Formaldehyde free veneer adhesive

[Powers]

Hello,

I am doing a lot of vacuum veneer work over in the States where formaldehyde-based adhesives are still legal but also still cause cancer. What are you all using over in the UK (where I assume formaldehyde is banned?)

If you are using PVA how are you coping with creep? Has anyone tried the cornstarch additive?

-- Joe Powers

 

[devonwoody]

I am pleased to say hello to another American who has joined the UK forum.

I am using PVA adhesive when veneering, perhaps a dab of superglue at opposing corners on small jobs not needing the vacumn process might work.
Would also be pleased to hear more of the cornstarch you have suggested, I used to use that in the 50's to stick wallpaper to walls.


1

 

[jasonB]

I tend to use Titebond II which dries harder than PVA.

Jason

 

[Paul Chapman]

Welcome to the forum, Joe.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Nick W]

I use Titebond original unless I am worried about creep, or having enough open time, and then I use Extramite. I take care not to breathe the dust in, but otherwise don't worry about it. But perhaps I should 8-[

 

[Keith Smith]

Hi Joe,

Welcome to the forum

Adhesives that contain formaldehyde are not banned in the UK. You say they cause cancer, but so far I don't think there has been a definitive study that proved that is the case, for woodworkers anyway. Mortuary workers, who use formaldehyde to embalm bodies have shown a slight increase in nasal cancers but in other studies there has been no correlation between formaldehyde and cancer.

That said, it's well worth avoiding, just in case; but it is everywhere.

 

[Chris Knight]

I use PVA formulated for vacuum veneering (spreads easily over large surfaces and with very little creep). I have never got on with formaldehyde glues, not that I have anything against the chemical per se. Like so many things, the Thought Police have branded it BAD FOR YOU. along with most things I grew up with.

 

[devonwoody]

To avoid the creep I might experiment with snipping off the end points of some household pins. Whack the blunt end into the base timber and let the pointed end penetrate the veneer, perhaps also with a little persuasion.

Alternatively put a pin through the veneer and into the base and after setting perhaps the imperfection on the veneer could be disguised. Or secret pin and then cover over with the veneer.

Slippage gives me the most aggro with my woodworking boxes, unless I'm dovetailing.

 

[Nick W]

DW,

I think thereis a misunderstanding here about the sort of creep we are discussing. I mean long term creep, not what happens during assembly. For the legs of that table I didn't want them to slowly collpase over time so I used Extramite.

 

[George_N]

I tend to use Titebond II which dries harder than PVA.

Jason

Jason, I thought Titebond II was a PVA glue, (as are I and III).

 

[Powers]

Epoxy can be used without worry of creep although Acetone fumes are a poor substitute for formaldehyde. System III supposedly introduced a water-based epoxy last year. Has anyone tried it?

The addition of cornstarch at a ratio of 1:10 with PVA glue has been used to prevent creep in bent laminations according to FWW. I have not yet tried it but hope to soon.

I know there has been debate about whether or not woodworkers' levels of exposure to formaldehyde are dangerous. I can say that I find the odor noxious and I have friends who have developed allergic sensitivities to the stuff in as little as 3 yrs. of sporadic use. So needless to say I want to dodge the stuff without the quality of my work suffering.

Titebond II and III have cross-linking polymers in addition to being PVA glues. This is why they do not dissolve underwater (as quickly.)

 

[jasonB]

Jason, I thought Titebond II was a PVA glue, (as are I and III).

They are described as Alphatic resin glues, I'll leave it to the chemists to say if there is a difference between PVA & Alphatic but I find Titebond is a lot less "rubbery" when dried which makes it less likely to creap or allow springback on curved work, also easier to sand.

JAson

 

[devonwoody]

Jason thanks for that reassurance re titebond, not that I have much to worry about at my age, or have I?