Thread: urea formaldehyde why and where

Hi SB,

Urea formaldehyde glues are suposed to have a few qualities that make
them better than other glues:
Long working time can be almost an hour in cooler weather
It is a rigid glues that will not creep.
Great gap filler
Moisture and oil/solvent resistant
Works well with expectant high timbers(oily timber)

Haven't had the need to use them myself, Bumings usualy have it on the shelf.
Hope this helps.
May get some one day and give it a go but it's also expensive.

I used it to laminate some of my handles early on. Bunnings have it in small amounts. (A Selleys product lurking on the highest or lowest shelf. Also available in enormous amounts at trade places. ) I found it has tiny gritty bits (melamine I think. in it that I could see between the layers. I think it is recommended for outdoor situations, but I ultimately found epoxy was easier so use. Was an easier spreadable consistancy, and also doesn't have the grit in it. (I still found I had to clean oily wood with acetone to glue them successfully. )

Actually, typing this I did just remember one possible application that it could be used for. Apparently you can add varying amounts of PVA to it to get varying amounts of flex. I found PVA creeps too much for bent laminations, but epoxy or pure urea formaldehyde is very rigid so might crack in certain applications. None of which leap to mind right now. Anyway, I don't think you can fine tune the flexibility of epoxy like that. (Was just trying t find the info on AV Syntec, which was where I looked way back when. Can't find it. Their apparent site only leads to adds. Maybe they got amalgamated yet again. )

Urea-formaldehyde - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

More recently again, I have begun using polyurathane glue. Single pack. No mucking about mixing. Seems to work.

Originally Posted by tea lady

(Was just trying t find the info on AV Syntec, which was where I looked way back when. Can't find it. Their apparent site only leads to adds. Maybe they got amalgamated yet again. )

Try this one

Originally Posted by DJ's Timber

Try this one

Thanks DJ. Well somewhere on there they will tell you about mixing the glues for flexibility. And adding gap filler stuff and all that. (I'm so technical I'm scary. )

AVS I think has been taken over by Bostic, I still get the AVS products Lincon Sentry

Right, so I just stick with epoxy then, I was hoping to reduce glue lines in my rockers on my rocking chairs. I've tried PVA and it works well but is a bad gap filler and not waterproof. I just think from some of the pictures I've seen of rocking chairs that the rockers have almost non existent glue lines or am I wrong. Thanks for your input guys.

SB

Originally Posted by Superbunny

Right, so I just stick with epoxy then, I was hoping to reduce glue lines in my rockers on my rocking chairs.
SB

Prolly needs some attention to the clamping or forming jigs. Are they leaving too much gap? Are you starting the clamping from the middle so you don't end up with ripples in the layers in the middle? (Sorry! Prolly asking dumb questions. ) Using enough clamps? Surface of the wood smooth enough?

I use AVXL Plus, one part, gap fills reasonably well (depending on the size of the gap), and water proof (not for underwater use or boats)

So......no use for underwater rocking chairs? Bummer

Lets see.... Off gassing has been know to cause cancer and other lung diseases.... Aside from that, I can't seem to muster an advantage

Formaldehyde, a colorless, pungent-smelling gas, can cause watery eyes, burning sensations in the eyes and throat, nausea, and difficulty in breathing in some humans exposed at elevated levels (above 0.1 parts per million). High concentrations may trigger attacks in people with asthma. There is evidence that some people can develop a sensitivity to formaldehyde. It has also been shown to cause cancer in animals and may cause cancer in humans. Health effects include eye, nose, and throat irritation; wheezing and coughing; fatigue; skin rash; severe allergic reactions. May cause cancer. May also cause other effects listed under "organic gases."

Originally Posted by Hickory

Lets see.... Off gassing has been know to cause cancer and other lung diseases.... Aside from that, I can't seem to muster an advantage

Formaldehyde, a colorless, pungent-smelling gas, can cause watery eyes, burning sensations in the eyes and throat, nausea, and difficulty in breathing in some humans exposed at elevated levels (above 0.1 parts per million). High concentrations may trigger attacks in people with asthma. There is evidence that some people can develop a sensitivity to formaldehyde. It has also been shown to cause cancer in animals and may cause cancer in humans. Health effects include eye, nose, and throat irritation; wheezing and coughing; fatigue; skin rash; severe allergic reactions. May cause cancer. May also cause other effects listed under "organic gases."

So it's perfectly safe to use I can see without having to worry too much.

SB