Thread: Glue used by cabinet-maker 1970s?

Almost certainly PVA. Quickest and easiest way to seperate them would be to cut the kicker off. Could be some metal fixings in there too.

Agreed, 99% likely to be PVA.

However, if it’s the thick end of 50 years old there’s a good chance it might be weak enough to pull apart providing there are no metal fixings such as nails involved.

I recently restored a 1950’s china cabinet that was put together with PVA; most of the glued surfaces were falling apart and the old glue scraped off fairly easily, however the main cause of the failure was the complete lack of surface preparation… rough sawn edges don’t make for a good glue surface.

If a bit of shock treatment with a good whack with hammer or mallet wont get them to come apart then its possibly a saw apart job. Heat will release all glue joints but getting the heat to the glue is the hard part on most things except veneer work.

Thanks all for your input. I'll try a bit of push and shove, and perhaps some hot water, but I think the kicker is doomed.
Pity - it's exactly the depth I want.

You mentioned you were getting stuff that’s ‘nearly’ 20mm thick machined to exactly 3/4”.
3/4” is 19.05mm.
Doesn’t leave much per side to come off.
Might be best to make sure you get one good side on the jointer and see where your at re that thickness.
H.

I agree with Aldav and ChiefTiff that it is probably PVA glue, but there are at least four possible candidates: -

PVA - Most likely candidate, as above.

Resorcinol - This was the most popular glue for shipwrights as it is waterproof. With the demise of wooden yacht building many boat builders became cabinet makers and continued to use the glue they were most familiar with. It can be identified by the glue line which is very dark red verging on black.

Hide Glue - Some traditionalists, including my great uncles, were still using what they had used in their apprenticeships before WW1.

Epoxy - It was available but quite expensive and not well known. Rarely used outside boat building where it replaced resorcinol in that industry.

The thicknessing should be OK, Clear Out. My machining-man is very careful - I'll give him a piece of scrap with the trench made by my 3/4" router bit. The fit's the important thing - and some flecks of old undercoat in the underside of shelves wouldn't worry me.
Thanks for the info re glues, Graeme. I've chipped away part of one of the little triangle-blocks, and the exposed glue is clear-coloured...definitely looks like PVA.

If it's PVA you might have success using cleaning vinegar to soften it. It works with fairly new PVA, don't know how it goes with old stuff. If you can get it a little bit open at one end, then get more vinegar in, you may be able to open it up a little at a time.

Hi Alex
Tried vinegar as you suggested, and managed to get a thin blade a little way into one end - then realized I was cutting the timber, not the glue.
Same when I tried the very fine fishing-line trick.
If I whack it (very tempting) I know I'll just damage both pieces.
Bottom line - the kicker has to be cut off. Learning experience.