Adhesive advice

[kiwigeo]

Okay Im sticking two 450mm x 1000mm pieces of 16mm MDF together to make a router table. Which adhesive should I be using? Is Titebond ok or should I be using at contact adhesive?

[needsmorecowbel]

The cabinet maker at my old work used Bostik MDF Glue...someone chime in if that is a bad choice

Stu

[Lee]

PVA+: such as Selleys Aquadhere Exterior? Has worked with MDF and flooring for worktops here.
Possibly not much different to Titebond?
No idea on price differential.

[rocket]

Yeah i don't know what it is about the MDF but there is a specific glue marketed by Bostic and also Selleys, if i'm banging on a few arks i don't usually worry too much and just use whatever is around at the time but if i was making some sort of pattern or jig that might be remotely connected to guitar building i think i'd be getting a bit specific Martin
I think you'd be pretty safe if you went the contact option though.
Cheers,,
Rod.

[Nick]

I laminate all my MDF body mold blanks together with bog standard PVA, Titebond's too expensive in Un Zud (compared to PVA) to glue compressed sawdust together to my mind. It all seems to hold together.
Must admit I'd never considered Contact adhesive. I've never had a great deal of sucess with it on anything other than quite porous surfaces, but I could've been holding me tongue all wrong .

[jeffhigh]

Since you don't want the panels warping, i would tend to use a non water based glue such as polyurethane.

[Lee]

How does a slab of 5/8" thick glued-up sawdust or woodchip random weave stuff with no grain warp? Not of it's own accord methinks.

[Kamusur]

Martin I always try and stay away from contact ad, its just those bloody toxic fumes from the stuff. You definitely need a chemical respirator and if you use any PVA glues the water component shouldn't bother the thickness with warpage.

Steve

[kiwigeo]

Too late.....Ive just glued up the b****rd with Titebond. Used half a bottle of glue and clamped it up with bars across top to even clamping pressure and counter any warping. Ended up using 20 clamps in the end.

A valid point re water based glues Jeff. Lets see how its looking tomorrow when the glue has set.

[Paul B]

Depends.

Are you planning on routing out rebates and such for your router to sit in? Or if you're routing for one of those lift thingys that the router gets mounted in, you want a glue that machines well without melting onto your router bit. That would pretty much rule out PVAs and contact adhesive, and Titebond would be the go. In my opinion.

[auscab]

I just read you have glued it up.
As long as it sits flat and pressure from the weight of clamps does not cause it to warp it should be fine. I have seen some expensive stuff ups caused by the weight of the clamps putting a bow in two straight bits of timber that were meant to be straight when glued.

I would use the Titebond first contact would be my second choice for sticking two bits the same thickness together . I rarely have to cut and glue the stuff , but I think most of the trade uses AV180 which may be the same as Titebond. Not sure with that one but they are both Yellow ??


Is this your first inverted router ? You will wonder how you did without it if it is. I built a simple one years back that does the majority of my work . More accuracy and many less stuff ups has been my pleasure ever since.

[Lillian]

Titebond and its ilk are an issue with MDF if you are using it on a cut edge. The edges will absorb a lot of the glue leaving a starved joint. If you paint the edges with glue first and let them dry first it won't be an issue. Once they are dry you can glue your joint up.

[Lee]

Beg pardon Martin I took it you were sticking two 450mm x 1000mm pieces of 16mm MDF together to make a 32mm thick top and the glue would have been on 'face' sides.

[kiwigeo]

Beg pardon Martin I took it you were sticking two 450mm x 1000mm pieces of 16mm MDF together to make a 32mm thick top and the glue would have been on 'face' sides.

That is correct.......minimum thickness for a decent router table is around 30mm. Ill also be fitting battens under the table to make double sure it never moves.

I have a Unilift router lifter that will be fitted into a recessed hole in the table and a big meaty Hitachi MV12 router will be the machine turning the cutter.

[kiwigeo]

I appreciate all the speedy replies to my original query folks...thanks very much people.

[charangohabsburg]

And here one late reply

On my Jointapprentice Hobby A1 I used Epoxy for all glued MDF joints because I aimed for maximum precision. Can't say if using a water based glue really would have affected precision after everything had dried, but I guess so. I could try to build another one using Titebond, just to see what happens.

[kiwigeo]

Maybe I should have used Titebond, polyurethane AND epoxy.

[charangohabsburg]

Of course!

[Tod Gilding]

How About Posting Your Table Build Martin , I'm Thinking about making One Myself and would'nt mind seeing how you go about yours.

[kiwigeo]

How About Posting Your Table Build Martin , I'm Thinking about making One Myself and would'nt mind seeing how you go about yours.

Wont post up any pics until I get the thing working.

[Tod Gilding]

Fair Enough !!!!
I know with all that spare time sitting on the rig thinking, you will come up with a nice twist that will make everyone look like this

[Nick]

Maybe I should have used Titebond, polyurethane AND epoxy.

You've forgotten the 6 inch nails & 2 inch wood screws spaced every 10mm!

[christian]

edge gluing MDF is not that easy, also depends on the grade of MDF but in most cases as has been mentioned the glue gets soaked up bigtime.
I used to use aliphatic and biscuits, works well enough.

Christian.

[kiwigeo]

Fair Enough !!!!
I know with all that spare time sitting on the rig thinking, you will come up with a nice twist that will make everyone look like this

Not sitting on a rig and wont be for some time. Ive quit the oil patch....perhaps for good.

[auscab]

How About Posting Your Table Build Martin , I'm Thinking about making One Myself and would'nt mind seeing how you go about yours.

Would you like to see a Dovetailed treated pine ex packing crate version, with cutter drawer locking wheels .