A collection of informative resources to answer most questions.
Current format for product made after 1/1/2019: Ayymmddbbb The first letter is A for made in America, the first two digits after the A is the last two digits of the year of manufacture, the fourth and fifth digits represent the month, the sixth and seventh digits represent the day of the month and the last three digits represent the batch number for that day. Example: A190615023 – This material was manufactured on June 15, 2019 Format for product made prior to 1/1/2019: Aymmddbbbb The first letter is A for made in America, the first digit after the A is the last digit of the year of manufacture, the third and fourth digits represent the month, the fifth and sixth digits represent the day of the month and the last four digits represent the batch number. Example: A604270023 – This material was manufactured on April 27, 2016 Please contact Technical Service with any additional questions.
Moisture levels above 10% can slow the drying of water based wood glues such as Titebond Original, II and III to the point where, wood above 16% moisture content, may not dry at all. Water based glues can take 24 hours to fully cure before machining. A phenomenon called "sunken glue joints" can occur if water based glued assemblies are machined before moisture equilibrium is completed near the glue lines.
If Titebond Wood Glues are accidentally spilled on clothing, it is important to immediately wet it with water and keep it wet until all adhesive is rubbed off of the clothing. Do not put the clothing item in the dryer until all adhesive is removed. Heat will melt the adhesive into the fabric and it will be permanent. Titebond II and Titebond III if allowed to dry will not release from fabric. A mixture of Acetone/Water/Vinegar will soften the adhesive but will not dissolve it. Scraping the softened adhesive should remove a majority of the adhesive.
Instant Bond - Thin Assembly Time: 5 seconds Cure Speed: 3 seconds; Instant Bond - Medium Assembly Time: 7 seconds Cure Speed: 5 seconds; Instant Bond - Thick Assembly Time: 10 seconds Cure Speed: 8 seconds; Instant Bond - Gel Assembly Time: 30 seconds Cure Speed: 20 seconds When Instant Bond Activator is used with the Instant Bond adhesive, all assembly and cure times can be cut in half.
Ensure the surface is clean and dry. If dust or dirt is on the intended bonded surface, use a small amount of acetone until clean. Acidic surfaces (wood with dark tannic acids, some leathers and metals) can inhibit curing of the Instant Bond adhesive. Use the Titebond Activator to start the curing process or, spray one side with Titebond Activator and spread Titebond Instant bond on the other surface for an instant bond
All Instant Bond caps are equipped with "anti-clogging" needles to prevent clogging and premature curing.
Ensure the surface is clean and dry of any material such as oil or dirt.
Yes, do not use on foam, polyethylene and/or polypropylene plastics.
Yes, not designed for continuous water submersion and installing rear view mirrors.
No, Instant Bond adhesives are not only designed for wood. They will also bond plastics, metal, rubber, cove base, brass, china, leather, pottery, fiberglass and more. For a complete listing, please contact our technical service team at 1-800-347-4583.
Place a small amount of acetone on the effected area and rub until the adhesive has been removed. Please follow solvent vendor’s precautions. Nail polish remover can also be used to remove adhesive. Be cautious as these products are flammable and can irritate skin.
Instant Bond can withstand temperatures as low as -65°F.
Instant Bond is designed for interior usage.
Instant Bond can be used in temperatures from -65F to 200F. Not recommended for exterior use due to slight softening of the adhesive with water.
"Shelf life" is a conservative estimate of the minimum time period that we would expect a given product to remain usable, when stored as directed. This concept might also be called "useable service life" or "storage life," and it necessarily refers to both the physical handling properties and the ability of the product to perform properly. When used in reference to wood glues, reaching the stated shelf life does not mean that a product will "expire" or become unusable. Instead, we view the stated shelf life of most of our glues merely as a guideline to avoid potential aging concerns. In reality, as long as products like Titebond Original, Titebond II and Titebond III remain fluid, without a drastic change in appearance, they will continue to perform as intended. For a complete list of Titebond wood glues, adhesives and sealants shelf lives click here.
Because a surface layer of oil or tannic acid tends to build up on these species, they can present a problem. For either type of wood, planing, jointing, or sanding shortly before bonding will remove the contaminating layer and allow successful bonding. Otherwise, the surface being bonded will need to be wiped with acetone to remove the layer. Acetone dries quickly and allows bonding almost immediately after the surfaces have been wiped.
Titebond III Ultimate – light brown Titebond Original – yellow Titebond II Premium – translucent yellow Titebond Dark – brown Titebond Liquid Hide – transparent amber Titebond Melamine – colorless Titebond Quick & Thick - colorless Titebond Translucent – colorless Titebond Instant Bond – colorless
Both of these tests are conducted using 6” by 6” birch laminates glued together to make three-ply plywood. The test for Type I is clearly more stringent than Type II, and involves boiling the glue bonds and testing the specimens while they are wet. Type I testing involves cutting the 6" by 6" assemblies into 1" by 3" specimens, boiling them for 4 hours, then baking the specimens in a 145°F oven for 20 hours. They are boiled for an additional 4 hours, then immediately cooled using running water. The specimens are sheared while wet, and the bonds must pass certain strength and wood failure requirements to pass the Type I specification.Type II testing involves cutting the 6" by 6" assemblies into 2" by 5" specimens, soaking them for 4 hours, then baking the specimens in a 120°F oven for 19 hours. This is repeated for a total of three cycles, and the bonds must not delaminate to pass the Type II specification.
The "crackling effect" is a process that can give an antique appearance to just about anything. With this effect virtually anything will appear distinguishably aged. Traditionally, most hobbyists have used Titebond Liquid Hide Glue Instructions to achieve this effect.
Our literature states the shelf life of a majority of our wood glues as two years. Most of our yellow and white glues, including Titebond Original and Titebond II, remain usable beyond two years. Should Titebond Original become thick and stringy, or Titebond II turn into an orange-colored gel, these changes signify that the glue is no longer usable. The minimum shelf life of Titebond III is stated as one two years. When stored appropriately at room temperature, Titebond III is expected to last beyond its stated shelf life. If thickened, shake vigorously by firmly tapping bottle on a hard surface until product is restored to original form. For a complete list of Titebond wood glues, adhesives and sealants shelf lives click here.
While polyurethane glues bond well to a variety of materials, Titebond III is superior in many ways. In addition to excellent water-resistance, it provides a stronger bond on wood-to-wood applications, doesn't foam and requires less clamp time. Titebond III has no health issues, doesn't require the use of gloves and cleans up with water. It is significantly less expensive than polyurethane glues and offers similar coverage rates.
While all Titebond products provide superior performance, Titebond III is especially useful for outdoor applications in cooler temperatures or when concern for substantial moisture calls for the use of a Type I glue. For interior applications, the longer working time of Titebond III provides woodworkers the necessary latitude to ensure that substrates are precisely aligned before being bonded. Overall, Titebond III combines superior strength, Type I water-resistance, long open time and low chalk temperature into one easy-to-use formulation.
For most of our water-based wood glues, it is often best to use a damp cloth and remove excess glue before it has dried. After the glues have dried, scraping or sanding works well. Steam from an iron may also be effective, but it will not take the glue out of the pores of the wood. Once dry, Titebond Instant Bond Wood Adhesives may be removed with acetone or sanding.
Most of our glues are designed to bond bare wood. Painting or staining a wood blocks the pores, keeping the glue from penetrating into the wood. It may be possible that some of our glues may work for gluing together painted or stained surfaces. It is necessary to remember that the overall bond will only be as strong as the bond between the paint and the wood. We recommend that all substrates be clean of any type of paint, stain, or sealer.
Most of our water-based wood glues can be thinned with water up to 5% by weight or by volume. Adding more than 5% water to our glues will decrease the bond strength. Titebond Liquid Hide Glue is thinned by gently heating the bottle in a pan of warm water.
For most of our wood glues, we recommend clamping an unstressed joint for thirty minutes to an hour. Stressed joints need to be clamped for 24 hours. We recommend not stressing the new joint for at least 24 hours.
All of our Titebond wood glues are safe to use and produce no harmful fumes. They meet the requirements of ASTM D4236 for safe use with arts and crafts. Titebond III Ultimate Wood Glue and Titebond II Premium Wood Glue have both been approved for indirect food contact. For this reason, it is the glue that we recommend for making cutting boards.
The key to the disassembly of glue joints is weakening the bond. For Titebond Original, Titebond II and Titebond III, raising the glue joint temperature with a heat gun or a blow dryer will reduce the glue's strength. Steam from an iron may also work. Placing a few drops of water on the edge of a joint made with Titebond Liquid Hide Glue will, after absorbed, cause the joint to weaken. For Titebond Instant Bond glues, placing a few drops of acetone on the joint may cause the joint to loosen after absorption.