How long do you let a glue up dry before you start machining?

[Leo Graywacz]

Summer 45 minutes, winter 1:15. I'll plane or mill it as soon as it's out of the clamps. It will need to dry/cure for 3 days before I'll put a finish on it though. Otherwise you can get telegraph lines showing through the finish.

[mreza Salav]

Regular PVA glue doesn't really need clamp more than an hour or so (I even sometimes open after 30 minutes if I am really in a rush).
As for machining, I try to wait at least 6 hours but have done much sooner (like 2-3 hours) and no issues.
If you have ever tried to undo a joint after 30 minutes you might realize how strong the joint is after such a short period.

[Wade Lippman]

I started woodworking in a weekly evening class, and if you let the glue ups sit for more than 30 minutes you would never get anything made.

I now try to leave a few hours, but I am sure have done 50 glue ups with no more than 30 minutes before proceeding and have never had a problem.

[John Lankers]

I personally let panel glue ups, especially with spring joint clamped over night. Cope an stick or bridal joints more like an hour or so, I made some try squares the other day and took the spring clamps off after 30 minutes. It all depends on the situation, I think a good fitting joint is more important for success than clamping time.

[Rich Engelhardt]

I left the raised panel doors I made for my roll around kitchen cart dry for 24 hours before I planed them.
Darned things nicked the planer blades and left lines in the panels....

[Curt Harms]

Didn't Fine Woodworking find that TB had at least 80% of it's strength after 30 minutes?
I would love to know if this is right or wrong.

I recall 2 hours to reach 80% strength but don't have a citation. I imagine temperature and maybe humidity enter into it.

[Mike Henderson]

You specified planing the material. For that process, I like to have the glue set for several hours. For other processes, I've worked on the material in as little as 30 minutes.

When I took woodworking classes, one instructor took two pieces of wood, rubbed titebond on the faces and held them together while he lectured for a few minutes. Then handed the wood to a student and asked him to separate the two. Couldn't be done.

I use PVA for veneering in a class I teach and leave the panels in press for 30 minutes. They are fine but you can't put any water on them for a while (water is used to remove the veneer tape). If you do put water on the panel, you risk a bubble where the glue detaches.

Mike

[Mark Blatter]

When I am doing commercial shelving which involves making a large number of shelves, I time them at 20 minutes. I can clamp up about four shelves in twenty minutes, so once I get the fourth one clamped, I start removing the first shelf I did. I write the time I finish clamping on each one so I know the time for sure. I have never had an issue removing the clamps at 20 minutes. I have caught mistakes after 4-5 minutes and could barely pull the two pieces apart. I don't even try after 7 or eight minutes because I know the wood will start to break instead of the glue.

I don't work a glued panel at that point, which was the question. I prefer to wait at least 4-5 hours and when I can, I wait a day or two before planing or even sanding.

[guy knight]

i do a lot of glueups with TBIII and unless the joint is under pressure during the winter an hour with no problems but i wait a day to apply a finish for cabinet doors i clamp like 15 minutes and have never had a problem

[Mark Patoka]

I usually try to do my glue-ups before I clean up the shop for the night and then they are ready for the next day so typically 24 hours. I also try to plan out any weekend work so a glue-up can sit ~24 hours before working it.