UK wood glue for 18mm Ply

[Woody Woodpecker]

Hello.

I am brand spanking new here ... in more ways than one, in fact, being relatively new to the UK and also being an UNprofessional woodworker/carpenter.

I am about to undertake what is a pretty mammoth task ... well, for me anyway and need a very simple pointer in the direction of the best wood glue in the UK for my needs..

I have already bought 11 sheets of 18mm Birch Ply and had it cut to the sizes required for my project, which is to make 17 slanted racks for my recording studio.
Eack rack will basically be a box, without a front and back as such.
I plan to dowel join the top and bottom pieces on the inside edge of the two sides, with 2 or 3 x 100mm braces at the back as the only means of additional support.

Without going into any more unecessary details (unless required), could somebody please tell me what is the best wood glue to use for my project?

I have no idea where to start and have searched this forum (and Google) endlessly for a basic idea as to what is "the good stuff", to no avail, with various salesmen at my local stores basically pointing me in the direction of the shelves full of different brands and I need a bit of experienced advice if possible.

Many thanks for any help and answers.

Woody.

 

[Philly]

Welcome Woody!
Any PVA glue should be fine - something like Titebond or Evostick.
Hope this helps
Philly

 

[Woody Woodpecker]

Hi Philly and thanks for that.

Any particular product in the Evostik range, or is it a simple matter to find the PVA range on the shelves?

I seem to remember a blue and a green bottle (which may have been weatherproof and non-weatherproof, or something like that)
...... but then when Googling Evostik I found a site that listed loads of different Evostik products.

Sorry to be such a Nooob on this, but I would hate to get this wrong by missing something which may be obvious to an experienced woodworker if you know what I mean.

I feel this project of mine is going to become quite a nag around here, as I may be posting pics along the way as I look for tips (finishing, choosing varnish, edges etc etc).

Thanks again.

Woody

 

[Racers]

Hi,
I have made loads of stuff from 18mm birch ply using PVA and biscuits all holding together fine. If you can use biscuits it would speed up the making and produce a better fit this was all done with biscuits and glue, its waiting for the finish, and to go in my sons bedroom.

The lower section has 6 draws also biscuited made from 12mm birch ply.

Pete

 

[DaveL]

Hi Woody,

Welcome to the forum.

You are correct Evostik PVA comes in two types. The green bottle is normal while the blue one has a better moisture resistance.

 

[OllyK]

It's probably over kill, but having had PVA fail on a couple of things, I've taken to using this stuff which is fast setting, weather resistant and incredibly strong.

 

[curlywol]

PVA and biscuits!
Plywood has an excellent glueing surface. Biscuits are quick and easy to use.

John

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Woody

Welcome to the forum.

Cheers,
Neil

 

[manso]

Can you say why you decided to dowel the top and bottom to the inside of the sides, rather than having the sides butting on to the top and bottom.
What loads are these racks likely to take? If hefty, I would wonder about dowels in ply - even good ply. Had you considered glue and pocket holes?
Regards

 

[Paul Chapman]

Hi Woody,

If it's for indoor use, I would use EvoStick PVA in the green plastic bottle. I've used it for years and never had any problems.

Just one word of advice. If you are using it in a cold place, such as a garage or shed during the winter, take note of the temperature recommendations on the pack. Most adhesives should not be allowed to drop below about 5 degrees C. If they do they will go off and won't return to their original condition. You will have to throw it away. Also your work won't stick very well. Store it indoors and do your glueing up indoors as well if you can.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Woody Woodpecker]

Can you say why you decided to dowel the top and bottom to the inside of the sides, rather than having the sides butting on to the top and bottom.
What loads are these racks likely to take? If hefty, I would wonder about dowels in ply - even good ply. Had you considered glue and pocket holes?
Regards

Hello all and thanks for the replies, tips and advice.
Sorry I did not reply sooner ... been working looooong days!!

The reason I decided to plan the construction this way is basically down to a number of reasons, all governed by the reality that on the one hand I could not afford to get a tradesman to do the work for me, whilst on the other, I do not have a workshop to deal with a precision or complicated construction.

Although it is pretty obvious that I shouldn't be attempting this if I were to doubt my ability to get simple things right ... a single millimetre out once assembled could render a rack unuseable, and the ONLY way I could guarantee that I get that aspect right (given my average skills and lack of decent workspace) was to plan the construction in this way.

This is because the tops and bottoms, when attached on the insides of the 2 side pieces, will be precisely right for my equipment to be recessed and screwed into 2 strips of wood running from top to bottom on the inside of the 2 side pieces.

If I had to achieve the same precision by allowing for the thickness of the side pieces and then having ANY amateur-ish construction issues, I could ruin the whole thing and waste a lot of money.

Strength wise ... the equipment is heavy, make no mistake, but the load bearing will be on the mounting strips (hardwood of some kind, still to be chosen) and overall weight will be shared by bottom board as well as 2 side pieces.

Any other tips appreciated.

Thanks again.

Woody