Shopsmith Forums

Yes Nick,
this sounds like a great topic.

Personally I suspect the epoxy technology has uses almost beyond the imagination. Like last night, I saw the This Old House guys do a window-sill repair that probably saved hundred$ for a budget-constrained client. Some thought-starters for epoxy would be very interesting to me.

Best Regards,

Nick
I would like to see a discussion on glues. But I would like it to go step further than most of these types of dicussions. I would like to see it address why you use the particular brand of Glue you use.
The reasons might range from that is the brand my favorite supplier sells to I have found this brand is superior to all others on the market.

There is a vast range of glues in most of the common classes most are excellent glues but others have little quirks that make them perhaps more or less desirable to all others in the group.

This rarely done most discussions make a case to use epoxy is in situation and yellow glue in another with hide glue it still another. However there are many epoxy glues, many yellow glues and hide glues. I want to know which you feel is best and why.
Ed

"...I would like to see it address why you use the particular brand of Glue you use."

Be glad to do a survey of the types of glues available to woodworkers and what they are used for. But I have neither the time, the equipment, nor the budget to conduct a test that would produce a meaningful comparison of brands. For now, you will have to rely on other woodworking medias that are better staffed and funded for that sort of information. Sorry.

With all good wishes,

Ed,
look at Fine Woodworking vol #148 for glue strength test. You might be surprised. Titebond III beat them all.

ricknwood wrote:Ed,
look at Fine Woodworking vol #148 for glue strength test. You might be surprised. Titebond III beat them all.

Strength is important and I'm not going to deny that, but there are other factors. First glue has a shelf life, blow the shelf life and you pitch the glue. Most glue manufacture make this a secret code and play games. I like manufactures that print a date in mm/yy format.

Open time to me is a factor (perhaps as I get older I get slower or perhaps more careful) in any case I want an open time that will allows me to accomplish what I need.

Another is clean up, many glues you can wipe the squeeze out and your done but others leave a residual that must be sanded from those tight little corners. I don't like surprizes and when I'm applying finish and see a spot of glue I missed it takes the joy out of my day.

Drying and clamping time is important.

As is waterresistance.

To me a big factor is the thickness of the glue or should I say the runiness. So many glues run all over the place where others are so thick you almost need a hammer to get them into the wood pores.

Lastly I look for how they treat me and my tools. Can I get the stuff off my hands ( no matter how careful, how many pairs of gloves I wear and whether I have my shop apron on or not) I usually end up wearing a percentage of the glue as does my work bench and usually a hand tool or two. Can I get the glue off me and those other things or do I have to wear it off. I particularily hate glues that gum up the glue bottle.

I have considered all those factors and after testing all the yellow glues I like Elmer's probond the best. It might not be the strongest or have the longest glue time but when I'm done using the stuff I'm not frustrated with the my glue up.

Lastly I take magazine reviews with a grain of salt. If I was testing the glue the results would be different just as they usually are if another magazine tests the glue. Each of us have little things that makes us happy, the things that make me happy is not the things that make you happy.
Besides how much of an expert can Fine Woodworking be they don't even appreciate Shopsmiths
Ed