Wood glue vs superglue to fill cracks

[High-Desert]

I've notice that it seems everyone fills cracks and knot with superglue, and not wood glue. Why is this? To me it makes more sense to use wood glue. Am I missing some advantage of superglue?

[Redhand]

I think super glue can will saturate further into the not or crack vs the thicker wood glue. My thoughts

[PatM]

Wood glue won't as a rule go to the very bottom of the crack or wick into punky areas or knots.

[RandyN]

Redhand is correct. I have used super glue many times to fill cracks in bows. It works best if you use lite coats and allow it to dry before applying another coat. I use either LocTite 420, super thin and will penetrate very fine cracks, or LocTite Professional, not as thin, which can be purchased at a local hardware store. Good Luck.

[High-Desert]

Thanks, that makes sense.

[George Tsoukalas]

I use superglue for those thin, narrow cracks requiring saturation and wood glue mixed with sawdust for the larger ones. Jawge

[Greenriverwoodcraft]

I agree with With the above comment, whenever I can I will use a flexible woodglue like titebond 3, but if the crack is to skinny I use the superglue.  For larger cracks I have also used two part epoxy mixed with powder tint from an art store to add a flash of color to the bow when I fill the cracks.  The tint method looks really cool if the crack has chosen a nice path through the wood and epoxy is has a good strength/flexibility characteristics.

[Pat B]

Do a search on here for "Island Girl". The checks in that bow went all the way through the limb and were all filled with superglue. I may have added some fine sawdust as filler but I don't remember. The secret to using super glue in large checks or cracks is to do it in layers, with or without the filler.
 I've used all brands of super glue and never found any of them lacking. I usually get the LocTite because it is available at most stores I go to. I buy convenient super glue not necessarily by brand name.

[High-Desert]

I'm giving the superglue a shy right now. Before, I used woood glue in a syringe with a hypodermic needle that fits inside cracks, although it's very difficult to push the glue through without diluting it a bit

[PatM]

You can use pressure to drive glue in as well. Sleeve an inner tube over the limb and seal off both ends and pump some pressure in.

[Del the cat]

I buy industrial grade low viscosity superglue(from that well known auction site), it gets in deep by capillary action, wood glue won't do that.
Del

[Aaron H]

Like del, I also use industrial grade super low viscosity super glue, it works very well

[PEARL DRUMS]

Titebond doesn't sand nice, like dried hard super glue does. It gets snotty and stretchy.

[PEARL DRUMS]

When you fill with super glue it helps to tap the bottom side of said area with a metal tool. It causes reverberations and the glue gets down into every space available.