titebond3 vs epoxy (hws)

thanks Doc,

that was exactly the kind of walk-through I needed. confirmed my general thoughts, and really puts my mind at rest. I hope to start getting some pics up in the next couple of weeks.

pat

I have built two hollow wood boards and I have to say doc advise is dead on.

Just a quick followup, being as I got to play with some titebond III for the first time on the job today:

Color- a kinda beige before it’s gone off, it would blend well with your average balsawood. Hardening, it goes a little translucent, didn’t see it fully dried so I couldn’t tell ya. Might also be a better choice for oak than the II, just on color principles.

Consistency - think of Titebond II with a little cabosil. It doesn’t brush out as easy as the II, I found that the move was to put down a bead and use the brush almost vertical to kinda plow it around, mebbe wiggling it a bit side-side to get it there. You can , using a brush, ‘cut to’ a line, but you leave a bead of glue off the side of the brush there

It definitely doesn’t drool out of the joints like the II or most of the other yellow glues. So you can load up the glue, it seems to scrape off with a fingertip ok if you do it quick, spillover doesn’t soak into the wood like the II and leave something that needs sanding before a stain or something goes on.

I think it also stays nicer on a vertical glue-up than the II, and may fill gaps better, so that if like me your mortise and tenon joints could be tighter, well, it’d be a help.

Pot life/open time - I went to lunch, came back and my brush was still usable ( about 50°F, in the shade, out of the wind) which seems to indicate a longer open time than the II.

Strength, durability? Beats me, it’ll be a few years before I have an intelligent answer to that one.

And, with any luck, at the end of this month I will be getting out of doing house carpentry for a living ( after 35 years of hating it) , so I may never know…

doc…designated fishmonger…

thanks doc!

I’ll let you know what I end up going with.

pat