Good day, I'm trying to fix a small table, using cold glue. It seems the glue doesn't want to "take" on the hard-ish wood.
I've cleaned it with a damp cloth. The glue lasts a few months and then the thing comes apart...
Any advice?
Update:
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Try a different glue ?? – Alaska Man Apr 11 at 20:24
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Hardware shop is closed during lockdown. Will check it out at the end of the month - hopefully – TungstenX Apr 13 at 10:37
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What exactly do you mean by "cold glue"? That normally refers to a temporary glue used in auto body repair to pull out dents... That would be totally inappropriate (not to mention wildly expensive) to use for woodworking. – SaSSafraS1232 Apr 13 at 15:38
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1The search on SE works really well, if you search for the words glue or adhesive and bonding you will very likely find quite a few Answers that will help (I've posted Answers on this topic from various angles numerous times myself). Very brief summary — wood much be clean (bare wood, little to no trace of finish of previous glue), freshly works and during assembly clamp pressure must be high. If you get that all right the glue joint will end up stronger than the wood around it, literally. – Graphus Apr 13 at 19:45
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1What are you fixing on this table? Are the surfaces covered in stain / sealant / something? It's difficult to guess what might be going wrong without any details about the repair. – Becuzz Apr 15 at 12:03
I'm not familiar with that brand of glue, but assuming it's reasonable quality and there's nothing wrong with it (moisture, too old, etc) and has been applied properly the glue is should hold extremely well and for decades.
Make sure the wood doesn't have any coatings (paint, oil, dust, etc) and is held firmly with clamps while the glue dries. If you don't have clamps or just want the job done quickly, nailing or screwing the timber in place while the glue is wet will also work (once the glue sets it will be far stronger than screws or nails).
Also the "edge grain" of timber will glue with much more strength than "end grain". There are techniques you can research to mitigate this if end grain gluing is the only option, but generally it should be avoided.
There are other glues that can be used with paint, but you have to know the chemicals in the paint to find a suitable glue.
