Update: I glued up a spine in a cold garage for 2 winters before it clicked

I kept blaming my mix and my press setup, but my PVA was sitting at 55 degrees and never grabbing right, which is why my hinges kept cracking open at the joint. A bindery guy in Duluth asked what temp my bench was at, and that one question fixed 2 winters of bad luck. Anyone else running a small space heater under the bench, or do you just wait for warmer air?

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jenniferw8223d ago

Wait, you were running PVA at 55 degrees and it was still grabbing at all? I thought most wood glues get chalky and useless way before that, like under 60 they stop soaking into the wood right. The real problem might not be the glue itself but the wood being cold, since cold stock sucks the heat right out of the glue line and you get that fake dry skin that looks set but never cures. A heater under the bench helps the air but the boards stay cold for hours, so I started bringing my stock inside the night before and that did way more for me than warming the room. Maybe your Duluth guy was onto the bench temp, but I bet the wood temp is what was really biting you.

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