A while ago I got a 64oz bottle of Sig-bond from the LHS.  It had been on the shelf for a while -- it had dust on it, and was over a year old, perhaps two.

Then I started using it -- slowly, because I build mostly small planes.  Everything seemed normal for the first couple of ounces of glue.  But just a few days ago I started using lots of it in a carpentry project (I'm building a rigid tonneau cover for my pickup, to make it easier to carry planes around).  It turns out there were two different types of liquid in there -- one a normal-to-thin sort of yellow glue, the other a really thick, dense yellow glue with some sort of granules in it.  The granules aren't apparent if I squeeze some out on my finger and rub the glue between finger and thumb, so I assume that they're just denser spots of glue.

Is this ringing any bells?  Can carpenter's glue settle out?  It seems like the glue is still perfectly good, but I'm wondering if I want to (a) round-file it, (b) save it for less critical tasks than model aviation, like building fine furniture for royalty or something, (c) try to do something to reclaim it like putting in distilled water and giving it a stir, or (d) just using it like it is.

Suggestions?  I'm leaning towards (c) or (d), because I'm a tightwad and because I don't know any royalty who needs the kind of furniture that I'm capable of building (although I'm sure that Will and Kate could use some chairs with nary a matched leg among the lot).

All glues of this type have a shelf life.   Some even tell you what it is.   You are not doing your projects or yourself any favors to try and use a glue that has gone bad.    Just toss it and buy more.   BTW back when SIG gave factory tours you could see the 55 gal drums of Titebond that they repackaged as Sig glue.  So if they hobby shop isnt close check out the glues at the hardware store.
Bob

BTW back when SIG gave factory tours you could see the 55 gal drums of Titebond that they repackaged as Sig glue.  So if they hobby shop isnt close check out the glues at the hardware store.

     Particular so since Titebond and other similar adhesives are dead cheap.

     Brett

          Tim, I know exactly what your describing. I experience this yearly as a carpenter. I leave the glue bottles in my truck and typically when I need it the most is when I find out what you just experienced. I see this more when my glue bottles were left in the cold. I know the material didn't freeze but it surely ruins it. No matter what you try to do mixing, adding water, it won't regain its consistency that it had when new. Titebond makes a wood glue that's brown in color for dark woods and I've had this happen a lot with that glue. I like the yellow Sig-bond myself as it seems to have the setup of yellow carpenters glue but with a tad of flexibility of the white. I've had very good luck with the Sig white glue and especially shelf life. The problem though is that it retains more water than the yellow and you must choose wisely how much to apply on soft woods due to the water content. This is the reason I prefer a thin layer of Titebond so the wood doesn't take off like a banana. Ken