glue joints opening on cutting/chopping board

[Prizen]

Hi all
Making a maple and walnut, with titebond iii, cutting board unfortunately the glue joints keep opening up

Tried again with beech and walnut with no luck.

The glue faces are planed flat before glue up with no shortage of glue and camping pressure

I have no other glue left other than titebond 3. Any thoughts or possible reasons for this?
Thanks

 

[dzj]

Your glue froze?

 

[thetyreman]

the cold could be your reason, use a heatgun if it's anywhere near 10 degrees C ambient temperiture, failing that there shouldn't be any gaps if it's done correctly, clamping cauls really help as well distribute the pressure more evenly.

 

[Rorton]

as above, or are you letting the glue cure in a cold environment. I do a lot of these and in this weather I do glue up in the workshop (garage!) but bring the piece inside to set up.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Long grain or end grain?

 

[Chippyofftheoldblock]

How long after gluing up do the gaps open, does it happen in the workshop or in a house, is the board finished with oil and is your timber air or kiln dried

 

[Prizen]

Thanks guys, left in un heated shed. Long grain. I can’t say when precisely but certainly after 5 or 6 hours I see gaps

 

[Chippyofftheoldblock]

ok, in that case it could be glue, PVA not good in the cold, what you could do is bring your wood inside for a week to allow to warm and condition, also ensure glue brought into the warmth as well, then prep the timber and ensure you glue up in the house and leave a few days to fully cure, that should solve the problem.
To check the glue is ok, split one of the boards up and see if any strong bond at all, if not, go for new titebond, if strong use existing.
If the existing board separates easily, you could replane the components to re use, let me know how you go.

 

[Peri]

Surely the boards should still be clamped up 6 hours after glue up?

Something like a chopping block I'd leave the clamps on - as many clamps as I could get on it - for at least 24 hours.

Edit - As said above, temperature is the big enemy of pva glue. I think its Titebond 3 that can be used down to 9c, all the others will struggle below 13c (They dry 'chalky' and have no adhesion)

 

[Prizen]

Yes the glue did look a little chalky. Looks like the low temp was the issue.

 

[Peri]

Oh - and if the glue has been left in an unheated shed and you think it's frozen :-

“The worst storage conditions allow freezing, then thawing and heat,” explains Behnke. “Most wood glues are designed to withstand a minimum of five freeze/thaw cycles. With each cycle, the glue forms gels. Mixing easily breaks up these gels, but each subsequent freeze/thaw incident will make the gels more difficult to disperse.”

Eventually, you won’t be able to break up the gels at all, and the glue will remain solid. Heat also can cause the polymer to clump and gel.

How will you know if your glue has gone bad? “If it pours, it’s probably good,” says Behnke. If the glue has thickened, shake it vigorously by firmly tapping the bottle on a hard surface until the product is restored to its original form. You also can add up to five percent water to water-based glues (such as PVA glues) to thin the product. If the glue comes out stringy or pasty or wants to stick to itself rather than to the wood, it’s probably past its prime. If Titebond II turns orange, it’s time for a new bottle.

h++p://blog.titebond.com/page/how-to-store-your-wood-glue-for-longer-life