:05 AM.
            --------------------------------------------------
            Electrical Engineer by day, Woodworker by night

            Comment

            • Jim Frye
              Veteran Member
              • Dec 2002
              • 1051
              • Maumee, OH, USA.
              • Ryobi BT3000 & BT3100

              #7
              I agree it's the temperature. My shop is pretty much a constant 60 - 65 degrees F all year long (basement) and Titebond II lasts forever in the small bottles I buy it in. A long time ago, I bought a gallon of the stuff, but by the time I got two thirds through it (like a year), it was getting thick and stringy. So much for saving money buying in bulk. I also keep my CA glues in the basement drink fridge. They last longer there.
              Jim Frye
              The Nut in the Cellar.
              ”Sawdust Is Man Glitter”

              Comment

              • Carlos
                Veteran Member
                • Jan 2004
                • 1893
                • Phoenix, AZ, USA.

                #8
                I guess I'm making a glue rack to sit just inside the garage door... It's in a long hallway that's not really seen unless you're going into the garage or office, so it doesn't need to be pretty or anything. I rotate it from upside-down to right side, on the theory that it should help keep it stirred. I think I'll make a rack that accomodates both, and probably also switch to the small flat bottles. The big bottle would last me a lifetime in quantity.

                On the epoxy, I too have found that after a couple years, two-part resins might never harden.

                Comment

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