# Edge glueing the inexpensive cedar fencing from Home Depot



## plang (Mar 20, 2009)

i HAVE SEVERAL PIECES OF CEDAR FENCING THAT i WANT TO EDGE GLUE TO MAKE A WIDE BOARD. WILL TITEBOND 3 DO THE JOB, OR WHAT KIND OF GLUE DO YOU RECOMMEND. i AM CONCERNED ABOUT ALL THE OILS AND SUCH IN CEDAR. THANKS


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## Kilo19 (Oct 13, 2017)

Titebond 3 is "water resistant" but as you mentioned, all the oils that may prohibit a good clean bond. I don't know if any prep would make a difference but it be better then nothing. (not really used cedar for much). Acetone/Mineral spirits to clean/prep with is what I would use.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

Any PVA glue will work fine on cedar in my 
experience. I built a guitar with a cedar top
and used white glue. If you're concerned 
about gluing sappy pieces, don't use those 
pieces. Cedar does soak up more glue than
hardwoods as I recall, so you might want to
use more or apply a sealer coat of thinned 
glue first.


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## runswithscissors (Nov 8, 2012)

A clean, freshly jointed edge will glue up better than the factory edge.


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## ScottM (Jul 10, 2012)

I built an outdoor table with that cedar from HD or Lowes a couple of years ago and glued up the panels with Titebond III. It's been exposed in the weather since it was built and the glue joints are still good. It has developed some other aging, couple of cracks, etc, but nothing on the glue lines. I didn't treat the edges at all prior to glue up.


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## Carloz (Oct 12, 2016)

> A clean, freshly jointed edge will glue up better than the factory edge.
> 
> - runswithscissors


Is it a fact or your opinion? Rough surfaces glue better than clean surfaces that is why manufacturers rough up dowels, biscuits etc 
As long as the edge is straight there is no need to joint it.


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## johnstoneb (Jun 14, 2012)

You will have no problem gluing up WRC fencing with PVA glues. You need to make sure it is dry before using it The cedar fencing that the big box stores get usually has water running out of it and needs to be stacked and stickered for several month before using. WRC shrinks a lot when drying. I don't know what oils you are talking about in WRC. You will have some sap around knots sometimes.


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## rwe2156 (May 7, 2014)

I've glued up red cedar panels without any problems.

Bruce make a very good point re: moisture.

You might want to consider buying the kiln dried cedar in the rack rather than fencing.


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## ScottM (Jul 10, 2012)

> I ve glued up red cedar panels without any problems.
> 
> Bruce make a very good point re: moisture.
> 
> ...


I stand corrected. What I bought and used was out of the rack and NOT fencing. Not sure why I got them confused earlier. Just keep in mind that the stuff in the indoor racks is displayed as 3/4" but I could not find any that measured 3/4". Hopefully yours will be better.


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

> A clean, freshly jointed edge will glue up better than the factory edge.
> 
> - runswithscissors
> 
> ...


From what I've seen there isnt much of a difference in strength.

You're talking about mass produced items where the finish doesn't matter.


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

> A clean, freshly jointed edge will glue up better than the factory edge.
> 
> - runswithscissors
> 
> ...


This makes me wonder why I ever bought a "glue line rip blade"


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## runswithscissors (Nov 8, 2012)

Roughened dowels? Maybe if you do it yourself. I've never seen one in a store. There are grooved dowels, some with a spiral groove, but that's to let the excess glue out so it doesn't build up pressure as you insert the dowel.

As for biscuits, they aren't "roughened." They are compressed, using a waffle pattern, so that the glue can soak in and swell the biscuit tight in the slot.

In regard to oils in cedar, the old growth cedar, which you don't see much nowadays, has lots of resins in the wood. You can smell it. The resins are why cedar has a reputation for decay resistance. Most of the WRC you see today is second growth, and a pathetic substitute for the real thing. That's the crap you see in the BORG. Yeah, I've used it myself, but never for something where durability is called for.


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## rwe2156 (May 7, 2014)

> This makes me wonder why I ever bought a "glue line rip blade"
> 
> - AlaskaGuy


Me too. But it really works well with a tenon jig


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