I use Titebond III, and Gorilla Wood Glue...The Titebond works well on "straight forward" applications, and I've found that the Gorilla Wood Glue is a better choice for some "trickier" situations...Even so, both of these glues are basically the same...Please don't confuse the Gorilla Wood Glue with other glues made by the same company...Their wood glue isn't a poly glue, which foams and expands as it dries.
More importantly than which glue to use, is how you use it...Here are a few tips that I've found that work well.
- Dry fit all joints prior to gluing...If the joints don't line up/fit flush, the glue won't be very effective...The mismatch in fit might apply enough force to cause the joint to fail...As someone already pointed out, if the joint fails, the wood will fail before the glue...Therefore, the excess stress caused by the misfit might cause the wood to snap.
- Keep your finish in mind at the start, and during every step throughout your project...Glue and finish don't mix well...Stain will not penetrate where glue has been smeared, and glue will not fully adhere where stain/oil has been applied.
- As much as possible, glue before finishing (there are exceptions)...Wood glue is designed to bond raw wood; it needs to get into the pores...If the pores get clogged with oil/stain, the glue will have a harder time trying to find something to "bite" into...In those situations where you need to apply finish prior to gluing, mask the surfaces that will be glued prior to finishing...Keep the masking tape slightly to the inside of the designated glue area to allow the finish to just slightly creep-in enough so that when the two pieces are jointed together, there is no bare wood...I am currently working on a project where I am having to do just this, because the two pieces that will be glued together need to be stained different colors...If I glued them first, I'd have a harder time trying to keep the colors separated.
- Minimize squeeze-out of glue from the joint (although some squeeze-out is good, because it indicates that enough glue was used)...Too much will negatively affect the finish...While dry fitting, use blue painters tape to mask-off the areas adjacent to the joint where you don't want to get glue on...As the glue is forced out of the joint, it will get on the tape, rather than seeping into the surface of the wood to be finished...After the glue has partially or completely dried, peel the tape off.
- If glue squeezes out of the joint, DON'T TRY TO WIPE IT IMMEDIATELY! Doing so will smear the glue into the pores of the wood, which will show in your finish...Instead, wait until the glue has partially dried, and then use a toothpick or similar item, to remove the glob...Alternately, you can also wait until the glue has completely dried, and then use a chisel to remove the glue.
- All of these squeeze-out tips work, but as I tell my kids, if you minimize your mess in the first place, then you won't have as much to clean up afterwards (WHEN POSSIBLE, USE THE MASKING TAPE).
- Use acid brushes or similar items to paint the glue onto the wood in thin even coats...Not too thin, but less glue works better than too much glue...The glue needs to penetrate the pores, and needs to cover the entire surface area to be glued, in order to be most effective.
- Clamp firmly, but not too firmly...Too little pressure won't provide enough force to bond the surfaces...Too much pressure will force too much of the glue out of the joint...Ratcheting clamps are great, but if you're not careful, you can squeeze them too tight (I was guilty of this for a long time).
