Glue or not to glue

[expat paul]

Hi,

Quite a basic question for all you experts!

 I have spent today making  new shutters from rough sawn soft wood ie planing and then using my new router to form the tongue and groove. I have also drilled across the planks to fit threaded bar to reinforce ( the old had this). My question is, do I glue the tongue and groove together using exterior wood glue or or leave them dry to move ? before fitting the Z brace. I will finish with an oil based paint.

thanks

Paul

[Chris Head]

[quote user="expat paul"]

Hi,

Quite a basic question for all you experts!

 I have spent today making  new shutters from rough sawn soft wood ie planing and then using my new router to form the tongue and groove. I have also drilled across the planks to fit threaded bar to reinforce ( the old had this). My question is, do I glue the tongue and groove together using exterior wood glue or or leave them dry to move ? before fitting the Z brace. I will finish with an oil based paint.

thanks

Paul

[/quote]

I didn't quite understand that bit Paul.

If your T&G is a good fit and the ledging and bracing are adequately screwed to the planks there is no need for glue...in fact glue can inhibit the natural movement of timber and cause warping and splitting. I personally rarely use glue, if the joints are good enough there shouldn't be any need.

Good luck.

[tj]

[quote user="expat paul"]

 do I glue the tongue and groove together using exterior wood glue or or leave them dry to move ? before fitting the Z brace.

[/quote]

No glue, they need to able to move freely, if you glue them, when they move due to changes in temp and humidity they will twist and warp.

regards 

 

[expat paul]

Thanks guys, that was my thinking. 

I thought I would ask as I wasn't sure what the effect on the paint would be when the movement occured because the old ones were just stained and had badly twisted and warped. These were not glued but had 3 threaded bars which pulled the t&g joints tight.

[Alane]

I made the mistake of gluing the planks on a door I made some years ago. In the end the glue joints just pulled apart with the movement anyway but the door was made of oak that hadn't been seasoned for very long so the glue was probably weakend by the damp timber in any case. Since then I haven't bothered with glue on shutters similar to yours and they are fine.