Miter joint glue choices always give me trouble

I was putting together a picture frame with miter joints last week. I used a fast-drying glue thinking it would save time. But it set before I could adjust the corners, so now one angle is off. My friend always uses slow-cure glue and clamps things overnight. His joints are perfect, but projects take forever. I'm stuck between wanting quick results and needing accuracy. Both ways have failed me before... the fast glue ruins alignment, and the slow glue drags out the work. What's your take on this? Do you prioritize speed or precision with glue?

3 comments

3 Comments

lisag601mo ago

Mix fast and slow glue to get the best of both. I used to struggle with the same thing until I tried a method like @morgan_taylor33 said. But here's the kicker, you need to be careful with the fast glue dab or it can still mess up the joint. I put a tiny drop of fast glue just in the center for tack, then run a full bead of slow glue around the edges before clamping. This way the piece stays put but I have time to adjust. It turns out you don't have to pick speed or precision, you can have both with a little setup.

morgan_taylor331mo agoMost Upvoted

Try a dab of fast glue for tack then a bead of slow glue for strength.

phoenix3661mo ago

Used to think that was overkill but makes sense now.