Which glue works on wood?
Which glue works on wood?
PVA wood glue for anything indoors; a water-resistant grade (Type I / D4) or polyurethane for anything that gets wet.
On a properly fitted long-grain joint, PVA is stronger than the timber around it — the test piece breaks in the wood, not at the glue line, and that has been true since the 1950s. What fails is everything else: end grain behaves like a bundle of straws and drinks glue out of the joint, leaving it starved, and any gap wider than a shaving leaves PVA with nothing to grip. Clamping pressure exists to close the joint and squeeze the film thin, not to force glue into the wood, and over-clamping soft timber genuinely starves a joint. Water resistance is graded rather than claimed: EN 204 runs D1 to D4 and the American system Type III to Type I, and the number on the bottle is the only reliable statement about immersion.
The options, ranked
| Option | Good at | Bad at |
|---|---|---|
| PVA wood glue | Stronger than the wood itself on a well-fitted long-grain joint, cheap, cleans up with water, sands and takes a finish poorly but predictably. | Almost no gap-filling strength, creeps slowly under sustained load, and interior grades fail when soaked. |
| Polyurethane glue | Waterproof, bonds wood to metal, stone and plastics, and works on slightly damp timber because moisture is what cures it. | Foams as it cures and that foam has no strength at all, so it fills gaps visually and not structurally. Stains skin brown for days. |
| Two-part epoxy | The only common wood adhesive that genuinely bridges gaps, and the right answer for oily tropical timbers and end-grain-heavy joints. | Expensive, slow, needs mixing by ratio, and a thick glue line is visible under a clear finish. |
| Hot hide glue | Reversible with heat and moisture, which is why instrument and antique repair still uses it; it also sticks to itself for repairs. | Needs a glue pot, sets in under a minute, and fails in damp conditions. |
Technique that changes the outcome
- Dry-fit and clamp the joint before any glue is opened — glue never fixes a bad fit
- Size end grain with glue thinned slightly with water, let it soak in, then glue normally
- Spread a thin even film on both faces rather than a bead on one
- Clamp until a small continuous bead of squeeze-out appears, and no harder
- Wipe squeeze-out with a damp cloth before it skins, or it blocks stain later
- Leave clamped 30-60 minutes; leave unstressed 24 hours for full strength
What goes wrong
- Gluing below about 10 °C — most PVAs chalk and never reach strength
- Relying on polyurethane foam to fill a gap; it has effectively no strength
- Assuming a joint is finished when the clamps come off — cure is a day, not an hour
Compiled practical guidance rather than a published standard. Product formulations vary by brand and market, so read the label — and where the work is structural, electrical or gas, the regulations that apply where you are govern rather than anything here.
Other glue and adhesive questions
| For | Use |
|---|---|
| Plastic | It depends entirely on which plastic — identify it first, because solvent cement is unbeatable on some and useless on others. |
| Polypropylene and polyethylene | Ordinary adhesives cannot wet these plastics at all. Use a polyolefin primer with cyanoacrylate, an MMA structural adhesive, or weld the plastic. |
| Metal | Two-part epoxy for anything structural, cyanoacrylate for small dry parts, and MMA where the surface cannot be properly prepared. |
| Ceramic and pottery | Two-part epoxy for anything that will be handled or loaded, cyanoacrylate for a clean break on a display piece — and neither is dishwasher-proof. |
| Shoes | A flexible shoe repair adhesive — polyurethane or a neoprene contact cement — never superglue, which cracks within a day of walking. |
| Fabric | A washable fabric adhesive or a fusible bonding web — and never superglue, which reacts with cotton violently enough to burn. |
| Glass | UV-cure glass adhesive for an invisible joint, clear epoxy where it must hold load, and neutral-cure silicone where it must stay flexible or wet. |
| PVC pipe | PVC solvent cement with its matching primer — and PVC, CPVC and ABS cements are not interchangeable. |
| Tiles | A cement-based thin-set in almost every case; ready-mixed tub adhesive only on small dry walls, never on floors or in showers. |
| Phone screens | A pre-cut adhesive gasket, or a flexible B-7000-type adhesive around the frame — superglue destroys screens and is the classic mistake. |
| Rubber | Contact cement for large flexible areas and rubber-toughened cyanoacrylate for small ones — but silicone and EPDM need a primer or they will not bond at all. |
| Outdoor and waterproof joints | Polyurethane or epoxy for rigid joints, MS polymer where the joint has to move — and check the water-resistance class rather than the word "waterproof". |
| Acrylic (Perspex, Plexiglas) | A solvent cement run into the joint by capillary action — not a tube adhesive, which will always look like a repair. |
| Concrete | Epoxy or a construction adhesive for bonding to it, and a chemical anchor resin — not glue — for anything that carries load. |
| Leather | Contact cement for a permanent flexible bond, or a leather-craft PVA to hold pieces while you stitch them. |
| Silicone | Effectively only more silicone, and even that needs a primer — and any silicone residue left on a surface stops everything else sticking too. |
| Paper | A glue stick or PVA for everyday work; wheat starch paste or methylcellulose for anything you want to survive — and never tape. |
| Foam | A foam-safe water-based adhesive or low-temperature hot melt — solvent adhesives dissolve polystyrene on contact. |
| Polycarbonate | A urethane or silicone adhesive is safest; solvent cements work but polycarbonate is unusually prone to stress cracking days later. |
Common questions
- Which glue works on wood?
- PVA wood glue for anything indoors; a water-resistant grade (Type I / D4) or polyurethane for anything that gets wet.
- What should I avoid?
- Gluing below about 10 °C — most PVAs chalk and never reach strength Relying on polyurethane foam to fill a gap; it has effectively no strength Assuming a joint is finished when the clamps come off — cure is a day, not an hour
Related pages
- Which glue works on plastic? It depends entirely on which plastic — identify it first, because solvent cement is unbeatable on some and useless on others.
- Which glue works on polypropylene and polyethylene? Ordinary adhesives cannot wet these plastics at all. Use a polyolefin primer with cyanoacrylate, an MMA structural adhesive, or weld the plastic.
- Which glue works on metal? Two-part epoxy for anything structural, cyanoacrylate for small dry parts, and MMA where the surface cannot be properly prepared.
- Which glue works on ceramic? Two-part epoxy for anything that will be handled or loaded, cyanoacrylate for a clean break on a display piece — and neither is dishwasher-proof.
- Which glue works on shoes? A flexible shoe repair adhesive — polyurethane or a neoprene contact cement — never superglue, which cracks within a day of walking.
- Which glue works on fabric? A washable fabric adhesive or a fusible bonding web — and never superglue, which reacts with cotton violently enough to burn.
- Which glue works on glass? UV-cure glass adhesive for an invisible joint, clear epoxy where it must hold load, and neutral-cure silicone where it must stay flexible or wet.
- Which glue works on PVC pipe? PVC solvent cement with its matching primer — and PVC, CPVC and ABS cements are not interchangeable.
- Which adhesive should I use for tiles? A cement-based thin-set in almost every case; ready-mixed tub adhesive only on small dry walls, never on floors or in showers.
- Which glue works on a phone screen? A pre-cut adhesive gasket, or a flexible B-7000-type adhesive around the frame — superglue destroys screens and is the classic mistake.
- Which drill bit should I use for wood? Drill bit
- Which circular saw blade for wood? Blade
- Which screw and pilot hole should I use for wood? Screw
Sources
- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place