Rather than any special woodworking adhesive I usually use common or
garden PVA bought in 5l or 2.5l tubs (depending on what other jobs I
have on at the time) from Wickes, labelled as 'Building Adhesive'. I
then decant some into a small bottle for woodworking use.

Doing a little woodworking project at the weekend with several
biscuit joints. Went to the shed to top up with PVA from the big tub
- only to find it had 'gone off'. With the tub was opened, the PVA
smelled 'funny' and had a small number of 'cloudy patches' on the
surface, perhaps the early stages of mould growth.

The PVA was last used about 2 months ago for priming a small area of
brickwork (approx 1 sq m) for plastering. To the best of my knowledge
no 'unclean' tools have been used in it - I usually ladle it out into
a bucket before diluting it for use (when priming / plastering, that
is). The brush goes in the bucket, not into the virgin PVA. For the
approx last two months it's been stored in the shed.

Anyone else experienced this 'smelly PVA? How can it be avoided? What
have I 'done wrong'?

Aside: I went ahead and used a small quantity of the 'smelly' PVA
without apparent problems...

--
Richard Perkin
To email me, change the AT in the address below
richard.perkinATmyrealbox.com

It's is not, it isn't ain't, and it's it's, not its, if you mean it
is. If you don't, it's its. Then too, it's hers. It isn't her's.
It isn't our's either. It's ours, and likewise yours and theirs.
-- Oxford University Press, Edpress News

"Richard Perkin" wrote in message
...
Rather than any special woodworking adhesive I usually use common or
garden PVA bought in 5l or 2.5l tubs (depending on what other jobs I
have on at the time) from Wickes, labelled as 'Building Adhesive'. I
then decant some into a small bottle for woodworking use.

Doing a little woodworking project at the weekend with several
biscuit joints. Went to the shed to top up with PVA from the big tub
- only to find it had 'gone off'. With the tub was opened, the PVA
smelled 'funny' and had a small number of 'cloudy patches' on the
surface, perhaps the early stages of mould growth.



Anyone else experienced this 'smelly PVA? How can it be avoided? What
have I 'done wrong'?

We once worked for an educational supplier, dealing mostly with primary
schools. A popular product was pva based paint, ready mixed in screw topped
bottles and in a variety of colours.

One day there were explosions in the warehouse - all the bottles of brown
paint had exploded, more or less at the same time.

There was an interesting mess, guess who had to clean it ... :-(

Mary