Cedar Planter boxes - what glue?

[KenOfCary]

Building some cedar planter boxes to hang on the porch railing. Will be using a lock-miter joint on the 3' x 1' x 6" deep boxes. What would be the best glue to use to hold the joints together. Cedar being somewhat porous, I'm not sure. I used the expanding foam glue (Gorilla brand) last time and they lasted about 8 years before the wood and joints started coming apart. They will be outside and have a lot of moist dirt in them.

I'll screw on a plywood bottom with drainage holes. Screwed on because this is somewhat sacrificial - have had to replace the bottoms several times during the life of the original boxes.

 

[Mike Davis]

8 years in those conditions is pretty good. The only thing better would be epoxy. Probably not worth the effort and expense. Do what worked before.
I usually just screw ERC together with butt joints.

 

[Berta]

Tightbond now offers a Tightbond III. That might be a good project to try it on!

 

[SabertoothBunny]

Titebond III is designed for use outside once dry because it is water resistant and I believe Gorilla glue has a variation of this as well. Another option is exterior construction adhesives which a lot of brands have. Then there is epoxy and for that you could use a 15 or 30 minute type to reduce the wait time for it to set.

Have you considered white oak for outdoor boxes? It is argued by some to better than cedar for exterior use as it is more resistant to rotting.

 

[tvrgeek]

TB III is water RESISTANT, not water PROOF. A hint from boat builders: Epoxy. But if you don't need much strength, then the gorilla foaming glue is not a bad option and cheap.

 

[Warped Woodwerks]

Currently, I too am making a cedar planer box. Doesn't sound as nice as yours, but I am using TB III.
For the bottom inside portion, where the soil will be contained, I'll be using plastic sheeting (to line the entire inside) and landscape fabric.

I'm planning on poking a few holes in the sheeting, and putting in a partial downspout, so any water will be funneled through the sheeting, and into the downspout.

I am hoping, this way will prevent the need to ever replace the bottom, where you are planning on using plywood.
Just an idea.
My vote is for TB III.

 

[Martin Roper]

I used Titebond III about two years ago. So far so good. I also used three coats of deck stain. If someone asks me in 5-6 years I'll be able to tell 'em whether it worked or not.

 

[Wilsoncb]

I avoid using glue fo anything that is made for outdoor use. However if you must, take a look at construction adhesive (Liquid Nails, Locktite PL, Gorilla all make some form of it).

I used brass screws and oak once and found out years later brass wasn’t the best choice. Oak was still good but screws were not. Stainless steel screws will outlast any wood but are more expensive. Good old deck screws with the right coating is probably the most cost effective and should last as long as the wood. Also found out that some cedar will crack if you don’t use pilot holes. Now I always drill pilot holes and wax the screws.

 

[areevesnc]

I just built mine a month ago with Titebond III, with a plastic liner on the inside like Rory’s. I also used coated deck screws.

Sounds like we can check back in a few years to see how everything held up!

 

[bowman]

Please start a new thread then, rofl!!

 

[bob vaughan]

Resorcinol is my favorite for elaborate bird feeders and such. Boat builders love it also. In some respects, it outperforms epoxies.

[Resorcinol glue - Wikipedia]

 

[KenOfCary]

Thanks for all the suggestions and discussion. This group rocks. I may just skip the lock-miter and use deck screws to put the thing together. It will surely be quicker than all the setup and testing to get the lock-miter honed in. Did I mention I'm building 5 of these, well actually I cut wood for 6 because some of the pieces look a little iffy. That way I can pick the best 5 x 4 sides out of the 6 x 4 pieces.

I plant the peppers in these and it's time to get planting for sure.