Which glue for Curly Maple Ladder Back chairs?

[Phil Winn]

Which glue is suggested for gluing Curly Maple Ladder Back Chairs? The joints are M & T. Open time? Not sure exactly! 5 min to 20 min? Probably an average of 8 to 10 minutes? (Chairs will be assembled in a few steps...).
1. Tite-Bond 2?
2. Tite-Bond 3?
3. Lee Valley Cabinetmakers Glue 2002 GF?
4. Epoxy? Specifics?
5. Specifically which glue?

Thanks so much!
Phil

[Howard Acheson]

I am a big believer is using a slow set two part epoxy for chairs. Chairs are a very high risk piece of furniture if they collapse. In the shop I was involved with, we tested a number of adhesives and epoxy provided the strongest, long lasting joints for chairs. Epoxy has a slight amount of "give" and it stands up to the racking type of pressure that chairs are subjected to. It is also gap filling so tight fitting joints are not required.

[Phil Winn]

Howard, which epoxy-brand name, item #, etc did your company use?
Thanks,
Phil

[Richard Dragin]

I have done a lot of destructive testing with epoxy because of many years as a model airplane enthusiast. I find that it doesn't age well and tends to get brittle over the years.

For my Maple chairs I use Titebond II which is as strong as they should ever need and is a better color match than epoxy or TBIII.

[Joe Chritz]

If the joints are properly machined then any PVA glue should give you plenty of strength. The wood will fail before the glue will in almost all the circumstances.

8-10 minutes is pushing the envelope for tightbond II and you may want to look at an extended open time glue like TBII extended or TBIII.

Joe

[Mike Cutler]

Howard, which epoxy-brand name, item #, etc did your company use?
Thanks,
Phil

Phil

I have had good success with the System Three Epoxies. If the joints are nice and tight I'd recommend the Resin with the Medium hardner. Mix 2:1 in a cup and then pour it into a smallish flat tray. Those throw away lunch containers at Walmart are excellent. If you still need to extend the open time set the tray on a frozen rag.

If your M&T's have a slight gap ,System Three has a Structural Epoxy labeled as "T-88". It already has the micro ballons in it. It's a 50/50 mix, and little more forgiving than the Resin and hardner.

[Mark Singer]

Tightbond II is fine or Plastic Resin for more assembly time

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Think repair. Chairs are things you want to have a round a long time and they take an inordinate amount of abuse.
The joints are going to be stressed and may require repair later on.

Tite Bond is about the strongest glue out there performing better than resourcinol or epoxy under the right conditions but, it doesn't repair well at all. Whereas epoxy does.

To repair a Titebond joint you have to remove and replace the wood in which the glue has penetrated.

In chairs I'd submit that such an operation might be a real PITA.