Thread: Differences between Titebond glues (1-3) epozy and liquid nails

The Tightbond site explains the differences well but in a nutshell 1 is regular, 2 is water resistant, 3 is waterproof. From memory 3 is slightly stronger and has a slightly longer setting time.

Personally I like 2 for everyday applications and 3 for cutting boards or external projects.

Good answer from Sir Stinkalot.

As for Liquid nails it is a construction adhesive designed to hold
different materials in place. it is also flexible when cured, as it
needs to be. It is a bugger to clean up and I would never use it
for general woodwork let alone fine woodwork as I have seen some
shocking repair jobs done with it.

As for epoxy it also has specific uses. It has advantages as well as
some disadvantages such as correct proportions when mixing and
working time. Brilliant for laminating and in ares where absolute
waterproofing is required, such as boat building and some outdoor
applications.

... and PVA should NOT be considered a 'gap-filling' glue. It will work as one - sorta... PVA and sawdust filler, anyone? - but it is not designed as such and does the job poorly.

Epoxy, on the other hand, can make for a great gap-filler. (Preferably in knot-holes, etc. and not 'filling' badly cut joints. It's much cheaper to make tight joints and use PVA! )

As for Liquid Nails... Artme is spot on. It is not suited to anything that we, on this forum, would normally call woodworking.

Material selection you are gluing is another factor, PVA, Titebond etc are for wood paper, fabric, celulose material where the glue can penetrate. Not so good on plastics & metal where is will stick but shear easily. So if you were repairing a tool which had a brass fitting, or attaching magnets for catches to wood you need o use epoxy.

Super Glue is another glue which has uses in wood work and the pen turners I think even use it as a finish.

I have made a 1500 x 300 router sled with a melamine base, and to keep the base level I want to fix some 25 mm thick plywood boards 300 mm long across the underside of the base at regular intervals along the 1500 length.

What glue / epoxy/ polyurethane would you use in this sort of application, ply to melamine ?

Dengue - epoxy would be the go but how are you going to fix the ply?

On its flat or on its edge? If done on the flat you may well get some cupping,
gluing the pieces on edge will keep things nice and stiff.

Not sure I would do either. I'd have to think it out a bit.

Thanks artme. At the moment I have 300 x 100 x 25 laid flat and screwed through the ply in to the melamine. Didn't think of cupping. Perhaps best to use some flat steel bar or aluminium/ steel angle.

Don't want to drill down through the top side of the melamine base, need to keep it dead flat.

So continuing the above thread, what is the best glue for melamine / plywood laid flat and the best glue for melamine / steel bar or melamine / aluminium bar laid flat?

Originally Posted by Dengue

Thanks artme. At the moment I have 300 x 100 x 25 laid flat and screwed through the ply in to the melamine. Didn't think of cupping. Perhaps best to use some flat steel bar or aluminium/ steel angle.

Don't want to drill down through the top side of the melamine base, need to keep it dead flat.

So continuing the above thread, what is the best glue for melamine / plywood laid flat and the best glue for melamine / steel bar or melamine / aluminium bar laid flat?

Liquid Nails?

Seriously, for melamine/plywood I'd look at epoxy, but when it comes to gluing metal to any timber surface I'd reconsider my fastening options; mainly 'cos of timber movement issues. Concealed screws up from the bottom, perhaps?

I've glued MDF using Titebond 2 and found that the porous nature of the MDF seems to cut the setting time down a bit.
With Titebond 3, I didn't have this problem but the glue line shows up more due to the different colour of the glue.

As I understood it, tite bond 2 is a food safe (us FDA regulated) product. The others aren't.

Trav

I was looking in Bunnings the other day for something to laminates some exterior timbers and found some cheap construction adhesive I hadn't seen before - Loctite cartridges. They sounded good. Goes on white dries clear, much nicer than liquid nails. Have to wait for a few years to report back how it holds up.

That Loctite might be just what I'm looking for to glue phenolic coated plywood i.e. formply.

So any harm in just using titebond 3 on everything fine woodwork? Is there any reason to use 1 or 2 other than if its going to be serving food? Seems titebond 3 is strongest, so I figure, any disadvantages?

Cheers

Originally Posted by Dengue

I have made a 1500 x 300 router sled with a melamine base, and to keep the base level I want to fix some 25 mm thick plywood boards 300 mm long across the underside of the base at regular intervals along the 1500 length.

What glue / epoxy/ polyurethane would you use in this sort of application, ply to melamine ?

Nail gun.