Glueing struts RH

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Dave M
Blackwood
Posts: 595
Joined: Tue Jul 15, 2014 6:44 am
Location: Somerset UK

Glueing struts RH

Post by Dave M » Thu Nov 16, 2017 9:15 am

I was glueing the ladder bracing to a back today when this little niggle that has been around in the brain came back. I have kept the RH down for a few days as per what every serious maker says.

However. If you are using a water based glue such as Titebond, as soon as that liquid hits the great wide board of top or back, isn't it going to pretty quickly absorb that moisture and expand in short order, therefore negating the drying that we have organised? That wetness is going to be around for several minutes I would guess. How long does the timber we use take to expand?

I am talking theoretically but I wonder if anyone has actually looked at what happens when a 10 mm strip of a top or back is wetted with glue across the grain. Does it expand within the time frame of the drying time of the glue?

I do realise that the rest of the board remains dry but is that enough to constrain the possible expansion around that wet strip?

Yours probably overthinking...
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Dave

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Trevor Gore
Blackwood
Posts: 1605
Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2011 8:11 pm

Re: Glueing struts RH

Post by Trevor Gore » Thu Nov 16, 2017 9:35 am

Dave M wrote:
Thu Nov 16, 2017 9:15 am
I am talking theoretically
Best to work practically... :)
Dave M wrote:
Thu Nov 16, 2017 9:15 am
I do realise that the rest of the board remains dry but is that enough to constrain the possible expansion around that wet strip?
Years of practical experience by many, many, luthiers says "Yes". Soaking the board during glue cleanup could be a different matter.

I've used epoxy on lots of boards and Titebond on lots of boards. Can't say I've noticed any practical difference in outcome.
Dave M wrote:
Thu Nov 16, 2017 9:15 am
Yours probably overthinking...
To misquote a famous marketing slogan..."Just glue it". :mrgreen:

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