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Short Summary
Main recommendation: use yellow wood glue (Tightbond II is the brand the speaker trusts for almost every project) as the primary joining method for wood, since in most cases it's stronger than the wood it's holding and can hold better than screws or nails. For wood-to-nonwood joints, the speaker favors five-minute epoxy, and for a single glue he would consider for nearly everything, he names Weldbond.
Key Points
- Wood glue often holds better than screws or nails, and in the speaker's test the joint broke along the grain of the wood rather than at the glue line.
- End-grain gluing is weaker because the hollow end-grain soaks up glue, so it is best kept to low-stress projects like small boxes or picture frame miters.
- Clamping gives the strongest bond, but glue can be set without clamps for small or decorative pieces, and glue-and-brad (tacking with a pin nailer) lets assembly proceed immediately.
- Epoxy suits joints involving metal, plastic, or glass, but it costs more, is messier, is harder to sand, and might not be as strong as wood glue for wood-to-wood joints.
- Weldbond, the speaker's possible all-purpose choice, bonds painted boards, glass, ceramics, terracotta, metal, and plastic, and dries clear.
Details Worth Noting
- Concrete instructions:
- For wood-to-wood joints, use yellow wood glue (Tightbond II) and cover every part of the joined surface, using a disposable brush, a silicone basting brush, an old credit card or playing card, or your finger on edges.
- Clamp with multiple clamps for even pressure, tightening until you see glue squeezing out; you do not need to clamp very tightly.
- Wipe off excess glue while wet with a finger or dry cloth, then sand off what remains once dry, making sure visible areas are cleared.
- Check for missed glue by wiping mineral spirits on the wood, which highlights spots that still need sanding.
- You can usually remove clamps after about an hour if the joint is not under stress (about 30 minutes is sometimes fine), but wood glue needs about 24 hours to reach full strength.
- For end-grain joints, either brush on a sizing of half glue and half water, let it dry, then glue normally with full-strength glue, or force full-strength glue into the pores by smooshing it in, let it dry a few minutes, then glue as normal.
- For end-grain joints in chairs or tables, reinforce with a mechanical fastener such as a couple of pocket screws.
- For wood-to-nonwood joints, mix five-minute epoxy (two parts) thoroughly and dab it on; no clamping is needed.
- Glue-and-tack: glue the boards, tack with a brad or pin nailer, and move on immediately, but expect visible nail holes that are hard to fill and color-match on pieces to be stained or finished.
- Epoxy's drawbacks include higher cost, mixing each time, poor sandability, and messier cleanup since it's not water-based.
- Wood glue cleans up with water or peels off when dry; the speaker finds peeling dried glue satisfying.
- Choosing glue depends on more than strength: dry time, cleanup, environmental impact, volatility, ease of use, durability to the elements, and convenience matter too.
Bottom Line
Match the glue to the joint: yellow wood glue for wood-to-wood work, epoxy for mixed materials, and Weldbond as a versatile option, with end-grain and stress-bearing joints needing extra reinforcement.
