Glue Shelf Life

[Eddy-Smiles]

I had an open bottle of Titebond II given to me a while back and I just had a use for it but when I went to use it I notice that it had started to thicken up and was separating. I think that I can live with the thickening but what about the separating? It says on the back of the bottle that temperatures below 55 may cause it to thicken but agitation should restore it to original form. It doesn't say anything about separation. My gut feeling is that it will be okay but does anyone have any experience with Titebond going bad?

[gemcarver]

My ghuru at Rockler says to junk it if you have any doubt. I think it is cheaper to buy new glue than endanger a project with glue failure. I am looking at a table that I used old glue on in my scrap pile.

[brian-bailey]

Right from the horse's mouth.

http://www.titebond.com/FaqTB.asp


Cheers

[brian-bailey]

Originally Posted by brian bailey

Right from the horse's mouth.

http://www.titebond.com/FaqTB.asp


Cheers

The link to titbond's site worked fine last night. Must of had to many hits!

In a nut shell they said that their yellow glues have an approx. 2 yr. shelf life.

If it gets real thick or turns an orange color, then it's best to discard it.

[Tom-H]

I am suprized that the Franklin Glue people did not explain the code system that they print on each Titebond product. Within the code is the manufacturing date. I'll have to check my old notes for the way to read the code. I usually use the nose or smell test for the white or yellow glues as well as the little bottles of craft paint. Both of these products will spoil with a little age, and smell moldy.....The paint really stinks when spoiled/moldy...Tom H

[Lynn O. Doughty]

I'm sure that any moment now you're going to get the 5 paragraph scientific explanation on why you should or shouldn't use that glue but I think the old adage "If it looks bad it probably is!" applies here. I'd toss it.

[brian-bailey]

Originally Posted by Lynn O. Doughty

I'm sure that any moment now you're going to get the 5 paragraph scientific explanation on why you should or shouldn't use that glue but I think the old adage "If it looks bad it probably is!" applies here. I'd toss it.

Isn't this just a wonderfully friendly forum? If you're not one of the priviledged you get slammed. Oh Well Sarcastic .




Here's how to read the manufacturers code, taken from their site.

How do I read the lot numbers?
The first character in the lot number stands for the last number of the year that the glue was manufactured. The second character is always a letter, ranging from A to M. We do not use "I" because it resembles a "1". These twelve letters correspond to the twelve months of the year. The rest of the numbers in the lot number are for internal tracking purposes. Therefore, a product with the lot number 7A5268 was manufactured in January 1997.

[Lynn O. Doughty]

What? Me priviledged? Don't think so. Just a simple fella looking for simple answers and expressing an uneducated simple opinion. Sorry if it offended.

[susieq]

Hi Eddy,
I might as well add my 2 cents worth here..... which is, glue is cheap. Buy a small bottle (unless you use a ton of it). Use it for a year or so, then toss it and buy another one. Better safe than sorry. Having a glue joint fail on a nice carving, would be a huge shame. I am even going to start putting the purchase date on my bottles in black marker so I know just how long I have had them.

In my situation, my studio is a separate building from the house. It is only airconditioned or heated when I am out there working. The rest of the time temperature extremes prevail....mostly heat. In conditions such as those, many things have a reduced shelf life. I am betting glue is one of those things. Toss it and buy a smaller bottle this time around. Just another opinion here.
Keep smiling everyone....
susieq

[brian-bailey]

No offense taken Lynn, just disappointed.

Here's a simple answer to Eddy's question that's not an opinion and doesn't even require you to smell their product.

Taken right from the horse's mouth. www.titebond.com


What does the term shelf life mean in regard to Titebond Wood Glues?
Shelf life is a conservative estimate of the minimum time period that we would expect a given product to remain usable, when stored as directed. This concept might also be called "useable service life" or "storage life", and it necessarily refers to both the physical handling properties and the ability of the product to perform properly. When used in reference to wood glues, reaching the stated shelf life does not mean that a product will "expire" or become unusable. Instead, we view the stated shelf life of most of our glues merely as a guideline to avoid potential aging concerns. In reality, as long as products like Titebond Original, Titebond II and Titebond III remain fluid, without drastic change in appearance, they will continue to perform as intended.

What is the shelf life of Titebond Wood Glues?
Our literature states the shelf life of all of our glues as one year. Titebond Liquid Hide Glue includes an expiration date on the bottle, because it can progressively lose its ability to dry hard, and this change is not visually obvious. Titebond Polyurethane Glue has a one year shelf life in an unopened container, but is useable as long as the glue remains fluid. Polyurethanes, however, are designed to react when exposed to moisture and can sometimes begin to cure after the bottle has been opened, and solidify.

Most of our yellow and white glues, including Titebond Original and Titebond II, remain usable beyond two years. Should Titebond Original become thick and stringy, or Titebond II turns into an orange colored gel, these changes signify that the glue is no longer usable. The minimum shelf life of Titebond III is stated as one year, when stored appropriately at room temperature. Titebond III is expected to last beyond its stated shelf life. If thickened, shake vigorously by firmly tapping bottle on a hard surface until product is restored to original form.