# Best Wood Glue For Hive Bodies & Frames?



## Fishman43 (Sep 26, 2011)

I use Titebond for all of my word working projects. I don't wear nice clothes while doing my projects, so washing glue out isn't an issue.


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## New Ky Beekeeper (Jun 27, 2011)

I use Titebond III and use it carefully. It really bonds the wood together. You will appreciate it when you are pulling heavy frames out of supers..... (just my $0.02)

Phil


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## stripstrike (Aug 29, 2009)

Titebond III has held everything I've built together. Putting together bottom boards using it this week.


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## Adrian Quiney WI (Sep 14, 2007)

I've been happy with Titebond 2 and have been very happy with it. It also makes my jeans last longer.:lpf:


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

Titebond seems to make less mess than Gorilla, but Gorilla really is great for frame repairs and splits.


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## valleyman (Nov 24, 2009)

Titebond III and yes it outlasts my carhart jeans.


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## signalten (Feb 27, 2011)

+1 for Titebond III, even though I ruined my favorite blue jeans by dropping a glue filled brush on them. Learned my lesson.


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## Fishman43 (Sep 26, 2011)

odfrank said:


> Titebond seems to make less mess than Gorilla, but Gorilla really is great for frame repairs and splits.


I like the hold of Gorilla, but the foaming mess it makes is terrible. Not to mention the hassle of wetting at least one side of the piece to be glued.


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## tsk (Nov 26, 2010)

I suspect there is confusion on the Gorilla glue here. Gorilla comes in a wood glue variety (equivalent to Titebond III) and also their more traditional foaming glue. I would assume the discussion on Gorilla glue is focused on the wood glue variant (I could be wrong though because odfrank is talking about repairing frames). It would likely be prohibitively expensive to use the foaming glue for bodies.


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## jamesjr (Feb 18, 2011)

Perhaps an obvious point (relative newbie here) - but I think the larger question is which glue is food grade. I'm not sure if Elmer's is, but I'm pretty sure Titebond II (I've used) is. I tried to take apart a couple pieces I'd glued with Titebond. Friggin' impossible.


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## Ray4852 (May 27, 2011)

I use Elmers wood glue.


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## Fishman43 (Sep 26, 2011)

tsk said:


> Gorilla comes in a wood glue variety (equivalent to Titebond III) and also their more traditional foaming glue... (I could be wrong though because odfrank is talking about repairing frames...


I haven't tried their wood glue, but thought OF was using the foaming mess type to make repairs.


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## Adam Foster Collins (Nov 4, 2009)

Fine Woodworking did a glue review, where they used a computer-monitored press to break lap joints bonded with different adhesives. Titebond III was the winner, and outperformed Gorilla, epoxy and traditional white glue. But regular White wood glue actually did really well... 

I'm using the Titebond III on all the gear I'm making at the moment. I like working with it, but I haven't had the change to see how it weathers or holds over time.

Adam


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## Radford (Jul 13, 2010)

I build my boxes with finish nails and elmers wood glue. I have not had any boxes come apart yet. The cost of the 1/2 gal. is right too.


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## ycitybz (Jan 2, 2012)

Titebond III is what my mentor suggested and dont be afraid to use a nice glob. i have never had something fall apart from a joint breaking free, it will rot before a joint comes apart..


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## millerwb (Oct 31, 2011)

I do other woodworking aside from building bee stuff. I only buy Tightbond III. I found gallons of white wood glue several years back (dumpster diving) and it works well, but not sure that i would trust it in an outdoor environment.


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## ralittlefield (Apr 25, 2011)

jamesjr said:


> - but I think the larger question is which glue is food grade.


I wouldn't worry about food grade glue untill they start making food grade wood.


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## feltze (May 15, 2010)

Titebond III only, including repairs


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## windfall (Dec 8, 2010)

The biggest advantage of TB III is the extended working time before initial set. TBII is plenty strong but you need to hustle to get all surfaces covered and in place before initial tack.


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## pascopol (Apr 23, 2009)

I used Elmer's since I had a large container of it, now I am using TB II, I do not believe TB III is worth extra money.

This glue thing is overblown, in the past there was no Tightbonds or gorillas, old good Elmers did the job holding together millions of boxes and frames for years, most boxes rotted away first anyway before joints gave up.

Most of this recent hype with glue is a marketing gimmick to suck more money from a customer.

Just personal common sense opinion.


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## tommyt (Aug 7, 2010)

NO Glue on the frames Don the Fat Beeman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnzAxZDICLc&feature=fvsr


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

pascopol said:


> Most of this recent hype with glue is a marketing gimmick to suck more money from a customer.


I was just repairing old 11 1/4" frames and the glued ones were infinity more stable, especially at the bottom bar to sidebar joints. This size frame should be thicker than normal but are supplied in the thinner gauge same as regular frames.


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## dixie1 (Jun 27, 2010)

I have my own woodshop and have used Titebond II for a long time...I buy it by the gallon and usually find it cheaper at the big box stores rather than going to woodcraft or rockler.....i thought about using TB III but so far my hives have held together very well....I'll be the first to change to TB III if I start to have failures.....don't see that as happening though


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## mmiller (Jun 17, 2010)

I also am a woodworker. I've used Titebond II for years. I've tried Titebond III but don't honestly see a reason to spend more money when I don't think it really works any better. I buy Titebond II by the gallon and go through about 2 or 3 gallons a year. 

As far as clothing......well I use clothes that don't matter and if I'm doing alot of gluing I put on a shop apron. I also wipe the glue joints with a rag.

Mike


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

I went from Titebond II to Titebond III because I cut down all my 10 frames to 8 frames and wanted a waterproof glue to hold the new joint down the middle. I figured if I'm going to do all that work, why not use the best glue for the job although I think Titebond II may have done just as well.


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## beyondthesidewalks (Dec 1, 2007)

Obviously, from the many posts here, it's not which glue you use but that you glue your boxes and frames that counts. Over the years I've used elmer's, elmer's wood, tightbond II and gorilla foaming glue with good results. On frames, no matter which glue I used, I think it's more important to drive that horizontal nail/brad through the sidebar into the top bar. Prior to discovering that I had a few frames blowout while pulling them up from the hive body, even those with glue.


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## Matt NY (Jan 14, 2006)

Never glued any. Haven't had any problems.

Do you really need glue?


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## beyondthesidewalks (Dec 1, 2007)

I suppose you don't but judging from others experiences, it's a good idea. I've always glued mine at the advice of my mentor 20 (Ughh! I'm getting old) years ago so I have no experience with nails only.


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## ralittlefield (Apr 25, 2011)

windfall said:


> The biggest advantage of TB III is the extended working time before initial set.


The only heat in my shop is a wood stove, so I also like the fact that TB III can be used at a slightly lower temperature (45 degrees I think).


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## stoffel64 (Sep 23, 2010)

I only use Tidebond III fro the boxes and for the frames I sometimes use Tidebond II. 

Cheers
Stefan


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

Matt NY said:


> Never glued any. Haven't had any problems.


How long has it been?


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## max2 (Dec 24, 2009)

ralittlefield said:


> I wouldn't worry about food grade glue untill they start making food grade wood.


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## max2 (Dec 24, 2009)

Would you belive that Hoop Pine is " foodgrade" - it was used to make butter boxes for many years and makes fantastic frames and supers too.


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## My-smokepole (Apr 14, 2008)

jamesjr said:


> Perhaps an obvious point (relative newbie here) - but I think the larger question is which glue is food grade. I'm not sure if Elmer's is, but I'm pretty sure Titebond II (I've used) is. I tried to take apart a couple pieces I'd glued with Titebond. Friggin' impossible.


Doesn’t need to be food grade.


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## perrywinkle (Feb 21, 2016)

X2 Titebond II .... Gorilla comes in a non foaming wood glue type also !


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## rcollins98166 (Dec 22, 2021)

Aren't these glues "toxic" for the bees?


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

No.


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