In woodworking, what does the term assembly time mean?

Assembly time refers to the open and closed time of the adhesive. Open assembly is the period between application of the adhesive to the bonding surfaces and the time when the pieces must be bonded.

Closed assembly refers to the time after the bonding surfaces have been joined during which the pieces can still be repositioned (before the adhesive "grabs").

These two times tell you just how long you have to safely work with your pieces. They're fairly specific to each adhesive product, so it's important to time your more complex dry-assemblies to make sure you can finish the glue-up within the assembly time specified for the adhesive you intend to use.

Copyright © 1996 & 2008 LAF/C.R.S., Inc. All rights reserved. The previous article,
in whole or in part, appeared in the September/October 1996 issue of Woodworker's Journal.

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