# Best/strongest wood glue?



## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

I came across this test of the most popular wood glues on You Tube. What was surprizing to me was the strength of the end grain to end grain bond with over 5,000 lbs of tensile strength on a 2" X 4" ! Does that dispell the long standing "myth" of end grain to end grain being a weak joint, I donno, but see for your self. This you tube poster, Project Farm does a great job in testing many products, chemicals and other stuff you would use in your shop or around the house or farm.
I "Like" him for what it's worth: 👍


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## AJ. (Feb 22, 2012)

Project Farm is awesome.
I believe that when you're doing joints "up there" on mortise and tenons... and glue them up... the differences are academic.

I mean, a M&T joint that holds 1,600 lbs, with a better glue will hold 1,700?

For me that's a meh.


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

I liked what the video showed, but I didn't need to see every single test. A demonstration of each test type and the summary charts would have been sufficient. As @AJ. points out, for most uses, "... the differences are academic." I agree to a point. What matters to me is what was not tested:

Open time, working time, etc.
Time until it reaches the tack point.
How slippery it is when first applied? How difficult is it to keep pieces aligned when clamping pressure is applied? Creep? Etc.
How easy is it to clean up squeezeout? (There are various techniques, and I am still trying to master any of them.)
How well does it hold if you "under-glue" while trying to prevent squeezeout? I assume that "thick" glues are absorbed less, and thus the joints are a little stronger; while "runnier" glues soak in more, and may yield weaker joints. I don't have fancy tests to show it.
What color is it when it is dry? Some people are really good at perfect, invisible joints. Others like me are more human. (... or less skilled.) 
The video showed PVA (polyvinyl acetate) and AR (aliphatic resin) wood glues, but you should also ask yourself whether another type of glue would be more appropriate for a given purpose. Sometimes instead of the "traditional" wood glues glues shown in the video, I prefer to use liquid hide glue, which is actually more traditional, come to think of it. In addition, I use polyurethane, CA, epoxy, contact cement, and spray adhesive for special requirements.

Of the wood glues that were tested in the video, I keep original Titebond (I) and Titebond III in the shop. I ignore the strength difference, but they behave differently at glue up. In addition, Titebond III is waterproof. I had some Gorilla Wood Glue, but gave it away because it was too slippery for me, and took longer to reach the tack point.

A friend gave me a stack of Titebond "Quick and Thick" samples in small envelopes, which I use for special needs. The stuff is very quick. It forms a skin in the glue tray soon after you put it there. Because it is very thick, it is useful for certain end grain glue ups.


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## B Coll (Nov 2, 2019)

woodnthings said:


> I came across this test of the most popular wood glues on You Tube. What was surprizing to me was the strength of the end grain to end grain bond with over 5,000 lbs of tensile strength on a 2" X 4" ! Does that dispell the long standing "myth" of end grain to end grain being a weak joint, I donno, but see for your self. This you tube poster, Project Farm does a great job in testing many products, chemicals and other stuff you would use in your shop or around the house or farm.
> I "Like" him for what it's worth: 👍


Probably 10 years ago Fine Woodworking did a test on glues and found for most applications Titebond Original is as good as it get. Epoxy surpassed Titebond in tight grained woods such as hard maple. Polyurethane glue was pretty much useless, as far as strength is concerned. I keep Titebond I, III, and Extend in my shop. I use West Epoxy when I have complicated glue ups calling for extended setup times.


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