casamite or pva

[fraser]

hi
simple question...
when is it best to use cascamite over pva and what situations are both best suited?
thanks

 

[Lord Kitchener]

hi
simple question...
when is it best to use cascamite over pva and what situations are both best suited?
thanks

Probably better if you say what you are thinking of using the glue on,a nd let people offer opinions on that, the question is going to need quite a long answer otherwise.

 

[marcus]

Cascamite:

• Best for veneering and laminating (it doesn't creep)
  Useful whenever joints aren't quite as tight as they might be (is a decent gap filler) though obviously it's better to have tight joints...
  Ideal for exterior use (you can get waterproof pva, but cascamite is tried and tested and personally I trust it more outdoors — boatbuilders have used it for years for above waterline work.).
  General joinery.

However it can show a white glue line which may be objectionable in dark coloured timbers (adding a dash of pigment can ameliorate this, though it will weaken the glue a tiny bit)

PVA

• For convenience ie making jigs etc.
  Some people say PVA is best for things like chairs because it 'gives' a bit whereas cascamite sets rock hard, and can crack when stressed repeatedly.
  I think PVA is cheaper?

However PVA is a pain to repair as it doesn't stick to itself (and nothing else really sticks to it either) It's very hard to remove it completely once it's gone off, so the joint fails again, but sooner. Cascamite sticks to itself quite happily (though it can't be loosened with water like PVA which makes disassembly more difficult)

Personally I don't like PVA at all (mainly due to how much trouble it is when people bring things in for repair which were stuck with it), but it's useful for jigs etc, where it's nice to be able to just squeeze it out of the bottle. With furniture I wouldn't use either (except sometimes cascamite for veneering panels). I'd use hide glue, which is a much better furniture glue. But as in everything woodworking, people have different opinions....

 

[andersonec]

And Cascamite has a longer 'open' time allowing more time for complicated glue-ups.

 

[Steve Maskery]

It's never the case that one is better than the other. It's a question of which is most suitable under the circumstances.
S

 

[Argus]

.

I can't use hide glue because my workshop is indoors, part of the house........ I'd be in the divorce court - my wife detests the smell.



On the serious side, I use PVA, whenever I use glue at all, for the reasons stated above by Marcus. It is perfectly adequate for my uses. Personally I don't like Cascamite, but that's me.

However, for all but the smallest stuff, I tend to favour draw-bore pins and loose, (i.e. unsecured) panels or T&G, because I live in a naturally damp part of Wales and seasonal swelling/shrinking can be a problem here due to swings in ambient humidity.
Besides, done by hand, it is more fun!
Lots of lovely shavings and no dust or noise.

.