Installing Crown with Fast-Drying Glue
Installers discuss fast-setting glues and other fine points of crown moulding installation. November 10, 2006
Question
I saw some quick-dry glue as part of a fastening system in one of my catalogs and was wondering if anyone is using this to install crown on cabinets. I hate having to fill the holes the nails leave, and the pin nails are good for the miters, but not for the main body.
Forum Responses
(Cabinet and Millwork Installation Forum)
From Gary Katz, forum technical advisor:
2P-10 works great.
From contributor T:
Try Fastgrab too, sold at Home Depot. Comes in a caulking tube. Do a sample first. It holds right away, but needs time to cure and develop strength. Also, it is thick, so it tends to leave a thin gap. I use it all the time for cabinet trim parts. Put up all the crown moulding in my house with it too! Just press it in and go. No failures or callbacks in 1 year of use.
From contributor A:
What if you have to take the crown down? Will it create a big mess or tear the wood?
From contributor E:
We use a product called Maxim Blue. It is a white PVA type glue, 1 minute set, 15 minutes to strong bond, 24 hour permanent. It doesn't leave a thick glue line and is stainable. Cleans up pretty easily. They make a 5 minute glue also. Not your Home Depot product. I have been buying the glue for my picture framing business for 5+ years. It is sold through one of my moulding suppliers. I think it is $33.00 a gallon. The stuff work great.
From contributor J:
We cut and assemble as much of our crown as possible on the bench. When it will be installed on cabinets below the ceiling, we build a platform that matches the top of the cabinet (perhaps a hair larger) and chase the crown around it, leaving a 1/8" lip that will hang over the cabinet front. Simply drop it on. When the crown hits the ceiling, we forgo the platform and build sections (horseshoes, L's, etc) and add wooden blocking or "scabs" to the back of the miters. This allows for shop finishing of fitted pieces and limits time on site hanging crown. Thermoplastic resin (hot melt) is my choice for fast glue.
From contributor G:
I use hot glue all the time for outside crown corners and other crown and trim work. It's the best idea I have ever come up with to make life easier when hanging crown.
From contributor R:
Titebond Moulding and Trim Glue. High viscosity, high tack, quick set - within 15 minutes. Let's you adjust parts. Small pieces like moulding and crown can be held with a few pins and masking tape till it dries. Is available at Lowe's or the Depot.
From contributor I:
I have customers that use a polyurethane adhesive system for crown. 3M makes a couple systems, Jet-Weld and PUR. The guns are very expensive, as is the glue, but if you do a lot of crown, the time savings will pay off in the long run. The adhesives are fast 30 seconds - 2 minute open times.
Franklin makes a more affordable system called HiPURformer. The adhesive open time varies from 30 seconds to 5 minutes. This portable system will cost under $200.00. Beware, the shelf life of Franklin's adhesive is only around 4 weeks, so plan for that. Also, there have been problems in the past with glue cartridges and guns freezing. However, Franklin has improved this product and has also solved other problems by giving better instructions with each system.
