FURNITURE TIPS - What kind of glue should I use?

When it comes to doing repairs, it is very important to use the proper glue for the job. When it comes to re-gluing joints on furniture made prior to 1955, my favorite is Franklin brand liquid hide glue. It has very good tack and strength plus has a longer working time which comes in handy for re-gluing chairs.

Furniture made after 1955 to present day is constructed with PVA (Poly Vinyl Acetate). It is the pale yellow glue for woodworking or carpentry. If your project requires a long open time, this is not the glue of choice. You are better off with the hide glue.

For broken components that are hard to clamp and won’t ever need to come back apart, I would recommend a five to thirty minute epoxy. I don't recommend using this glue for the joints unless you have a lot of play in them. It is the best gap filling glue out there.

For fixing hairline cracks that you can't get conventional glues into, you can use a thin or thick cyanoacrylate commonly known as super glue. It works even better if you use an accelerator to speed up the hardening process. You might want to shop at a model airplane store to find it. I don't recommend this glue in areas that need to be structurally significant. Remember to keep a bottle of fingernail polish remover on hand just incase you glue your fingers together or to the furniture.