WWA Info Exchange

I need a quick answer on this one....
What readly available glue has the longest "open" time? I'm a fan of Titebond and what I usually use is Titebond II but, it and most all others on the shelf, brags about "strong inital tack" and "fast set".
I have a glue-up of alot of pieces all at once and I'm going to need some time before the first glue drys out to get everything put together.
I bought some Titebond III which states on the bottle "Longer open assembly time". BUT, is there something better as far as open time??

Also.....
My neighbor made a chess board in High School (about 15 years ago) and the frame has split apart at the corners because of expansion and contraction of the field. I have offered to take it apart and put some splines around the field and into the frame to allow for the problem and let the field "float" inside the frame.
My question is, how do I get the glued framework off of the field with out breaking the wood?? I'm not sure what kind of glue was used (and neither is he) but, I'm thinking of trying to heat it up in an oven or something to loosen the glue. Any other ideas? Is there some solvent or anything that might be used to help soften the glue?
If I can get just two oppisite sides off, I could cut the other two off with a table saw and trim the loose pieces to the same width.
HELP!!!!!

Rog

_________________
Dont badmouth no strangers, they just friends you aint met yet.

An ounce of responsibility is worth a pound of State and Federal laws.

I spent most of my money on woodworking
tools and beer, the rest I just wasted.

I just looked through some wood magazines for an article I remember in a recent magazine but can't find it. I guess I just saw it at the bookstore. Anyway, as I recall Titebond III is the longest open time of that type of glue and about the same as Titebond Extend. Roughly 15 minutes depending on the temperature. I think anything more than that you would need to go to a plastic resin glue. I had the same problem you are talking about with a complicated headboard and figured out a way to break the glue up into two separate operations.

I'd bet he used Elmers yellow glue, so heating may work. As a last resort you could cut off the original frame and make a new one, using the same species of wood. I wouldn't heat up the entire piece, but rather use a heat gun/hair dryer to heat just the frame glue line area, or a wet cloth and iron.

_________________
I bring to life, I bring to death:
The spirit does but mean the breath:
I know no more. (Tennyson, In Memoriam)

hebertoo,
Thanks for the encouragement.
I'm making a rocking chair (like the one Little Bear made) It has 27 1/4" slats and 3 larger cross pieces. I plan on gluing them into one side and putting the other side on dry and clamping until the first side sets up. Then glue the second side a day or two later. I'm glad to hear that Titebond III is a reasonable choice. This is a first try for me and, I'm learning alot!! I have "dry" fitted everything twice now (with the help of two other people) but, the final time is making me anxious!

Gene,
I think you have hit the nail too. After thinking about it a bit, I think cutting the frame off is the answer. The orginal is walnut and I'm sure it would be alot easier to make a new one than taking a chance on messing up the orginal field. Besides, I know where I can stea_ _ obtain enough walnut to do the job.

Rog

_________________
Dont badmouth no strangers, they just friends you aint met yet.

An ounce of responsibility is worth a pound of State and Federal laws.

I spent most of my money on woodworking
tools and beer, the rest I just wasted.

It might be a bit tricky cutting the old frame off without cutting into the field if it wasn't perfectly square originaly, or if your fence is just a little bit off. I'd leave a 1/16" or so of the original and plane/sand the remainder off just to be safe.

_________________
I bring to life, I bring to death:
The spirit does but mean the breath:
I know no more. (Tennyson, In Memoriam)

I use tite bond 11 extended time glue. (It comes in a white bottle) rather than the cream colored ones

I have recently been using urea-resin (PPR) glue. You mix it with water. Depending on the temp, you get a LOT of open time before it sets

Here is off the container-

Pot life open time (before bond) (after bond, before clamp)
70F 4-5 hrs , 15 mins , 25 mins

80F 2.5-3.5 , 10 , 15

90F 1-2 , 5 , 8

hope this helps
Lawrence

An update. I just got back from a bookstore and found that the latest Shop Notes magazine talks about glue open times. It seems the Titebond extend is about 5 minutes more than the Titebond III. What was interesting is that they mentioned something called Old Brown Glue that has an open time of an hour. I have no idea where you get it though. Also the liquid hide glue is longer also but I forget how much.

I'm pretty sure that Old brown is actually liquid hide glue-- it is one of two brands of liquid hide glue marketed- the other main one that I know of is the Titebond liquid hide glue.

I'm not sure about the hour long open time though... sounds optimistic to me, but I haven't used it so I cannot attest one way or the other.

For the longest open times have you considered epoxy?

Again, hope this helps
Lawrence

Well guys, it is all a moot point now!
Thank you all for your help but, I got antsy and already did my first half of the glue-up.
Mo came up and got me all excited so we went ahead and did the glue job on the left side of the chair with the Titebond III.
With the two of us working together we did it in 20 minutes or so. He would pull one slat at a time, I applied the glue and stick it back into the slot and he would tap it down and hand me another slat. That was the easy part. We did fight it some getting the right side back on but, it wasn't as bad as I was afraid it would be.
It is back in the bar clamps and drying over night. I hope we can get the dry side back off, apply glue to the slats, and back together for another clamp and some dry time tomorrow afternoon.
The proof will be in the pudding....I plan on having beer-thirty sitting on my rocking chair Monday evening. If my butt don't hit the floor I will be very happy.
Then it will be on to some more finishing and building the arm rests.

Rog

_________________
Dont badmouth no strangers, they just friends you aint met yet.

An ounce of responsibility is worth a pound of State and Federal laws.

I spent most of my money on woodworking
tools and beer, the rest I just wasted.

I really like your definition of success.

_________________
Nullum Gratuitum Prandium

Cheers - Dennis

Ditto what Dennis said!

eric