Wood glue or liquid nails?

[JL12W7INAGS300 10+ year member]

I am starting to plan out my first box build and can't really figure out the debate between liquid nails and wood glue. I was thinking... since I have both avaliable why can't I use wood glue to hold the wood together and liquid nails to seal it up? Thanks

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[Slowd N Throwd 10+ year member]

you could used them both, I like wood glue IMO cheaper and stronger

 

[PowerNaudio 10+ year member]

i agree wood glue will work just fine.

i been using titebond 2 drys quick and strong.

 

[BassAce 10+ year member]

Seems like quite a bit of people are debating between the two. I wish someone can do a finite element analysis to figure out which is the stronger of the two. My guess would be that wood glue is stronger, but I don't have any "scientific evidence" so to speak to prove that one is superior over another.

 

[.::DuD3::. 10+ year member]

id say woodglue. the bond of the wood glue will be stronger than the wood itself.

 

[azbass 5,000+ posts]

wood glue and silicone, end.

 

[PowerNaudio 10+ year member]

to tell you the truth, as long as you use glue, screws or brads, and a well braced enclosure. there is realy no need to debate whats better.

if you realy want a realy strong box then seal it with polyester resin as well.

 

[MikeyB 5,000+ posts]

Wood Glue ftw, chemical bondage and then some silicone to ensure the seal! //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[BassAce 10+ year member]

I found a good website about different types of glues.

http://www.trainweb.org/girr/tips/tips5/adhesive_tips.html#latex

Here's what I found if your too lazy to move your finger.

Paper and Wood Adhesives

Wood is an important material in model railroad construction, both in the structure of a layout itself and in buildings and rolling stock. Paper and cardboard are also common materials.

Probably the safest and most common adhesive used in modeling is ordinary white glue. The most common adhesives in this category are called polyvinyl acetates. This is a water based adhesive that adheres well to paper and wood. It is not particularly strong and it is not tolerant to water, but it is cheap and safe. The material dries milky colored. White glue can be diluted with water and sprayed over texturing materials to hold them in place.

Yellow carpenters glue, sometimes called aliphatic resin, is a better choice to bond wood. This adhesive forms a strong bond that is somewhat tolerant of water. This adhesive dries in a somewhat yellow color. Properly made joints are often stronger than the wood that they attach to.

There are more advanced wood adhesives that are waterproof and in general they are stronger that yellow carpenters glue. Some brands names are Liquid Nails and TiteBond II. These adhesives are suitable for use in outdoor wood structures, even in wet environments.

Latex Based Adhesives

Latex is used as a base for some types of adhesives. These are usually fairly strong and reasonably waterproof. Liquid Nails falls in this class. This adhesive is not the strongest of the bunch, but it is usually strong enough and will adhere to wood, metal, glass and masonry and it takes paint very well. Liquid Nails comes in many formulations for specific jobs, but the most applicable is LN-901 exterior grade adhesive. Liquid Nails is available in squeeze tubes or caulking gun tubes. I find that the caulking gun tube is inexpensive (less than $3) and effective as the adhesive is fairly easy to clear from the applicator tip after it has set up. Simply ram the tip out with a metal rod or drill bit and then squirt out the hardened adhesive until fresh adhesive comes out.

A better combination latex and silicone based adhesive is Lexel. Lexel also comes in squeeze tubes and caulking gun tubes but it costs about 3 times as much as Liquid Nails. However, it is stronger, more flexible and has better adhesive strength than Liquid Nails. Lexel comes in white and clear formulations. Lexel also works well in a caulking gun tube. If the tube tip is plugged with a large toothpick or a metal rod, the adhesive will not set up in the tip and the tip is easy to clear. Unlike other silicone adhesives, Lexel will take paint well after it is allowed to set for two days. Lexel adheres to just about anything.

There is also a Lexel formulation called Set N' Stone available that is intended for use with masonry. This is a new product and is not yet widely available.

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I'd still choose wood glue over liquid nails though, I don't know if this person has credible information, but I'd thought I'd throw that in to stir debate.

 

[HardHittaz00 10+ year member]

lol... You've got to be kidding me... Man, from what I've seen on here... It makes no difference... Ur box will be held together, just ur preference... RawDogJ, who won 4th in the world for DB dragging, uses liquid nails... I myself, who am nobody special, use liquid nails, but alot of other people on here use wood glue... I say you flip a quarter, that's about the only way you'll get everything settled...

 

[Vincent9515 10+ year member]

I use Titebond II thanks to Moe Lester telling me about it.

Liquid Nails did make some fairly strong bonds that would cause the wood to break before the joint, but I have more confidence in the Titebond II and it's easier to clean, sand, and apply. Ends up costing a bit more unless you build enough to buy the gallon, but well worth it.

Titebond II + finish nailer = efficient and extremely sturdy boxes.

 

[bjfish11 5,000+ posts]

wood glue ftw

 

[Chevyaudio 5,000+ posts]

I use Titebond III

 

[JL12W7INAGS300 10+ year member]

So I think I will just go with woodglue to glue the peices together then liquid nails to seal up the seams...

 

[ngsm13 5,000+ posts]

Wood glue hands down.

nG