Wood glue can dry as fast as 30 minutes or as long as 8 hours (or more) depending on these factors:
- The type of glue you are working with
- The humidity in the air
- Moisture or water vapor levels in the wood
- The type of wood glue
In this guide, we will dissect the different types of wood glue and the drying time each has so you gain a better understanding.
But here is the main thing you need to understand.
Drying time is not the same as curing time.
The drying time is shorter than the curing time.
We will also get into more detail about why this differentiation matters.
So, let’s dive into it.
The Most Common Types Of Wood Glue And How Long Each Takes To Dry
Wood glue can offer a strong and lasting repair in various situations.
But to get the best results, you need to know how the different types of wood glue work, how long each needs to dry, and whether or not you need to use clamps or tape while they dry.
The following are the most common types of wood glue:
- Epoxy wood glue
- PVA or Polyvinyl acetate wood glue
- Aliphatic resin wood glue
- Polyurethane wood glue
- Cyanoacrylate wood glue
- Hide wood glue
Epoxy Wood Glue
Epoxy wood glue comes in two parts: resin glue and hardener. Once you mix these two, you get the epoxy glue.
This is a thicker type of glue often used as a filler for wood gaps or as an adhesive to bond pieces of wood together.
It is waterproof and mainly used for various small repairs. This is a great wood glue to use if you need to add a screw or drill.
The rapid-set epoxy wood glue takes about 6 hours to cure, while the regular epoxy wood glue takes up to 24 hours to fully cure.
PVA or Polyvinyl Acetate Wood Glue
This is the white glue that is so commonly known and used.
It is great for general use as it is easy to work with. It is the best wood glue for furniture.
Its formulation causes the adhesive to penetrate the wood’s pores and form a strong and deep bond that will hold.
PVA wood glue takes 15 to 30 minutes to dry and 24 hours to cure fully.
Aliphatic Resin Wood Glue
This is a modified PVA glue.
This glue is often known as yellow glue or carpenter’s glue. Not all varieties of this adhesive dry yellow.
The drying time of aliphatic resin wood glue is usually 30 minutes, requiring clamping.
It will need 24 hours to form the bond for its full strength.
Polyurethane Wood Glue
This type of wood glue is generally used to fill small gaps. It expands as it is drying, and it creates a strong bond. It is similar to the way Gorilla Glue works.
This adhesive is waterproof and can be used for multiple purposes.
You can get this glue in a fast-drying or a slow-drying option.
This glue requires about 2 hours of drying and clamping time, and the curing time is 24 hours for the slow-drying variety.
The faster-drying polyurethane glue needs about 10 to 30 minutes to dry.
Cyanoacrylate Wood Glue
This is super glue for wood. It dries very fast, in seconds.
It is great for small repairs that require a quick and easy fix.
The drying time is about 30 to 60 seconds, or somewhere between 2 to 6 minutes, depending on the type of wood and humidity levels.
The curing time can be up to 24 hours.
Remember that cyanoacrylate wood glue isn’t generally used as a permanent solution. It is typically used as a temporary bond as it isn’t as strong as PVA or epoxy glue.
Hide Wood Glue
Hide wood glue is great for color absorption, reversibility, and fast track.
It is made from natural ingredients. It is non-toxic and safe for the environment.
It isn’t waterproof so you shouldn’t use it outdoors.
It takes about 20 minutes for this wood adhesive to dry and needs 24 hours to bond fully to reach its full strength.
The Difference Between Drying And Curing
If you are still wrapping your head around how this all works and why there is a drying time and curing times of different lengths, don’t worry.
Each type and each brand of wood glue will have the manufacturer’s instructions on the drying time and the curing time.
So you don’t need to be the wizard having to guess the numbers. They are given to you.
This is what the drying time typically refers to.
Drying is when you can touch the surface where you applied the glue, and the glue won’t stick to your fingers. It will be dry.
At this point, the joint or the bond will be secure enough to remove clamps or tape – whatever you used to secure the two surfaces together.
But, the bond is not fully strong nor fully secure yet. That chemical reaction or process is still ongoing. This refers to the curing time.
The curing time refers to when the chemical reaction has finished, and you can get into the next step, such as applying a finish or a coat of paint to your project.
What Influences The Drying Time Of Wood Glue?
Even with the specific numbers by the manufacturer on how long the wood glue will take to dry and cure, these numbers can be influenced and changed by the following factors:
- Air temperature
- Humidity
- How much moisture does the wood contain
- The type of glue you are working with
The most commonly used wood glues for almost all types of wood projects are PVA and polyurethane glue. But these can also be affected by the temperature and humidity in the air.
If the air temperature is below 45 or 50 degrees Fahrenheit, the glue won’t be able to dry or bond properly.
And because PVA glue is water-based, in very low temperatures, it can freeze.
Polyurethane wood glue, on the other hand, is water-activated, so it needs some contact with humidity, water vapor, or moisture for its bonding process to be activated. So damp environments would work just great with this wood glue.
But even with this, you don’t need to worry.
Each manufacturer should provide the drying and curing times of the wood glue and the appropriate temperature working conditions.
Here is what you need to keep in mind:
- High humidity will extend the drying time
- If the glue isn’t fully dry, this will also increase the drying time
Here are the general guidelines for the ideal working temperature:
- Epoxy wood glue: 41 – 95 degrees Fahrenheit | 5 – 35 Degrees Celcius
- PVA or Polyvinyl acetate wood glue: 50 – 77 degrees Fahrenheit | 10 – 25 Degrees Celcius
- Polyurethane wood glue: 50 – 95 degrees Fahrenheit | 10 – 35 Degrees Celcius
- Cyanoacrylate wood glue: 41 – 200 degrees Fahrenheit | 5 – 93 Degrees Celcius
- Hide wood glue: 120 – 150 degrees Fahrenheit | 48 – 65 Degrees Celcius
Know The Type Of Wood You Are Working With
The type of wood you want to glue also influences the drying and curing time of the wood glue.
Generally, wood types fall into two main categories:
- Softwood
- Hardwood
Softwoods are considered to have a more open structure. This means that they absorb glue quicker and more easily. So these types of woods dry and cure faster.
Hardwoods are the type of wood that is dense. Therefore glue needs more time to penetrate the wood and dry.
The effectiveness and strength of the glue don’t change based on the type of glue. But the drying and curing time does allow it the needed time to do both.
Ventilation
If you have proper air circulation in your working space, this will carry away some of the moisture, enabling the wood glue to dry faster.
Without air circulation, the drying and curing process will be much slower.
Another Factor That Can Influence And Extend The Drying Time Of Wood Glue
This is somewhat of a logical one.
If you apply too much glue, it will take longer to dry. And this can get tricky because, on the surface, it may seem dry at one point, but underneath the dry layer, the other layers are still going through the drying process.
If you use too much glue on softwood, because of this wood’s ability to easily and generously absorb the glue, it can swell because it is too much adhesive for its structure. And this could even weaken the bond.
Conclusion
Wood glue can dry as fast as 30 minutes or as long as a couple of hours. This depends on multiple factors, such as the wood type, humidity, air temperature, etc.
But a general rule of thumb is regardless of how fast or how long it takes for the glue to dry, it usually needs 24 hours to cure fully.
