Was picking up some Titebond II at the store the other day and right next to it was some Gorilla wood glue. How would it compare to Titebond? Are there any other inexpensive wood glues acceptable to use besides Titebond that are readily available at the hardware store?
Don't use that gorilla,,,, it expands!!
TBII or TBIII for me, I was never real impressed with Gorilla glue or epoxy. It's fine for furniture and my father uses it as such, but I don't care for it to use on anything else.
I have not had a single problem with the Tite Bond glues. Just don't use it to glue flax on the back of a bow, it doesn't like to flex much.
But for wood to wood adhesion it's great.
Main difference between TBII and TBIII?
TBIII is waterproof and has a slightly different color to it. Their bond strength is comparable for bow making purposes. Because TBIII is waterproof, many prefer it over TBII. As others have said, don't use the Gorilla glue for bow building. It excels at bonding loose fitting parts because it expands as it dries but it is also brittle and unsightly for fine woodwork and/or bowmaking in my opinion.
QuoteOriginally posted by vanillabear?:
Gorilla glue makes a regular yellow/white wood glue that is not a foaming glue. I've never used it, but I'll bet it works fine. The one I think everyone is warning against is the original brown colored gorilla glue. While the yellow gorilla wood glue probably works fine, TBI,II,and III are easy to find and are proven to work well in wood bow building applications.
Yes, that is what I was referring to, not the brown gorilla glue, but the white/yellow; the label appears to be the same stuff as TBII.
I used a elmer's orange exterior glue on two bows, it work fine and is water proof. But I started using TBIII this summer and like it much better.
If you guys are going to build bows, you need to get a good bow glue. URAC185 is the best for wood to wood or wood to boo. And it is bullet proof. You can mix by volume or weigh it out on a scale. You can get a pint for $5.50 and that will make 5 or 6 bows 66 inches long. Smooth On is also good stuff for horn tip over lays, little more expensive but will make a ton of bows and other bow projects. Trust Me on this one.
http://www.nelsonpaint.com/glue
Roy you need a hot box for urac and smoothon right?
Us lowly new bowyers are mostly doin board bow..lol
you don't need an oven for urac. you need to keep the liquid part in the refrigerator or it will go bad. good stuff though.
don
Not for Urac, it dries in 10 hours at 65. Less time at higher temps, so a low heat hot box would aid in drying time. At 90 degrees it dries in 2 hours. However, I let my bow's clamped for 24 hours, just because:) Smooth On dries a little slower, but even still, 24 hours at 65 or so works.
Heck, maybe I should try some Urac...it's cheaper than TBII or III
That gorilla wood glue works well for furniture and odds &ends but it sets up very very quick,Ive not used it on a bow for that reason, I like TB 3, The water proof part is most important to me.
Ive used tb3 to glue up a lot of bows and never had a problem with it. Good stuff.
I have used TB3 with only a few problems. it is cheap, easy to use, and works well, but it did give me some problems with boo to ipe. I tried URAC 185 because you don't need an oven to use it, and holy cow i love that stuff now. I didn't pay to ship it, i just bought it at a local wood store. 19 dollars but it was a 2 qt can. now the hard part is learning not to mix too much, as i was used to slathering TB3 on everything.
Ya all can use TB1, 2, or 3. But you can not beat URAC185. We spend hours making a bow. Why not use a good glue?
I agree on the Urac. I believe it would be better than the Titebond. Although I have shot and have a bow with Titebond used and they work fine. As for longterm I dont know.
Gorlla glue is not suited for bowyer's work.
TiteBond III is much better.
Urac-185 is tops.
WARNING TEXT WALL:
A few thoughts occur to me from other areas where I've used both working ans static wood:
Weldwood and Urac 185 glues are the same (urea formaldehyde)system. Let them cure and they are waterproof (can be used below the waterline in wooden boats)...they will fill small gaps. Awesome woodglues once cured, water clean-up etc. Use with good ventilation as they will out-gas formaldehyde - even while curing. Most "outdoor" plywood uses this stuff.
TB1/2/3 are all the PVA type glues. Don't use below waterline is the common recommendation in boatbuilding. 2 major differences are touted between grades: "open time" and water resistance increases with grade, although I seem to have longer working time with TB2 than 3. They are convenient & non-toxic but generally inferior to the Urac types as far as bond strength, gap filling & rigidity.
Epoxies are strong, rigid and waterproof, but messy to clean up etc. and the most expensive in general. They can be "doped" (add fillers) to do almost anything. They can be the worst to get bubbles out of if mixed in a hurry. They almost always "blush" to some extent - which leaves a sticky oily feeling residue (amine blush I think) which makes finishes hate to stick to them unless removed.Also need adequate temperature to cure (generally >70F. You can develop a sensitivity (like a rash) if you work with them a lot. Oh and UV will break them down over time. Even with all the "buts" and "oh by the ways" they are killer if mixed and used right.
Just sharing what I've learned from other resources. I've built furniture and small wooden boats, so I've used a lot of glue types. I can't reccomend the polyurethane glues (like the big primate one) since they are generally more expensive than another suitable type - except maybe epoxy but the "rilla is less versatile then the epoxies so I don't skimp when I need that kind of performance, and if I'm gonna don gloves I reach for my epoxies - but that's just me.
These are generalizations based on the "common" knowledge of the material systems - I've used all of them in other projects but actual bowyer's experience should take precedence of course. Sorry...I'm an engineer so I read too much? :dunno:
I've used TB III and Urac 185. I love them both on wood to wood glue ups. However I prefer the Urac more as it is gap filling, has some more initial tack to it and it has a longer working time. I make laminated bows and need the additional working time for all of the lams to get glued and placed. Urac also does not need air to dry so it works real good with banded forms.