Wood glues and other questions

706jim wrote:Years ago I used Ambroid for balsa planes. For the most part it worked ok, one of the benefits being that joints were relatively easy to sand. I would preglue joints and add fillets afterwards. Viewing an old plane I built, the fillets have disappeared. There's just something about the smell of Ambroid that is appealing if not necessarily healthy. Later I discovered 5 minute and 2 hour set epoxy. The two hour stuff by LePage worked well although the 5 minute variety was noticeably weaker. I built my old Ski Daddle boat with Weldwood Resourcinal waterproof glue which is still holding strongly after 40+ years.
Most of my creations now are built with medium and thin CA. Good for most things except Guillows kits.

I have an older full-tube of Ambroid that was manufactured in Taunton, Massachusetts. I believe that Ambroid cement was originally produced in Boston, MA. The Ambroid tubes all state where they were made. Later formulations came from Lowell Mass, New Hampshire and I think; Canada.





The first photo shows some glue-tubes of mine. All my Ambroid was made in Taunton. At some point, the formula changed apparently.. and became thinner and "runny". This may have been a requirement to make it less toxic.. I'm not sure, but most modelers who've used it, don't like it as well as the original formula.

I'd say it's a safe bet; that if you find a tube somewhere that says it was made in Taunton.. and it hasn't hardened in its tube.. it would be the good-stuff.

I recently bought a bottle of Titebond III. I haven't used any yet though.




Krister (SurferKris) mentioned his dislike of using Cyano-Acrylate (CA) glues, because of the allergic-reaction that they can cause. This is a true statement! I do still use CA.. but I take precautions. CA vapors are actually visible.. especially when it "kicks" (sets). I run a small fan on slow-speed to carry the vapors away from my work-area. It's best NOT to use it in a small room without some kind of ventilation. I developed an allergy to CA several years ago while working on a piano. The entire mechanical-action of my old upright-piano could be removed in one piece for maintenance on a bench. The little wooden "jacks" that actuate the hammers, were coming loose due to the old glue-joints drying-out and failing. There are 88 of these particular joints on an upright piano. I reinforced all of them one afternoon. Soon after; I had problems with respiratory-allergies.. and an all-over itchy-skin condition that required taking anti-histamines to control. The respiratory-allergy might have been a coincidental beginning to season-allergies that anyone can get at any time in their life.. but years later I noticed flare-ups soon after non-ventilated CA exposure. That's when I learned about the allergic effects of CA on the respiratory and nervous-systems. I'm careful now.. even with slight CA use; to provide some air-movement when working with it.

Good ventilation is VERY important when working with any chemical compounds. They may not affect you "now".. but could in the future. Certain chemical-exposures will NEVER leave your body. My wife gets severe migraine-headaches that are triggered by strong odors. Almost any aromatic-solvent will bring one on. I can't use any spray-oils (WD-40, Silicone-lube) "Plastic-Wood" filler.. or any thinners for oil-based paints in the house.