The most sustainable glue for wood?

[patriklarsson]

Agree that it's good when people write, this is a really bad idea.
I received many good answers and help when I registered here and asked about my first ideas.
Since then, I've built a "friggebod," a 1.5-floor garage at 92 sqm, various smaller sheds, added insulation and changed the facade on the house, another "friggebod," currently working on an "attefall" garage and an "attefall" room again, and built halfway through a stair deck for my parents this weekend.
Couldn't have done anything without asking knowledgeable people here.
But if I had taken all the answers as bad criticism and stubbornly stuck to dumb ideas, the buildings wouldn't still be standing today.
So yes, as mentioned, justified criticism is good.

 

[Thomas59]

It is your smug attitude rather than your construction flaws that causes those responding to react.

You have repeatedly pointed out that you are very experienced and "know this." However, nothing in your stair construction indicates that this is the case, but okay, if the stairs have held up for 15 years despite the construction flaws, that's good for you. But a thread in an open forum could be found by someone about to build a staircase, and then it's good to highlight how it should have been built.

I must also say that you express yourself unnecessarily unpleasantly. There is no reason to go on the defensive. I can’t see that any of the responses you received are close to being unpleasant.

A better/alternative way to handle posts that you don't find useful or that irritate you or you simply don't like would have been to just ignore them.

Just a thought.

 

[Alfredo]

Don't write any more replies directed at me because I'm leaving and won't be reading.

Why do you like something you haven't read?

 

[Plupp 217177]

I think both TS, and others following the thread, will think twice before asking for advice here again.

If we disregard your irony, there might be a reason for reflection before responding the way TS did, right? Not engaging in polemics and defending something completely obviously silly, and coming up with made-up accusations of derogatory epithets? I think everyone who has read the thread has taken that in. I think it was good that TS showed his stairs, who the heck hasn't built something that's silly? It's not the end of the world, right? However, it's a shame he reacted the way he did; there's really no reason for that. But people react differently, people are different. So there's something to learn from the thread on multiple levels.

 

[Skyflakes]

The rudeness lies rather in that you chose a quite 'condescending' tone, which you again adopt by relating to Knohult. Posts with such elements are 'trolling' and do not belong in any forum. I have been on the Internet since its inception, and forums with people to discuss things with are among the most useful resources available. The etiquette I prefer is to explore the specific question posed. This does not prevent one from reflecting on the topic. Regardless of building codes, etc. (which I respect since I make solutions for myself and have been in contact with them after working in construction for several years), one can also appreciate that something works well even if one 'breaks' some 'law' regarding overhang, etc. And believe me. This staircase poses absolutely no risk to anyone, except for the risk any staircase inherently poses that someone might misstep. I am certainly not an idiot who suspects that there might be a risk of steps breaking as people use it. Don't you think that after 15 years, I might start to worry? The accident that occurred was an unprecedented force far beyond 15 years of adults using it, and my ambition is not for the staircase to withstand extreme weights crashing down. If at any point I had perceived even the slightest flexibility, I would have immediately addressed it. The fact is that I have enough judgment for this, and this staircase will last a long time in its current state but needs repair due to an accident. That is the intention of using the forum - to hear if anyone has experience to increase knowledge about glue, which is relevant to the question at hand. It's okay if someone wants to point out that according to theories it's 'wrong,' but one might also respect how true that is for this staircase without having taken a step on it to assess its stability. It is stable. There is an underlying urge to 'tell' others that they lack the knowledge one has, but it is disrespectful to dismiss others' experiences - whether or not one has studied all the building codes in the world.

I will not reflect further on the 'dangerous' nature of using this staircase because I know it is safe. If anything felt unsafe beyond ensuring the steps I need to fix have the same durability as the rest of the staircase, I would understand that I made a mistake in the construction. But there is, as I said, no reason or experience to worry. So read my lips: I will keep this staircase as it is completely safe and stable, and if time suggests otherwise, I will address it. Then everyone is free to build staircases in accordance with all building codes, full respect for that. In return, I demand respect for my belief that this staircase is 100% safe. I have sufficient experience and judgment to confirm this.

Thus ends my discussion about the staircase's safety. I tested a solution (before completing the construction) which seemed to work, and empirical 'research' shows that one can indeed have a stable staircase even if a few centimeters vary from certain norms. That I can stand on the outermost steps and bounce without any noticeable give convinces me that it will be safe for years of use.

I am very grateful for posts that provide opportunities to achieve the optimal result in repairing the steps (and step replacement is on my mind if the gluing doesn’t work well). Forums tend to be flooded with posts that do NOT address the topic in the headline, causing subjects to often veer off course. Forum threads that adhere to the topic are the most valuable.

Thank you for your respect!

Hello! With all due respect, the idea is interesting if there is glue that holds from a glue perspective. However, it is still interesting to assess the reasonableness of certain actions and when an alternative solution might be appropriate. If the original wood is crucial to retain for some reason, then the glue becomes particularly interesting. Those reading the forum with similar broken steps should consider various options before resorting to gluing. Please follow up with posts on how the repair progresses, and include pictures if possible. There is much to learn here! There are also many relevant questions people might have. Why was the chosen design made? Why not replace the board and choose engineered wood? Judging from the comments, the post has raised more questions than answers thus far.

 

[cpalm]

With all respect, I like the idea and it's interesting if there is glue that holds from a glue perspective.

It was already established in post #4 that ordinary white glue is stronger than the wood. Then there has been back and forth about the fit of the glue joint, but aside from that, everything regarding the strength of the glue, which is relevant in this context, was already said on page 1 of the thread.

So it's not surprising that it then derailed into discussing the substandard construction.

I'm starting to wonder if it's rather about a social experiment/trolling...

 

[DanMicke]

Sighs of a

Hello! With all due respect, I like the idea and it is interesting if there's glue that holds from a gluing perspective. But it is still interesting to assess the reasonableness of certain measures and when an alternative solution might be appropriate. If the original wood is important to keep for some reason, the glue is extra interesting. Those reading on forums with similar broken steps should, however, consider different options before gluing is considered. Please follow up with posts on how the repair progresses. Preferably with pictures. There is much to learn here! There are also many relevant questions people think about. Why was the design chosen? Why not replace the board and choose plywood. According to the comments, the post has raised more questions than answers so far.

I see that there are ongoing complaints about my lacking ability and character. Nice to be secure in oneself in those situations. But I log in to comment on your relevant post and have contact (who is also tired in the thread) in private messages that I log in to communicate with.

As I have said, the ambition is only to test if the step can be restored with glue to keep the same wear as the other steps, and if I am not satisfied with the result, I will replace the whole step. Regarding design, people who have no idea about the prerequisites for the solution are commenting. The starting points are of course which height the staircase should reach, how much space towards the 'entrance' is required since there is a brick wall where you go up and come down, and how many steps you need to have a pleasant experience when walking on it.

The ambition, as mentioned, is a 'floating' staircase with an airy impression; therefore the two stringers in the middle with some distance to widen the support. With the required inclination, one would hit toes on the beams without the small chamfer/nose and was aware it resulted in a substantial overhang. I therefore conducted tests, and with the chosen fittings, the step became stiff without flexing even when standing on the edge. I considered recessed irons, but they were not needed. Incidentally, there are some pictures from the construction itself but I WON'T post them here . It was sturdy enough and, as I have repeatedly mentioned, has been equally sturdy all these years. I had learned, and sure, there were stair building norms I broke, but one can also use one's own judgment if something works. If, by chance, I were to require falling heavy objects, I would have built a chunkier and, in the room environment, more unsightly staircase, but I didn't think it was necessary. However, in the respect that I AM an idiot, it is not using my brain when pushing down a dumbbell from the rack outside when painting windows. I pay with having to get some more work done. Didn't expect a kind of Spanish Inquisition

I was very pleased with the result as it became exactly the staircase I wished for. It is beautiful, sturdy, and can let a monstera climb towards the upper floor in the stairwell. Very pleased with the antique painting technique with glue paint toned with some soot and then rubbed with white linseed oil paint. It becomes a hard surface but with a shine in the slightly mottled color.

I facepalm when I see comments assuming one is a complete idiot. Recently, I learned that flat irons on edge hold more than the ones I mounted. Additionally, that they were too expensive! They were dirt cheap but why not throw crap if you can, apparently? Sigh! My flat irons, by the way, are to strengthen but also to be beveled to a vertical embedded position against the beam the staircase rests on, and that's where the screw bolts fixing the stringers are located.

I hope you gained some better insight into why the design ended up as it did and the choices I had to make. As I said, I answer those who ask relevant questions if I find any. But with a shitstorm that never seems to end, these are sparse, so I have more or less given up on opening and checking. Too tiresome. But when I have time to start, I promise to return with some form of report on how it went. I've received tips that Titebond III might be the strongest wood glue, but I have to order it since it is not available in the usual building-and-everything-in-between-stores.

 

[roli]

But when I have time to start, I promise to return with some form of report on how it went.

Thanks, it would be interesting to see if it's possible to repair a step (board) with glue that has been subjected to such a break and still make it good. You don't want a crack left after the repair that might give splinters in the foot when walking on the stairs.

 

[Alfredo]

Thanks, it would be interesting to see if it is possible to repair a step (board) with glue that has been subjected to such a break and still make it good.

I absolutely believe it can be made practically as good as it was before the dumbbell fall. As I mentioned earlier, I repaired a rather fragile garden furniture piece where a supporting part was "brutally broken" after a "fastening screw" had threaded out. It has held up for adults today, more than ten years later, and the repair is not noticeable unless you really know what to look for.

 

[Fnularen]

Here is my self-built staircase that I like and hope to fix after the fatal incident that happened and pictures of the crack. Hope it looks doable? [image] [image] [image]

It's just a matter of gluing with wood glue and clamping during drying, and it will hold as well as the other steps in your staircase construction.
But as someone said, and as a carpenter you know, regular fast-growing pine, especially when it gets older, is quite brittle along the fibers, and you have quite a large overhang where your 22mm planks have no support.

 

[DanMicke]

That is the case, and I explained the need for the projection beyond the 'allowed' limit but tested to satisfaction before I carried out the project. Correct that age over time can make it weaker, but I suspect that daily use means that any difference in flex will be noticeable. One would certainly need to be alert. But 15 years have, as mentioned, passed without any deterioration. The dumbbell that crashed down was way over any normal stress, so it is fully understandable.

PS. Possibly, the treatment with linseed oil might have added something to the wood that could extend its lifespan.

 

[raveper]

What exercise did you do with the dumbbell on the stairs?

 

[DanMicke]

What exercise were you doing with the dumbbell on the stairs?

It’s mentioned in one of the posts, but I'll be kind enough not to refer to it in the jumble of posts. The unlikely accident where the brain let go for a moment. I have scaffolding on the outside and am renovating the facade and two top inward opening windows. I had disassembled and painted with linseed oil between the panes and needed to keep them open and airy, so to prevent them from blowing shut, I placed a dumbbell in the 40cm deep window sill. Two days later, I was on the outside painting. I pressed a little to reach with the brush without thinking about what I had placed there, so... As soon as I heard the crash (I was 3 m from the step), I realized the blunder. No, any exercises with my dumbbells I perform safely standing on the floor. They are good for many other things. For example, pounding out a piece of meat to a schnitzel - though then I usually use my 15kg dumbbell

 

[patriklarsson]

There are 100 other ways to build a staircase in that location and still have a functioning staircase; in your case, it's purely about a fixation on how you want it to look. The fact that you've also worked in construction makes the whole thing frightening. You want floating steps, and for that, you select a suitable material, for example, fully welded steel steps, knowing they will be durable and withstand loads over time. You don't choose the cheapest exterior siding boards from the nearest hardware store. It's impossible to get your toes 5cm under the step; you're simply wrong in what you're saying about testing and hitting your toes, or did I miss something—is the staircase horizontal with vertical steps?

I'm wondering what other projects you have in the works. Turning a bike into a rocket ship? Please tell us how that's going. 15 years later, it's almost done? Silly comments get silly answers.

 

[myrstack]

Suggested glue and limknäkt in post #18 but now I'm torn between sniffing the glue or getting out the popcorn