Thread: A question regarding storage of polyurethane adhesive

Originally Posted by tomartomau

I have some reclaimed kwila that I will be using to make my wife a meatsafe. Joints will be mostly mortice and tenon for the carcass.

I am aware that the kwila can leach tannin even when well seasoned. I typically use Titebond 11 for most woodworking but believe that a Polyuethane adhesive would be better in glueing in this case.

Would the sausage type adhesive be suitable and if do can the roll be decanted into an airtight container.

I am asking as I live a way from specialist ww stores.
Cheers and thanks in advance
Tony

Tony,

When Woodworkers refer to Polyurethane Glue, they are referring to one of the liquid polyurethane glues designed for woodworkers. You don't need to go to a specialist woodworking store, as these sort of glues are generally available at most hardware stores (e.g. Bunnings, Mitre10, Home, etc). The most common brand of Polyurethane Glue that you'll find mentioned in Woodworking Magazines etc, is Gorilla Polyurethane Glue. Don't buy too big a bottle, as this stuff has a habit of going off in the bottle once the bottle has had it's seal broken. You can minimise this by squeezing the air out of the bottle as you use the glue, but this doesn't eliminate the problem of teh stuff going off in the bottle after a month or so. I usually buy the smallest bottle that I need for a job, to minimise wastage.

There are other brands of liquid Polyurethane Glues around (e.g. Selley's Aquadhere Durabond), but after trying the Selley's Durabond PolyU Glue (because it is much cheaper), I can say that I've had the best results using Gorilla PolyU Glue.

The other big plus for the Gorilla PolyU Glue is that there is a wealth of "How To" information explaining how best to use the product. It is a very different glue to the Titebond II that you've been using, and needs different (and sometimes counter intuitive) techniques when using it, so do some Googling and read up on the product before using it - and do some test glue-ups on some scrap so you know what to expect before using the PolyU Glue on your project.

The Polyurethane Glues and Sealants that come in a "sausage" pack (e.g. Sealant Polyurethane Sika 600ml Dark Grey Sausage | Bunnings Warehouse) are not suitable for furniture making. These products are designed as building construction adhesives and sealants.

That said, for working with Kwila, you could also use either Titebond II or Titebond III, with a preference towards Titebond III. Immediately before gluing up, you need to clean both halves of each joint using Acetone to remove any oils etc that might be coming out of the timber. Apply the glue once the Acetone has fully evaporated. If you decide to go with the Gorilla PolyU Glue, I'd also recommend cleaning the joint with Acetone before gluing.

Hope that info helps.

Regards,

RoyG

Definitely don't use the sausages, that stuff is waaaaay too thick for furniture

Thanks for the Wonderful advice, now I know what to look for it makes sense to use a woodworking specific glue.
Thanks again
Tony