# Titebond 3



## woodworkingdrew (Dec 29, 2013)

Is this stuff really the best wood glue on the market? I am finding joints breaking while using this stuff


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

Titebond 3 is a waterproof pva glue. The glue in your link is a ca glue. Two completely different things. For the most part, super glue is super glue. I've tried dozens of brands of boutique ca glues and they were all the same with one exception. 
http://lumberjocks.com/reviews/3530

But superglue is not an all purpose wood glue. It is strong in tension, weak in shear strength.


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

Either you link or your title are broken.
As Rick said, two completely different things.

But, as far as Titebond III is concerned it's a very good glue.
There are others and PVA glue from one company is just about as good as the PVA glue from another.

I can't tell any difference between Gorilla brand (more expensive) PVA glue and Elmers (less expensive) PVA glue. Titebond falls somewhere in the middle, price wise. Other brands have the different formulations also. There are three. Type one, white, not water resistant, good glue though. Type two, yellow, water resistant, thicker body, quicker set. Type 3, brown/dark tan, most water proof, thinner, slower set.

I don't think I would call Titebond III the best, just one of the best. There are others.


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

I can't add anything to what's been said, only express they echoed my sentiments exactly.


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## jdh122 (Sep 8, 2010)

What makes Titebond 3 different from most other pva glues is its degree of waterproofness. It may be slightly stronger than "regular" pva glues, but the difference is pretty small.
If your joints are breaking and they're made from any type of yellow wood glue I'd say that there's either some issue with your technique (the jointing, joint tightness, clamping force or amount of glue, applied in cold conditions) or your glue has gone bad. On the other hand, if you're using E-Z Bond glue I can see that there could be issues, although I have never used it for joints.


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## JAAune (Jan 22, 2012)

For the longest time, we used Elmer's glue because it was effective, inexpensive and had a long open time. Wood glue has too short an open time for many assemblies.

Titebond III however, has the same open time as Elmer's glue but much better initial tack and less water content. The water resistance is a bonus. Now we pay the extra money and use Titebond.

There are other really good PVA glues out there but they're sold to the industry in 5 gallon pails. Unless you belong to a club and can split a bucket it's not a viable option for most hobbyists.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

These may be helpful

http://www.finewoodworking.com/how-to/video/testing-wood-glues.aspx

http://www.oldbrownglue.com/images/articles/HowStrongisYourGlue_FWW.pdf

http://www.thewoodwhisperer.com/articles/differences-between-titebond-glues/


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

It could be, and I'm not saying it is, that you're not applying enough glue to the joints and therefore it's "starving" the glue-ups…..I prolly apply more than necessary, but I want to ensure a good, tight bond….I then wait till the glue turns a "brownish" color, is dry, and then use a scraper…I like to see the beads pop up…...


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

"Sizing" springs to mind.

When gluing end grain saturate the end grain and when it's done absorbing the 
glue you may proceed as mentioned above.

HTH


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

One other thing I'll add about TB3, I've read of people having issues with it shrinking and turning dark brown, and I have experienced those problems myself. So I no longer use it except on outdoor projects or where there will be significant water contact. No problems with joints coming apart.


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## bobro (Oct 24, 2014)

The ancient Egyptians used glue made from cheese, Japanese woodworkers still use rice as glue… in short, unless you're talking about laminations, marine applications, and such, the chances that the glue is the problem are pretty much nil.

Almost all glues today are excellent, a statement which is borne out in tests. The differences lie in setting time, initial tack, shelf life, color, water resistance, all kinds of things, but not in whether or not the stuff holds joints together.

As far as "the best", I look for the German industrial standard, which is along the lines of milspec in the US, : DIN 204 d2, and d3 is waterproof and so on. UHU in Germany makes great wood glue in my opinion.


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## Purrmaster (Sep 1, 2012)

All wood glues I've used shrink a little. At least the excess does. I think that may be baked into the cake.

I routinely use all three of the Titebonds. I haven't found that Titebond 3 results in stronger joints than Titebond 1 and 2.

However, Titebond 3 has the advantage of being very waterproof. As mentioned, it also has a longer open time. It's darker colored and thinner/runnier than the others. Titebond 3 is also better than the others at gluing the oily, tropical woods. Titebond 3 also works at a lower temperature than others (45 degrees fahrenheit) with the exception of Titebond 1 Extend.

You can split the baby with Titebond 2 if the temperature stays above 55 degrees.


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