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I've built 5 guitars with titebond 2, and all the jigs and workboards etc. I've had no troubles. Recently there was a thread that some builders said to use only 1. Never use titebond 2. So it spooked me. I've started my first electric build. An archtop type of a Gibson Byrdland. You know the saying, "why change something that works." So I did a little test for the heck of it. I took 2 pieces of mahogany. cut them into halves. So I have 4 pieces, 2 tops and 2 bottoms of very similar wood. I went threw all my spring clamps, 30 or so, and found 2 that I felt were close to the same end width closing pressure. I smeared Titebond 1(fresh bottle) on one set, smoothed it evenly with my finger, then put the other piece on top, and slid it around horizonally about 1/16" inch to get the glue meshed in. Then clamped. I did the same with test piece 2 with Titebond 2(about a year old bottle,1/4 left). I wrote a 1 on test 1 and 2 on 2. It's hard to see, sorry. I let them dry clamped for around 20 hours. I tried to bust them apart by hand to see how tought the glue was. I could'nt do it. So I took a pair of channel-locks and popped them apart. With the leverage, I did not notice much difference in the separation. The results: Titebond 1, the glueline split, no wood tear. Titebond 2, the wood tore away from 1 side of the wood. So now what. Is Titebond 2 stronger? Whenever I have to sand it, it really sucks. Maybe more tests. Here's some pictures. Jason

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Jason Moe
LaCrosse WI 54601

Try hanging a weight from each of them, and come back in 10 years and see which one has crept farther Especially if they get warmed up occasionally by playing outdoors on a sunny summer day.

My impression was that "strength in ideal conditions" is not the issue with TB2.

But if your other 5 guitars have had no issues... then maybe they never will have issues. Failures due to glue type seem pretty edge-case anyway, especially if your joints are tight.

I have been using both for years in the cabinet biz as well as the extend version of 1. I have seen no difference in final bond strength. The differences I have noticed are as follows,

- 2 cures a bit harder than 1 which can make glue lines more challenging to sand.
- 2 seems to exhibit a bit of creep at times, 1 does not. even the extended version of 1 is very creep free.
- 1 seems to have a slight advantage on open time in the same conditions ( longer open time) as well as a bit more closed working time.
- 1 seems to have a good advantage in initial tack and free bond.
- Extend 1 is good for real complex glue ups requiring long open times but can be a bit gummy when sanded if it has not cured for 24 hrs. it also seems to be less heat resistant than the others when cured. I see no need for the extend version in guitar making.

Being as type 2 usually costs a bit more than 1 and it's only real advantage is moisture resistance when cured My thoughts are use type 1 and put the few dollars saved toward bettering something else like hardware or finish. Unless of course you are building a backpacker for use exclusively in the rain forest

Brian

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Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

I would do the test again with a bit more clamping pressure, one squeeze clamp like you have in the picture is not sufficient, IMO. Try a couple of C clamps.

Chuck

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