My freshly glued miter joint blew apart 2 hours after I clamped it

Built a picture frame yesterday for a client in Portland, used Titebond II, and the joint just snapped when I took the clamps off. Turned out my shop temp was 48 degrees and the glue never set right. Anybody else have a cold-shop glue failure ruin a piece in the middle of winter?

2 comments

2 Comments

uma_reed261mo ago

48 degrees? Yeah that'll do it man. Titebond II needs at least 50 degrees to cure right, I learned that the hard way too. Did you check the temp before you glued it or just assume the shop was warm enough? Portland winters can be sneaky like that, the cold seeps in faster than you think. If you had to rush it, maybe a space heater near the joint couldve helped, but I get it, we've all been there with a deadline looming.

hall.ruby1mo ago

You been using the gel version yet? Switched to Titebond III gel after a similar fail and never looked back, it sets way better in cold shops. I just stuck a thermometer on my glue shelf and wait for it to hit 55 before even thinking about a project.