- Q.Some trim
carpenters use a dab of hot-melt glue in the center of
a joint bonded with yellow carpenter’s glue,
so that the hot-melt glue holds the trim pieces
together without clamping. Will such a joint be as
strong as a clamped joint?
A.No. A clamped joint
will always be stronger than one held together with
a dab of hot-melt. For the best possible bond, the
pieces being glued need to be held in intimate
contact while under pressure. Any other method will
result in a bond of less strength. This is due to
the thickness of the resulting bond. As a rule, a
thick glue line is a weak glue line. This said,
chances are that the carpenters who use the
hot-melt method probably achieve a strong enough
joint for their intended purpose.
— J.P.