Titebond III

[Rjgooden]

I am having trouble with my glue ups starting to crack after a month or so. I am wondering what the causes could be. They have been squared up on the jointer and look good for awhile but they seem to separate in random spots. When I take it apart it almost looks like glue failure. I am thinking of starting to use a two part epoxy and see how that holds up. Any thoughts would be appreciated

 

[wndopdlr]

Have used all the verities of Titebond and never had a problem. What is the moisture content of your wood. Could it be drying after glue up and causing the problem?

 

[junquecol]

Again check the moisture content of your stock. Adjoining boards are drying at different rates.

 

[Rjgooden]

It is mostly air dried wood that’s been sticker Ed wand drying for at least two years

 

[Rjgooden]

I don’t have climate control in my shop or my drying sheds. Could this be causing the problems

 

[Rjgooden]

I live at the coast and it very humid could this be causing the problems

 

[cyclopentadiene]

Did yoy leave your glue outside during the winter. Freezing temperatures and long term air exposure break down titebond

 

[Rjgooden]

No I haven’t left it out and even got new in spring

 

[Tarhead]

If the cracks are in the glue joints it could be glue starvation. How tight are you clamping the glue-ups? If the cracks aren't in the glue joints your stock is too wet and needs more time to dry. Living in a humid climate shouldn't prevent it from drying enough to be stable. Even on the most humid day, there is a big difference between the amount of water in the lumber and that in the air and the wood loses water. You need to allow a year per inch if it's stacked and stickered correctly and then bring it inside to acclimate for a few weeks.

 

[Rjgooden]

So you’re saying I may be clamping to tight

 

[Oka]

All the above :
If the glue joint is failing then look at these issues:
1. Check wood moisture level. Make sure you are using woods that are of similar levels of dryness
2. Check to see if the joints do not have enough glue in the joint
3. Check the joints are flat and seam together correctly. Over clamping will introduce tension into the wood and when it dries it can cause cracking or twisting in the wood. Titebond engineers recommend that a correct joint clamping force should only require a maximum of 200-250 lbs of clamping if the joints are tight and straight.
4. If the glue is thicker than normal then, it may be damaged or old, too far gone to be effective for securing joints correctly.
Titebond III is really the only one I use from Titebond and its shelf life is 12-18 months depending on conditions. After that, it begins to get suspect (talking from experience).

The only time I have had issues with Titebond is if the glue was old or if I did not use enough glue

 

[tvrgeek]

Have you considered powered resin rather than epoxy?

 

[chris_goris]

Do you have pictures? What types of joints? It sounds like the culprit is your moisture content.

 

[tvrgeek]

Wood has to be darn right wet for PVA to fail in my experience, and even then it usually works. It is water based.

 

[chris_goris]

Wood has to be darn right wet for PVA to fail in my experience, and even then it usually works. It is water based.

If youre referring to my comment about moisture, Im more concerned with wood movement while its drying than initial glue bonding.

 

[Rjgooden]

Sounds like wood moisture may be the culprit. What moisture levels can I realistically expect to see? I have a pin moisture meter and I don’t get below 12-14 percent with air dry.

 

[Rjgooden]

Scott what is powdered resin and where do I get it?

 

[jlwest]

Scott what is powdered resin and where do I get it?

Weldwood® Plastic Resin Glue

 

[chris_goris]

I always use kiln dried lumber. I have no idea what the moisture content is. Somewhere in the less than 10 % range though. Been using titebond 2 & 3 for many years and never seen a failure as youre describing. If your wood isnt dried when glued, you can expect failures later on. Its wood, it moves. and the stresses are very high when it does. Are you seeing the glue fail or the wood around it?.

 

[Rjgooden]

Okay I get it I need to get kiln dried lumber, unfortunately nobody around here has a kiln. I really don’t want to go to big box stores