"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
ink.net...
Pete Stolz wrote:
Hi, I'm making a maple workbench top and I need to glue it up. The
plans
(the Veritas Modern Bench) call for epoxy because of the long working
time
or PVA or yellow glue. The epoxy was REALLY expensive, the PVA and
yellow
are not expensive but the working time is not as long.
snip

When it comes to adhesives, after epoxy, everything else is down hill.

With all due respect, I don't agree. Epoxy is the choice for loose joints.
Put too much clamping pressure on the wooktop glue-up and you squeeze out
the epoxy and starve the joint and the epoxy fails where plain old PVA or
Aliphatic Resin glue will do just fine. I love epoxy in loose mortise &
tenon joints, but for a panel glue-up, give me plain old water based glue
any time (aliphatic resin or PVA).

You indicate epoxy is "REALLY expensive".

I submit that is a relative term.

Yes, epoxy will be probably 3-6 times more expensive than say TiteBond
II which as about $13-$14/gallon the last time I bought it, but that
cost is not necessarily the final determination.

What percentage of the cost of the total project, does the cost of the
epoxy represent?

My guess is less than 10% of the total project.

Use something that is 50% of the cost of the epoxy and your total
savings are only 5% of the project, but you finished project will have
it's value reduced by far more than 5%.

Glue the strips in groups of 3-4, the glue these groups together.

When everything is glued up, head to the commercial top shop and have
them sand it flat.

Enjoy.

Lew