This document provides an overview of different types of glues, their properties, and uses. It discusses natural glues like hot hide glue and fish glue. It also examines synthetic glues like polyvinyl acetate (PVA), epoxy, polyurethane, cyanoacrylate, and contact cement. For each glue, key characteristics are outlined such as strength, clamp time, toxicity, and applications. The document concludes with general resources for learning more about various glues.

1. GLUE
Making the Best of A STICKY Situation
Duane McGuire – PTG Technical Institute 2018 – Lancaster PA

3. WE GATHER TO TALK ABOUT GLUE!

4. PRESENTATION OUTLINE
● Glue Properties
● Glue Chemistry
● Classes of Glues
● Destructive Testing
● Details by Class
● An Epic Glue Up

5. GLUE PROPERTIES
Strength Clamp Time Workability
Tackiness Cure Time Gap filling capability
Shelf Life Creep Toxicity
Pot Life Reversibility Water content
Open Time Stain-ability Heat resistance
Longevity Handling Cleanup
Cost Health & Safety

7. WHY DOES GLUE STICK?
• Dude, it's chemistry.
•

8. PRESENTER’S QUALIFICATIONS

9. WHY DOES GLUE STICK?
• Tiny molecules band together to form big
stringy molecules called polymers.
Polymers stick stuff via:
● Mechanical Adhesion
● Chemical Adhesion
● Electrostatic Adhesion
● (It's a miracle)

10. CLASSES OF GLUES
• Natural
● Hot Hide
● Cold Hide
● Fish
● Casein
• Synthetic
● PVA
● PVC-e
● Urea Resin
● Epoxy
● Polyurethane
● Contact Cement
● Cyanoacrylate

12. DESTRUCTIVE TESTING AKA EMPIRICAL
ANALYSIS
(Boys and girls
know how to
have fun)

13. CYANOACRYLATE (CA)

14. CYANOACRYLATE (CA)
●Zero water content
●Sets in 30 seconds to 5 minutes
●May be accelerated
●Cures by exothermic reaction (it gets hot!)
●Brittle
●Bonds skin (Acetone is a de-bonder)
●Fumes are noxious
●Glue squirted in eyes causes permanent vision damage!

15. NATURAL GLUES

16. HOT HIDE GLUE
●Easier to use than you think
●Difficult to use for field work
●Cures by phase shift (think solder)
●Completely reversible forever
●May be repaired by re-constituting
●Liquifies at 140 degrees Farenheit
●Viscosity may be adjusted by user
●Strength is reduced each time the
phase is changed
●Quick set time – seconds to
minutes
●Set time may be increased by
warming the room and/or material
●Non-toxic

17. GLUE POT FOR SMALL BATCHES

18. GLUE POT OPTIONS

19. COLD HIDE AND FISH GLUES
●Properties similar to hot hide glue
●Lower strength
●Shelf life of 1 year +/-
●Fish glue has higher initial tack than cold hide glue

20. PVC-E
●Polyvinyl Cloride Emulsion
●Available from Pianotek and Schaff
●Formulated for gluing new keytops
●Works well with cloth
●Cleans up with water
●Dries in 10-30 minutes
●Residue rubs off nicely for many hours

21. PVA GLUES
• Polyvinyl Acetate

22. MORE PVA
● Bolduc Acoustic Wood Glue
● Mentioned in literature:
● Franklin Titebond 50
● Franklin Assembly 65
● (But apparently only
● available in large
● quantities)

23. PVA CHARACTERISTICS
● Relatively safe
● Relatively inexpensive
● Generally flexible (has some creep)
● Long shelf life – except the expensive stuff
● First choice for permanent wood joints that are not reversible
● Poor heat resistance. Gums up when sanding.
● Polymerizes as water content evaporates

24. MORE PVA CHARACTERISTICS
● Open assembly time 5-30 minutes
● Clamp time 20 – 90 minutes
● Water cleanup
● Reversible with heat for several days
● Reversible with water for 2 to 6 weeks

25. PVA BOLDUC
● High solids content
● Low creep
● Sands well
● Recommended and tested by Bolduc for soundboard, rib,
and pinblock applications

26. TITEBOND THICK & QUICK
●No run. No drip.
●Hammer hanging
●Bridle straps
●Hammer spring loops

27. EPOXY
•Fussy to mix
•Long set time
•Good gap filler
•Resistant to water
•Low heat resistance
•West System epoxy builds in success
•Toxic
•Long shelf life

28. UREA RESIN
•Rigid, creep resistant
•Two Part System (liquid resin,
powdered catalyst)
•Short shelf life
•Cures hard
•Dulls tools quickly
•Sands well
•Good heat resistance
•Toxic!

29. POLYURETHANE
•Open time 10 to 40 minutes
•Clamp time 45 minutes to 10 hours
•Cured glue pares, scrapes or
machines well
•Clean up with alcohol or acetone
•Fills gaps, but does it weakly
•Contains di-isocyanate
compounds which may acutely
irritate skin and respiratory
tract.

30. FASTCAP ULTRA BOND TAPE
• This is not you grandma’s double stick tape.
• Great for quick jig construction
• Gets stronger over a period of days
• Nice for applying ecsaine to music desks
From the vendor:
•Ultra bond transfer adhesive that is like contact cement on a roll
•High quality adhesive in a peel and stick roll
•Great for applying to veneers and laminates

31. AN EPIC GLUE UP

42. GENERAL RESOURCES
● Fine Woodworking - A working Guide to Glues
● Chemistry Explained – Adhesives
● Wikipedia: List of Glues
● “Hide Glue”, the book by Stephen A Shepherd

43. WEB RESOURCES FOR MODERN GLUES
● Lee Valley Polyurethane Adhesive Guide
● Popular Woodworking - The Truth about Polyurethane Glue
● Wikipedia: Polyvinyl acetate (PVA)
● Wikipedia: Cyanoacrylate (CA)
● Hot Stuff CA glue guide

44. WEB RESOURCES FOR HIDE GLUE
● Vince Mrykalo - Hot Hide Glue
● Facts About Hot Hide Glue from a player piano guy
● Lee Valley - Using Hide Glue
● Lee Valley - Hide Glue Technical

45. Duane McGuire
tuner@mcguirepiano.com
https://www.mcguirepiano.com
801-896-4123
Clinton, UT
Salt Lake City Chapter, PTG
THIS PRESENTATION:
https://www.mcguirepiano.com/glue
Contact

46. That's what I've got to say about glue.
Hope it sticks!