 |
 |
|
|
|
|
Part 1
|
Testing an adhesive and displaying its numerical results does not really give you a sense of what it's like to work with a glue that has been perfected. You really need a side by side comparison of the working characteristics. That's why I sent our cold press adhesives (now known as X-Press™ veneer glue) to some of the most demanding cabinet and furniture shops in the country. These kind folks returned a vast array of comments. Some as simple as "it needs to dry faster". Others comments were a bit more complicated. One cabinet shop owners put the adhesive through a battery of man-made 'real life' tests and submitted a full report showing that a durable veneer panel could be pressed, dried, sanded and finished in less than 2 hours.
Extensive testing and valuable user feedback allowed us to fine tune the volume of an advanced synthetic fibrous-resin additive that we blend into every batch. This component of X-Press glue minimizes bleed-through issues and acts as a gap-filler for voids in burl veneers. I believe we got it perfect! Don't be fooled by other adhesives that claim a ridiculously high level of solid content. More is not always better. Want to understand why solid content tells you nothing about bond strength and how it is often over-estimated for marketing purposes? Read on. Below are the technical details of the Better Bond X-Press veneer adhesive versus its nearest competitor. Armed with just the data below, I think you'll find that X-Press veneer glue does indeed offer a better bond. But you need to try it out to really see how it can make a veneer project so much easier.
Veneer Glue Solid Content High-solids adhesives don't always perform well in terms of bond strength. There is a performance window when it comes to solids content. The ideal solid content is one that minimizes overpenetration and maximizes bond strength. The viscousity of the Better Bond cold press glue allows it to properly penetrate the wood cells without the risk of bleed through. The term "wetting" is often used to describe the ability of the adhesive to penetrate the porous surface of the veneer and the substrate. This is what gives the glue its bite. It is what makes an adhesive strong and durable. Imagine a plate of pancakes. If you pour on a thick, goopy syrup then you have none of the flavor inside. It would sit on top and you might just it peel off. On the other hand, if you poured water on the pancakes, it would absorb too much and there would be nothing on the surface. So in the case of a project substrate, this is where a bond would be made with a wood veneer. Finding the ideal solid content was not difficult but it did require extensive testing. I have done the work and what I found is that the Better Bond X-Press veneer glue has the ideal solid content for all veneer species. There are some veneer glues out there which claim a solid content of 70% or more. That is way too much for veneering with a vacuum press. I would also suggest looking at the MSDS sheet for the glue. One supplier of glue is claiming 70% solid content, yet the MSDS sheet for the very same glue says 51%. Filler material can be beneficial if bleed through is an issue but there is a fine line between a glue that doesn't bleed through (yet has no adhesion) and a glue that bleeds-through and has excellent bond strength. The Better Bond cold press glue fits right in the middle. When used properly it has excellent adhesion and no bleed-through. |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |