Understanding Adhesives for Wood Furniture | Sorting Out A Sticky Subject

Who thought that chemistry would be a beneficial subject for the custom furniture builder? The chemists, I suppose. 

Why does this matter when it comes to high end furniture? It matters because the longevity & performance of every piece depends on choosing the right stuff. You will only find out when the adhesive fails, the right stuff works and you never have to think about it.

Today’s array of glues for woodworking can be bewildering. There are multiple categories of adhesives, and within each category there can be multiple formulations with different properties. Knowing the right glue to use, and, just as importantly, knowing the glue NOT to use, is paramount for the custom furniture shop.

Most folks are familiar with common wood glue, and if you’re of a certain age you’d call it Elmer’s glue. This is PVA glue, or polyvinyl acetate, and is the workhorse of the wood shop.

Then there’s hide glue, an adhesive that’s been used for centuries and still has a place in today’s world. Made from animal hides, this protein based adhesive is often overlooked, but with some help from modern chemistry it has re-established a niche.

After establishing a foothold in the wood finish department, polyurethane decided to get into the adhesive market as well. Polyurethane glues require moisture to cure which can present some challenges with wood, but have a number of beneficial properties as well.

Epoxy is a 2-part adhesive system that comes in a dizzying array of formulations for different uses. From fast setting 5 minute epoxies to deep pour systems used for river tables that take weeks to cure, the chemists have really outdone themselves in adding options to the shop.

Which adhesive to use depends on many factors, including type of joint, function of the joint and the piece, size of the glue up, working time, and so on.

Making sure the right glue is used in the right place, and the wrong glue is NOT used in the wrong place is an often overlooked detail.

We’ll explore this important topic further in subsequent posts. Now if you ask your shop how things are holding up you can be prepared for the answer. We build excellent custom furniture.