Cool Glue

it occurred to me one day, as I was preparing to glue up 15 pieces of red oak for a tabletop, that I would perhaps not be able to get the glue spread on all the edges and have time to clamp all the pieces together before the glue set up. I thought about buying a slower-setting glue to do the job, but then it dawned on me that the lower the temperature, the more slowly a chemical reaction takes place.

I put my glue in the refrigerator and cooled it down to about 40°. I was then able to apply it to all of the pieces, get the glue spread and the clamps set before the glue warmed up sufficiently to start setting. As the glue warmed to room temperature it began to set, but the mission was accomplished with plenty of time to spare. I suppose if you wanted to, you could also cool your wood down to further slow the setting time of the glue. Cooling your glue allows you to use the same glue for different projects, even when the setup time is a lot longer. I also set the glue container in a cooler during the glueup process to keep it cool. 

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