Glue question for Carole

[bobthebuilder]

Carole,

You've spoke of useing weldbond and titebond II and titebond III for recommended glues for your bowls. There is also original Titebond glue
and that is the kind I use on a lot of projects on regular glue ups. So my question is, Are the titebond II and III only glues I should use for the bowls
or can I use The original as well.

Thanks
Bob

[handibunny]

Bob,

When I was doing research about glues for the book, I consulted a number of books about turning bowls on the lathe, since that was where the relevant information was, particularly when it came to gluing up segmented bowls. The general consensus was that regular PVA glues, like the original Titebond and other white glues are not recommended because they are more responsive to seasonal changes and may result in something called "ring creep", where the rings move slightly out of alignment and spoil the smooth finished look. Titebond II and III are less likely to result in ring creep.

Weldwood, a urea formaldehyde glue, was used in Spielman's 1992 book about scroll saw bowls, but it is toxic and has to mixed each time from a powder. I tried it, and it worked fine, but it was a major production compared to regular glues. I also tried Titebond III with aspen to see if the darker color was a problem, and it didn't appear to be. My personal preference is Weldbond, which I get from Sloan's, because it dries clear, washes clean with water, and has a really quick "grab" which is important when clamping is not feasible. If I'm rushed, I can often start sanding after only an hour (or even less) of clamping time, if I'm careful.

So the long answer to your question is that if you're going to invest the time in making bowls, go for one of the types that is generally recommended for that purpose to avoid possible problems.

Hope this answers your question. Glad you asked.

[bobthebuilder]

Thanks Carole for the response to my question. And yes you answered it very well. Thanks for doing the research on the different glues. Yes you are 100 percent right in the fact that if you are going to invest all that time and supplies in a project, you might as well use the right products for the job. It would be a shame to have the project you worked so hard on have problems from something so little. So, I will take your advise and order myself a bottle of weldbond.

Bob