LaserUser.com Forum (formerly RDWorksLab)

I've made quite a few small trinket type boxes from mdf, and just made a larger wine bottle box using 6mm (1/4") mdf

The lasered edges are dark, not sooty, and I have used "gorilla glue" pva I believe.

Anyone experienced any issues using pva, or have a better solution for a better bond strength.

PVA is going to hold as well or better than anything else.
It i going to be more about the fibers giving up rather than the glue.

Rather than PVA look around for any of the Aliphatic Wood Glues, Titebond is one of them but you will need to see what you can get locally also possibly marked Carpenters Glue. CA or Superglues will show and tend to run everywhere so cosmetically not a good option but they work well.

The main benefit of Aliphatics are they sand much better than PVA's and are also generally faster curing.

Thanks guys,

Hoping the mdf will be fine for the wine bottle box, it looks well with a clean finish.

Never heard of aliphatic glues ... will look that up for sure. Did a bit of surfing last night, superglues/CA glues seem very popular if you use the medium/thick consistency, but i'm inclined to agree with you Tim that they would mark the material. The pva just wipes off with a damp cloth.

Aliphatic resin glue is chemically similar to PVA (white glue), but it is chemically modified to make it stronger and more waterproof. It is typically a buttery yellow color and is sold as "carpenter’s wood glue." A major brand name in the US is "TiteBond." It should be available in most major hardware stores, as it is completely ubiquitous here in the States. It takes about 15-30 minutes to dry and it sands reasonably well, although it does sometimes gum-up the sandpaper if you use too much. Like PVA, it's very inexpensive.

Thanks for the info Pete, just found titebond III on the bay, i'll give it a try when my current "gorilla" is done

I would recommend Titebond I for cabinetry.
TiteBond II and III expand a bit over time after they have cured.
Unless you need water Resistance or waterproof I wold use titebond I for almost everything.

Thanks Pete, just a good strong bond, no water resistance etc required

in addition to the glue, one tip that is essential is clamping everything in place while the glue sets. the best glue of the world will still acts poorly if the pieces are not firmly in contact!

for boxes, i usually use something like this (sorry, can't get the english name) :

https://www.amazon.fr/Menuiserie-R%C3%A ... 05&sr=8-10

yes 100% agree sebastien.

When i'm making mine, I use a flat board and a few wood pieces with angled screw holes, or sash clamps, to secure the box in place and square while the glue hardens.