# Glue Bottles.....or not?



## DouginVa (Mar 5, 2012)

It wasn't until watching years and years of videos, reading magazines, public TV woodworking shows that I decided to ask a question about something that sort of bugs me. So here it is: Wood glue comes in plastic bottles and jugs. Except for the large jugs, all glue bottles have a tip that disperses the right amount of glue for most applications. So why then, do I see people poor gobs of glue out on to a pan, pail, cup, etc. then dip their brush or applicator in to it and spread their glue on to the surface to be glued?

It seems to me that is very wasteful. What do you do with the leftover? Pour it back in to the bottle? If so, doesn't that defeat the purpose of pouring it out? And if you pour it out in to another pan for dipping doesn't that expose it to the air and after repeated pours it will eventually begin to cure….even though very slight, but over time it thickens the viscosity of your glue to the point it may not flow well anymore. Not to mention the introduction of sawdust or wood chips that might fall in to it.

Is it just me or do others think this way as well?

Just askin'.


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

I go straight from container to surface using a plastic card spreader (or my finger).
Bill


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

Yep. I've noticed that too and always wondered if they owned a glue store (or factory). I realize that glue isnt the most expensive thing out there, but why just pour it away?

On another thought, I always thought the glue bottles with the roller on top was cool, but if you only use it once or twice a week, doesnt the glue dry and clog it up after every use? I remember seeing Norm use 'em on that New Yankee Workshop and commenting about it, and my wife said "Yeah, but Norm probably has someone on his "staff" that does nothing but keep his glue bottle clean every time he uses it"


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## DouginVa (Mar 5, 2012)

Joe,

I used to have one of those glue bottles years ago and when the glue dries up on the roller you just just chip it right off. It almost flakes off on it's own. Very good tool. Gonna have to get another one now that I'm back in to WW fulltime now.

Now if they could just invent a good tip for glue bottles that don't glue themselves shut when the glue on the tips cure. I always find myself having to break away hardened glue just to get my bottles open again.


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## DIYaholic (Jan 28, 2011)

Depending upon the "application", I use glue straight from the "2-pint" bottle, pour some onto a "tray" or use a glue-bot or babe-bot.


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## JesseTutt (Aug 15, 2012)

Some people like to brush the glue on and favor putting the glue into a container before brushing. I tried that because I thought that was the way it was done and found it less the fulfilling. Now I use a tip to apply the glue to where I want it and then either brush it even or use my finger.

For large applications, like gluing plywood together to form a thicker piece, I poor the glue from the gallon jug and use a notched trowel to spread it around.

I have a couple of the roller applications. After use I unscrew them and put a real top on the container and then wash the roller assembly in warm water.


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## OggieOglethorpe (Aug 15, 2012)

It depends on the application…

For me:
- Brushes work best on joinery, like M&T, dovetails, or box joints.
- Bottles work great for edge gluing…
- Pans work best on biscuits and corner splines. Dunk, tap and go…
- Rollers work great on large areas, like the faces of boards being glued into a slab.

I also like the cheapie 8 and 16 ounce bottles sold at Harbor Freight, as the nozzles can be cut to different openings, and they don't seem to clog. The bottles are ~ $1 each.


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## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

I just squirt it on the piece from the bottle tip then use an acid brush to spread it on small parts.
For larger parts I pour it on and use a credit card or hotel key that has been cut with pinking shears, (Don't tell my wife).


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

Glue bots are efficient.

For butcher blocks, I use a chip brush with glue and a little water
in a 16 oz water bottle that has been cut to hold the amount of
glue that would be needed.


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## CharlieM1958 (Nov 7, 2006)

I'm a straight-from-the-bottle-spread-with-my-finger kinda guy.

Dallas: To a woman, using her sewing scissors to cut anything other than fabric is like her using your best chisel to scrape chewing gum off the driveway. Don't ask me how I know this.


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## Finn (May 26, 2010)

Like Charlie I dispense from the bottle and spread with my finger. I get empty glue bottles from my local wood supplier that are much like ketchup dispensers with a lift off cap. I have an old phone book laying on my bench to wipe my finger off on after spreading the glue. I do this because I find that the glue tastes kinda' funny. <grin>


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## Gene01 (Jan 5, 2009)

I used to use an emptied (of course) mustard bottle. The kind with the pull-to-open push-to-close top. But since TiteBond now has the same open/close system, I've switched. Added benefit…you can see how much glue is left, too.
I resisted buying that Rockler brush applicator, preferring the acid brushes. Then I got one as a gift. It's really pretty slick. It does a great job of evenly spreading and the dried glue flakes right off. It's great for edge gluing.
For box and dovetail joints, I still like the thinner acid brushes, though. And for slabs, the pinking sheared credit cards are great.


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## Kreegan (Jul 10, 2012)

For larger glue ups, I go straight from the bottle, but for smaller things I pour some glue into a little plastic container that held cheese or sour cream or something, and use my Rockler silicone glue brush. I love that thing, so easy to clean up. The container has a lid, so I just put the lid on when I'm done and reuse the glue. I get a little hardened glue film on the bottom of the container, but it's a negligible amount.


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## shipwright (Sep 27, 2010)

My glue comes in a bag. I use a brush straight from the pot.


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## DrDirt (Feb 26, 2008)

Depends what you're doing.

If i am laminating, like when I did the skateboard with my youngest, we had a small rubbermaid tub about the same size as a cake pan (13 X 9 X 2) with an airtight lid.

Inside was a 2 inch wide paint roller. Worked great, especially for a bunch of glue-ups to be vacuum bagged.

When on my own I usually douse the surface and use a notched scraper 1/16th used for gluing down vinyl floors.

If I am edge gluing boards of joints, I just use the bottle.


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## pintodeluxe (Sep 12, 2010)

I like the small and medium glue dispenser bottles. Even with the minimal waste, I still go through it by the gallon. My wife always says "Oh, you and your glue!"


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

When you get really proficient with glue and familiar
with the woods you are using, it becomes possible
to not make much of a mess. I use brushes to get 
the glue where I want it, distributed in such a way 
that it squeezes out of joints evenly. This minimizes
clean up time.

I use bottles a lot too.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

I generally use glue straight from the bottle but I HATE those Titebond caps. By the time I'm 80% through a bottle they are clogged or glued shut. Last time I bought Elmers wood glue instead just because I hate those Titebond caps.


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

Rick- I LOVE those Titebond caps. I even wash the empty bottles out and reuse them for shellac,BLO, etc. You do know that the piece with the slot will pull off for cleaning and then slips right back on. "One man's trash…....


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## oldnovice (Mar 7, 2009)

I am with Rick, those foregone caps are the worst!
The part to to grab on to is so small I add a drilled pill bottle cap as a pull aid.

The glue is good, the bottle stinks!


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