Job-Site Wood Glues

I’ve been a carpenter and finish subcontractor for 12 years. Along with a daily dose of the usual interior trim casing and shelving, my crew and I have had the opportunity to work on many unusual woodworking projects. Our tool shed is stocked with more than a dozen products that we use to bond materials together. But for woodwork, we’ve settled on a few adhesives that we choose from depending on the job. Before choosing a glue, we consider the following factors: water resistance, gap-filling properties, “open time,” clamp time, viscosity, flexibility, sandability, ease of cleanup, and cost. Other attributes like color, shelf life, application temperatures, heat resistance, resistance to freezing,