Joiner’s glue: description and application

11.01.2021

Joiner’s glues are used for bonding woodwork. Depending on its composition, joiner’s glue is of the following kinds: hide glue, bone glue, casein glue and synthetic PVAc-based adhesive. Natural glues that contain components of animal origin are used for restoration of furniture, antiques and other exclusive products. Natural adhesives feature high adhesive strength. A substantial drawback of such glues is their sharp and offensive odour and special product storage conditions.

Joiner’s glues are produced in liquid and dry form. A drawback of liquid natural glues is that they can grow moldy during prolonged storage, and dry glues need to be prepared specially before being used. To do so, the dry mixture is heated to 65 ℃ and diluted with warm water. The solution is placed in a water bath and mixed to obtain a uniform body. Joiner’s glues have a distinctive feature: in the majority of cases, the gluing composition is used warm, though mixture boiling must be prevented because otherwise the glue will lose its adhesive properties.

For professional purposes, manufacturers use synthetic adhesives, one of which is the PVAc adhesive. Polyvinyl acetate adhesive is a popular one among other adhesives used for gluing wood. PVAc adhesive has such advantages as compared to conventional joiner’s glues:

quick drying;
high adhesive properties;
flexible and strong adhesive bond;
easy to use.

Basic properties of PVAc adhesive for woodworking

PVAc-based adhesives for wood have good wetting properties. This feature enables bonding different kinds of wood, including hardwood and exotic wood species. Joiner’s polyvinyl acetate adhesive is made by mixing a vinyl acetate polymer with water and special additives. This yields a white viscous adhesive without a sharp odour, and it is absolutely safe for humans and the environment. The adhesive dries fast: the prime adhesion occurs in several minutes. Following drying, the adhesive seam becomes transparent and almost invisible on the surface. Parts can be handled following complete crystallisation in 24 hours.

Which adhesive is best for woodworking?

To ensure strong bonding of wooden surfaces, joiner’s glue must have a certain water resistance level. Lux-X LLC offers a range of water-resistant D2 and D3 class adhesives for wood.

Water-resistant PVAc adhesives D2 and D3 are in great demand among woodworking and furniture making companies. Lux adhesives for wood are made of high-quality raw materials in compliance with EU requirements.

Advantages of the range of Lux PVAc adhesives

Economical usage rate.
Flexible adhesive film.
Environmental stability.
No solvents in the composition, and safe and simple use.
Prolonged service life.
Transparent adhesive film after drying.
Affordable price.

Where are Lux PVAc joiner’s glues used

Lux adhesives for wood are used for indoors and outdoors applications under increased humidity conditions.

The adhesives are ideal for the following tasks:

Woodworking and gluing soft and hard wood.
Joining laminated covering and plywood.
Bonding chipboard, fibreboard, MDF, etc.
Facing furniture, laminating tabletops.
Joining sawn timber and wooden bars with mortised joints.
Adding to construction mixes.

Recommendations for using joiner’s glues

When working with any kinds of adhesives, we advise following the usage recommendations indicated on manufacturer’s packages.

General recommendations for using joiner’s glues:

Prepare the surface for the job: remove the dust and traces of old covering by using materials at hand.
It is recommended to treat a rough surface with a porous structure by using a primer composition.
Depending on the range of activity, the adhesive composition is applied using special equipment or it is uniformly spread with a small brush across a surface as a 2-mm thick layer.
When gluing parts the adhesive open time is accounted for. After the PVAc adhesive has been applied, wait for several minutes and then join the parts. This will help prevent adhesive bleeding out onto the surfaces being joined.
After the materials have been joined, it is a good idea to place a load on top to facilitate better bonding.

When working with Lux adhesives for wood we recommend the following:

Mix the adhesive composition thoroughly. If needed the adhesive can be diluted with water immediately prior to using. The adhesive consumption depends on the application method and material structure.
To glue plywood, mortise joints, and during joining bonding, we recommend using Lux PVAc dispersion. Prior to working, the composition also needs to be mixed. Dispersion adhesive is easy to use on vertical surfaces. PVAc dispersion creates no spots on the materials being glued and excess adhesive is removed easily.
Apply the adhesive as a thin layer onto the surface being glued and hold it open for some time.
In production conditions, the adhesive is applied with roller and disk machines, and is intended for use in hot and cold presses; it is also suitable for application by hand.
After joining with another surface, press together the parts being bonded.
Remove excess adhesive and let the surface dry completely in 24 hours. After the glued surfaces have dried, they do not change their colour.

Where to buy PVAc adhesive for wood

To choose an adhesive with account of all required characteristics it is best to consult experts. Lux-X LLC managers will consult you on matters of adhesives for wood and help you choose a proper adhesive. When buying Lux adhesive in commercial quantities delivery across Ukraine is free-of-charge. You can order an adhesive and receive consultations by telephone +38 (057) 766 06 36 or via the callback option on the company’s website.