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How does white Gorilla glue compare to titebond glue

13K views 31 replies 16 participants last post by  GerryAttrick  
#1 · (Edited)
My local store in my small town has an whole lot of white Gorilla glue and honey colored glue on the shelves.

I have tried honey colored Gorilla glue and it expands too much for me. It also goes hard real quick so it doesn't keep. I have not used the white Gorilla glue. Reading the label it looks like it compares to Titebond II glue. I can buy Titebond at Woodcraft it is just not close.
Anybody been using the white Gorilla glue?
 
#2 ·
The honey Gorilla glue is a polymer and requires water to activate, I'm not sure how or why it could be hardening too fast for you. The expansion is actually a good thing; it pushes into every nook and cranny. I feel it's superior on medium to large joint outdoor projects. It is the only product outside of 2 part adhesives that I trust to remain together on outdoor projects.

If you're working medium to small joint projects for indoor, all 3 TB offerings will do. If they're small to tiny you might consider molding/trim glue, fast tack and if in small doses dries clear. That may prove helpful with the finishing wend of the job.
 
#3 ·
I meant the honey Gorilla glue hardened in the bottle before I could use it all. It does not seem to last in the bottle very long like Titebond does. I also used it in an indoor project and I ended up with a glued joint that had filler in it. So I don't use it now. Sounds like it works outside well. I will keep it in mind.

I used some Elmers waterproof outside. The glue dried clear and looked good. Then it rained and the glue joint turned white from clear so I am not happy with the Elmers. Sounds like I should of used the honey Gorilla glue.

I am still looking for an answer on whether the white Gorilla glue will work as well as the Titebond glue so I can support my little local lumber yard.
 
#4 ·
According to their website it is exactly the same as the other glue, just white. It's still polyurethane glue so everything else about it should be the same. If you use where it will get rained on then it is one of the correct glues to use.

Otherwise, the most common woodworking glues are polyvinyl acetate (pva and white in color) or aliphatic resin (usually known as carpenter's glue and yellow). Both of the last 2 types are what's commonly used in the work shop and either are stronger than the wood they are used on and have some level of water resistance. Aliphatic Resin Glue | New To Woodworking
 
#6 ·
If you are talking about Gorilla Wood Glue, it is a PVA glue that seems very similar to Titebond II from Gorilla's website, but I've never used it. Modern PVA glues are so good that I wouldn't hesitate to try it.

I have used Original Gorilla polyurethane glue. Can't seem to keep it off my hands, and it doesn't clean up with water like Titebond. It's sticky and just plain messy. I only use it when I need a truly waterproof (instead of weatherproof) glue. I would never consider it a proper substitute for PVA. I have the same problem of it going hard in the bottle after opening, so I buy the smallest bottle. You can make it last a little longer by squeezing all the air out of the bottle before closing it. I use a small quick grip clamp to squeeze the bottle until the glue comes up into the spout and then put the top on. It still gets hard if stored for a month or more.
 
#7 · (Edited)
I have used Original Gorilla polyurethane glue. Can't seem to keep it off my hands, and it doesn't clean up with water like Titebond. It's sticky and just plain messy.
use DNA for clean up while it is still wet..
for dry (on your hands) use a scrub brush and baby or vegetable oil...
 
#20 · (Edited)
As long as the cook don't put it in the gravy.:surprise::no::grin::grin:

I just bought a 1/2gal. of TB II "Premium" to try out. It is yellow and thick, and seems to set faster. Don't know what the premium stands for, but it was new so thought I would try it.Doesn't seem to show when dry, but drys yellow on the squeeze-out.

Herb
 
#12 ·
I've used them both and the only difference is the gorilla glue takes longer to dry. When I use the gorilla I just leave the clamps on either all day or overnight, whereas Titebond can be unclamped sooner.

HJ
 
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#14 ·
Polyurethane glues have their use but I recall reading a magazine test that showed PVAs have considerably better strength. As note above Gorilla sells both PVA and PU but when someone says "Gorilla Glue" I think they are talking about PU.

PU cures due to exposure to water so you can accelerate it's curing by wetting the workpieces - I've used a mister. Humidity is what kills PU in a bottle. To slow down a PU bottle from going bad, you can store it in a ziploc freezer bag which reduces the (but doesn't eliminate) the moisture getting to the glue.

Frankly, I hate PU and avoid for the most part. It's so easy to use too much and get massive squeeze (expand) out which gets on everything, even Herbs fingers! (mine, too). The one place where it makes sense is gap filling. But even then, it's not a very cleanly filled gap with all the bubbles and it doesn't sand or paint well so it's best if it's used where the seam isn't visible. Those expanding-foam-insulation-in-a-can products are PU formulations. It's handy for that!

White vs Yellow is kind of a blackhole of discussion. As I understand it, there is some correlation between yellow glue using modified aliphatic resins though the color is just dye. You could, in theory, have white MAR glue. The MAR glues are supposed to have higher initial tack and soften at higher temperature than non-MAR. Unfortunately, there is so much semi-conflicting info out there. I've had good luck with TB II and TB III so I'm sticking with them.
 
#17 ·
The one place where it makes sense is gap filling. But even then, it's not a very cleanly filled gap with all the bubbles and it doesn't sand or paint well so it's best if it's used where the seam isn't visible. Those expanding-foam-insulation-in-a-can products are PU formulations. It's handy for that!
Phil PU glues are not for filling gaps. Gorilla's website says to use their epoxy to fill gaps, that joints where PU is used must be tight fitting. Although the foam will fill gaps it has no strength as it is mostly just air bubbles. One item I read said that the foaming action helps to drive the glue into the wood grain, improving the bond in a tight fitting joint. For any loose fitting joints LV 202GF, the Titebond that has the highest solids content, or an epoxy with filler should be used. Titebond's website has a chart that shows the different properties of the 3 types.

BTW, I just bought a gallon of white glue made by Titebond that dries clear and is probably meant to go against Weldbond. I only paid $15 for the gallon. I haven't used it yet so can't make comments on it but I'm sure it will perform adequately.
 
#15 ·
I use Gorilla white but not for outside work, I'm pretty sure the creamy look came from water absorbed into unprotected wood and below the glue line. Sorta like cup rings on the coffee table.
 
#16 ·
"To slow down a PU bottle from going bad, you can store it in a ziploc freezer bag which reduces the (but doesn't eliminate) the moisture getting to the glue. "
Silica gel can be your friend here. Double bag zip locks with silica gel in the first bag, glue bottles in the inner bag. SG can be reheated and reused indefinitely 200°F for an hour. The blue indicators turn pink and then it is time to reheat.
 
#18 ·
if you want gap filler and major strong...
PU adhesive as in PL Premium..
 
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#24 · (Edited)
This is that new glue I got made by Franklin (Titebond). I got mine at Windsor Plywood Canada. List was $16.99, on sale at the time for $14.99. It is certainly a good price.
 
#27 ·
Just the regular white Weldbond Lee. I found that out by accident when I went to clean up a dried puddle that had spilled. When I lifted up one corner and started pulling on it it stretched instead of breaking off.

What got me thinking about that property of glue were the descriptions in an old LV catalog of 2 different blends of the same epoxy. One was rigid and the other elastic which would "yawn" before it would let go.
 
#29 · (Edited)
Where to Buy | WELDBOND® See if they have the brochure where you buy it that lists all of it's uses. If they don't have the brochure then maybe try to find it online. It makes for an interesting read.
 
#30 ·
wood glue

Hello all don't get much time to reply or post to much but i do make time to read them all. like now the post on glue caught my eye as i have been meening to ask this same question.And now hear it is it explains a lot to me I have never tried gorilla glue.Now i have a new question How long will yellow glue last?I was recently given a jug it is about a liter Ya i'me Canadian.but be gentle with me ime still digging my way out of the snow bank What i was thinking is keep it in the cupboard and pour some of it into a smaller clean container.Will this be okay or what?I hope i am doing this post right maybe i should have started a new post if so please let me know.
 
#31 ·
Air in the bottle is your biggest enemy but it still will have a shelf life of only several years at best. I know some types recommend using them within a year, I can't remember if that is one of them. I left some for about 8 years and it was no more good by that time for sure. Some with high solids content should be shaken regularly or even turned upside down for a while or the solids will build up at the bottom of the container. Lee Valley's 202GF is bad for that. I had to take the cap off and stir it occasionally and that didn't help it to last longer. Certainly the best thing you can do if you buy a large container that is going to last quite a while is to pour it into a bunch of smaller containers and anything larger than a liter bottle is too big to be handy to use.