Ever have a Questions about Titebond Glue

If you ever had questions about the titebond glues here are your answers. This come directly from http://www.titebond.com/frequently_asked_questions.aspx

What is the best way to disassemble a glue joint?
The key to the disassembly of glue joints is weakening the bond. For Titebond Original, Titebond II and Titebond III, raising the glue joint temperature with a heat gun or a blow dryer will reduce the glue’s strength. Steam from an iron may also work. Placing a few drops of water on the edge of a joint made with Titebond Liquid Hide Glue will, after absorbed, cause the joint to weaken. For Titebond Instant Bond glues, placing a few drops of acetone on the joint may cause the joint to loosen after absorption.
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What are the resulting colors when the Titebond Wood Glues dry?
Titebond III Ultimate – light brown
Titebond Original – yellow
Titebond II Premium – translucent yellow
Titebond Dark – brown
Titebond Liquid Hide – transparent amber
Titebond Melamine – colorless
Titebond No-Run, No-Drip – transparent with a light brown tint
Titebond Polyurethane – yellowish amber
Titebond Translucent – colorless
Titebond Instant Bond – colorless
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What is the “crackling effect”?
The “crackling effect” is a process that can give an antique appearance to just about anything. With this effect virtually anything will appear distinguishably aged. Traditionally, most hobbyists have used Titebond Liquid Hide Glue (Instructions) to achieve this effect.
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What is the shelf life of Titebond Wood Glues?
Our literature states the shelf life of a majority of our wood glues as two years. Titebond Liquid Hide Glue includes an expiration date on the bottle, because it can progressively lose its ability to dry hard, and this change is not visually obvious. Titebond Polyurethane Glue has a one-year shelf life in an unopened container, but is useable as long as the glue remains fluid. Polyurethanes, however, are designed to react when exposed to moisture. Sometimes, they begin to cure, and solidify, after the bottle has been opened. Most of our yellow and white glues, including Titebond Original and Titebond II, remain usable beyond two years. Should Titebond Original become thick and stringy, or Titebond II turn into an orange-colored gel, these changes signify that the glue is no longer usable. The minimum shelf life of Titebond III is stated as one two years. When stored appropriately at room temperature, Titebond III is expected to last beyond its stated shelf life. If thickened, shake vigorously by firmly tapping bottle on a hard surface until product is restored to original form. For a complete list of Titebond Adhesive shelf life click here.
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Can Titebond Wood Glues be used for projects using teak, cedar or redwood?
Because a surface layer of oil or tannic acid tends to build up on these species, they can present a problem. For either type of wood, planing, jointing, or sanding shortly before bonding will remove the contaminating layer and allow successful bonding. Otherwise, the surface being bonded will need to be wiped with acetone to remove the layer. Acetone dries quickly and allows bonding almost immediately after the surfaces have been wiped.
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Are Titebond Glues safe to use?
All of our Titebond wood glues are safe to use and produce no harmful fumes. They meet the requirements of ASTM D4236 for safe use with arts and crafts. Titebond III Ultimate Wood Glue and Titebond II Premium Wood Glue have both been approved for indirect food contact. For this reason, it is the glue that we recommend for making cutting boards. We do recommend wearing gloves when working with the Titebond Polyurethane Glue because repeated use of the product with bare hands could lead to a sensitivity to those types of products.
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What is the clamping and drying time of Titebond Wood Glues?
For most of our wood glues, we recommend clamping an unstressed joint for thirty minutes to an hour. Stressed joints need to be clamped for 24 hours. We recommend not stressing the new joint for at least 24 hours. For Titebond Polyurethane Glue, we recommend clamping for at least forty-five minutes. The glue is completely cured within 6 hours.
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Can Titebond Wood Glues be thinned?
Most of our water-based wood glues can be thinned with water up to 5% by weight or by volume. Adding more than 5% water to our glues will decrease the bond strength. Titebond Liquid Hide Glue is thinned by gently heating the bottle in a pan of warm water. Titebond Polyurethane Glue may only be thinned by placing the bottle into a pan of warm water.
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Can surfaces that have been painted or stained be bonded using Titebond Wood Glues?
Most of our glues are designed to bond bare wood. Painting or staining a wood blocks the pores, keeping the glue from penetrating into the wood. The Titebond Polyurethane Glue may work for gluing together painted or stained surfaces, but it is necessary to remember that the overall bond will only be as strong as the bond between the paint and the wood. We recommend that all substrates be clean of any type of paint, stain, or sealer.
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How do I clean up wet glue or remove dried glue?
For most of our water-based wood glues, it is often best to use a damp cloth and remove excess glue before it has dried. After the glues have dried, scraping or sanding works well. Steam from an iron may also be effective, but it will not take the glue out of the pores of the wood. When wet, the Titebond Polyurethane Glue may be removed with acetone, but it is much easier to chip off the foam after the glue has cured. Once dry, Titebond Instant Bond Wood Adhesives may be removed with acetone or sanding.
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Why is Polyurethane Hot Melt technology better?
This technology utilizes many of the positive attributes in several different adhesives and combines them into one formula. These products provide strong, waterproof bonds, offer extremely fast set times and bond most common materials.
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What makes Polyurethane Hot Melt Adhesives stronger than conventional hot melts?
Polyurethane hot melts (PURs) form an initial bond immediately upon cooling, similar to conventional hot melts. However, PURs offer a second phase where the adhesive reacts with moisture to form an extremely strong chemical bond known as cross-linking. At this point, the adhesive actually penetrates both the substrate and the adhesive itself to make a “chain,” thus making it much stronger, and more permanent, than traditional hot melt sticks.
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How much time does the cross-linking reaction take?
The cross-linking bond begins forming over a period of time ranging from hours to days and bond strength builds proportionately. But, keep in mind the initial bond has enough strength to allow assemblies to be machined or finished immediately after bonding and the adhesive has set. Load bearing joints should not be stressed for 24 – 48 hours, allowing time for the cross-linking reaction to occur.
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Where does the moisture that fuels the reaction come from?
Moisture from the air and substrate fuel the reaction. The amount of moisture may affect the set time and cure time of the adhesive.
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Will the HiPURformer Polyurethane Hot Melts foam as they cure?
No, the foaming associated with pourable polyurethane glues will not occur with the polyurethane hot melts. You may experience excess “squeeze-out” similar to other glues, which can be easily removed from the surface.
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How do I get the adhesive off of my hands?
We strongly recommend that you wear gloves when using Titebond Polyurethane Hot Melt Adhesives. The adhesive is hot and may burn unprotected skin. However, if you do get the adhesive on your skin, wash thoroughly with soap or a pumice cleanser. Repeated washings may be necessary.
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How long does it take to heat the adhesive to working temperature?
It takes approximately 10 – 13 minutes for the adhesive to become liquid. It may appear thicker than traditional glues you may have used, but the product will flow nicely out of the cartridge. NOTE: Each new cartridge must be heated for at least 10 minutes. The green indicator light may remain on temporarily if the heat cylinder is hot from previous use.
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Once the adhesive has been heated, how long can I work until I need to recharge?
After the material has been heated to the working temperature, you will have approximately 20 minutes of “cordless” gluing. When it appears that the adhesive is becoming too thick to be extruded from the cartridge, place the cartridge back into the charger.
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Will I need to use clamps?
Although clamping or bracing can ensure a good bond, HiPURformer adhesives greatly reduce the need for this application. It is the ideal choice for woodworking, home repair and construction projects that are too difficult to reach and require a strong bond.
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Do the pieces need to fit tightly together?
Although it is best to work with materials that fit nicely together, or have a common surface area, the HiPURformer adhesives can bridge small gaps and fill irregularities in the materials. This allows the adhesive to ensure a strong, permanent bond for tough applications.
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Will the HiPURformer adhesives work on plastics?
There are literally thousands of plastic materials available today. While the adhesive is effective in bonding most plastics, we recommend that you “test” a small area before you apply adhesive to the actual project. Roughing up the plastic surface may help ensure a stronger bond.
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Will the HiPURformer adhesives work on metals?
There are several types of metal materials available today. While the adhesive is effective in bonding most metals, it is not intended for use on copper or metal alloys containing a high percentage of copper. In addition we recommend that you “test” a small area before you apply that adhesive to the actual project. Roughing up the metal surface may help insure a stronger bond.
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Is the HiPURformer Polyurethane Advanced Bonding System safe to use?
Yes. As with any electrical heating device, basic safety precautions should always be followed to reduce the risk of fire, electric shock and personal injury. In addition, we strongly recommend that you wear gloves when applying the adhesive. The HiPURformer adhesives are solvent free and nonflammable.
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What is the difference between the ANSI/HPVA Type I and Type II water-resistance specification?
Both of these tests are conducted using 6” by 6” birch laminates glued together to make three-ply plywood. The test for Type I is clearly more stringent than Type II, and involves boiling the glue bonds and testing the specimens while they are wet.

Type I testing involves cutting the 6" by 6" assemblies into 1" by 3" specimens, boiling them for 4 hours, then baking the specimens in a 145°F oven for 20 hours. They are boiled for an additional 4 hours, then immediately cooled using running water. The specimens are sheared while wet, and the bonds must pass certain strength and wood failure requirements to pass the Type I specification.

Type II testing involves cutting the 6" by 6" assemblies into 2" by 5" specimens, soaking them for 4 hours, then baking the specimens in a 120°F oven for 19 hours. This is repeated for a total of three cycles, and the bonds must not delaminate to pass the Type II specification.
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How does Titebond III compare to polyurethane glues?
While polyurethane glues bond well to a variety of materials, Titebond III is superior in many ways. In addition to excellent water-resistance, it provides a stronger bond on wood-to-wood applications, doesn’t foam and requires less clamp time. Titebond III has no health issues, doesn’t require the use of gloves and cleans up with water. It is significantly less expensive than polyurethane glues and offers similar coverage rates.
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Why should I use Titebond III instead of Titebond II or the other Titebond Wood Glues?
While all Titebond products provide superior performance, Titebond III is especially useful for outdoor applications in cooler temperatures or when concern for substantial moisture calls for the use of a Type I glue. For interior applications, the longer working time of Titebond III provides woodworkers the necessary latitude to ensure that substrates are precisely aligned before being bonded. Overall, Titebond III combines superior strength, Type I water-resistance, long open time and low chalk temperature into one easy-to-use formulation.
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What does the term “shelf life” mean in regard to Titebond Wood Glues?
“Shelf life” is a conservative estimate of the minimum time period that we would expect a given product to remain usable, when stored as directed. This concept might also be called “useable service life” or “storage life,” and it necessarily refers to both the physical handling properties and the ability of the product to perform properly. When used in reference to wood glues, reaching the stated shelf life does not mean that a product will “expire” or become unusable. Instead, we view the stated shelf life of most of our glues merely as a guideline to avoid potential aging concerns. In reality, as long as products like Titebond Original, Titebond II and Titebond III remain fluid, without a drastic change in appearance, they will continue to perform as intended.
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Is Instant Bond heat and water resistant?
Instant Bond can be used in temperatures from -65F to 200F. Not recommended for exterior use due to slight softening of the adhesive with water.
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Is Instant Bond designed for interior/exterior use?
Instant Bond is designed for interior usage.
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Can Instant Bond withstand extreme cold temperatures?
Instant Bond can withstand temperatures as low as -65°F.
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How do I remove Instant Bond from my skin or project?
Place a small amount of acetone on the effected area and rub until the adhesive has been removed. Please follow solvent vendor’s precautions. Nail polish remover can also be used to remove adhesive. Be cautious as these products are flammable and can irritate skin.
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Does Instant Bond only bond wood?
No, Instant Bond adhesives are not only designed for wood. They will also bond plastics, metal, rubber, cove base, brass, china, leather, pottery, fiberglass and more. For a complete listing, please contact our technical service team at 1-800-347-4583.
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Are there limitations when using Instant Bond?
Yes, not designed for continuous water submersion and installing rear view mirrors.
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Is there anything Instant Bond cannot bond?
Yes, do not use on foam, polyethylene and/or polypropylene plastics.
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How should I prepare a surface before using Instant Bond?
Ensure the surface is clean and dry of any material such as oil or dirt.
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How do I keep Instant Bond’s applicator from clogging?
All Instant Bond caps are equipped with “anti-clogging” needles to prevent clogging and premature curing.
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What if Instant Bond doesn’t bond?
Ensure the surface is clean and dry. If dust or dirt is on the intended bonded surface, use a small amount of acetone until clean. Acidic surfaces (wood with dark tannic acids, some leathers and metals) can inhibit curing of the Instant Bond adhesive. Use the Titebond Activator to start the curing process or, spray one side with Titebond Activator and spread Titebond Instant bond on the other surface for an instant bond
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What is the assembly and cure speed of Instant Bond glues?
Instant Bond – Thin Assembly Time: 5 seconds Cure Speed: 3 seconds;
Instant Bond – Medium Assembly Time: 7 seconds Cure Speed: 5 seconds;
Instant Bond – Thick Assembly Time: 10 seconds Cure Speed: 8 seconds;
Instant Bond – Gel Assembly Time: 30 seconds Cure Speed: 20 seconds

When Instant Bond Activator is used with the Instant Bond adhesive, all assembly and cure times can be cut in half.
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How Do I Read The Lot Numbers?
Our current lot numbering system is a 10 digit code. The format is: aymmddbat#. The “a” stands for Made in the U.S.A. The “y” is the last digit of the year of manufacture. Digits “mm” represent the month, and “dd” represent the day of the month. The final four digits represent the batch number used for quality control purposes. Therefore, a product with the lot number A104270023 was manufactured on April 27, 2011.
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Will Titebond Wood Glues wash out of clothing?
If Titebond Wood Glues are accidentally spilled on clothing, it is important to immediately wet it with water and keep it wet until all adhesive is rubbed off of the clothing. Do not put the clothing item in the dryer until all adhesive is removed. Heat will melt the adhesive into the fabric and it will be permanent. Titebond II and Titebond III if allowed to dry will not release from fabric. A mixture of Acetone/Water/Vinegar will soften the adhesive but will not dissolve it. Scraping the softened adhesive should remove a majority of the adhesive