Saving Money on Glue

Woodworkers are a notoriously thrifty bunch, and we commonly look for ways to save money on our equipment, supplies, shop space, materials, and anything else that contributes to the cost of our woodworking hobby or business. One thing that we use in nearly every project is glue. While glue isn’t a big-sticker item, when we go through a lot of it, the cost can add up.

There are some simple ways we can reduce our glue expenditures and get better utilization of our woodworking glue:

– Buy in bulk. The price-per-ounce difference between the small bottle of glue and the gallon size can be as much as 500%. In other words, if you buy glue in a 4 oz. bottle, you will spend an average of five times as much per ounce as a woodworker who buys the same product in larger quantities. Therefore, it pays to look at your typical glue consumption over the shelf life of a gallon jug of glue, and buy the larger size if you can use it up.

– Group buy. Some of us don’t use enough glue to warrant buying the large jug, but if we have woodworker friends in the area, perhaps it makes sense to pool our glue expenditures and buy a large jug together that everyone can share. By pouring glue into smaller bottles, everyone can take home the glue that they need, and everyone will enjoy the 80% cost savings.

– Keep your glue warm. If you live in a cold climate, be sure to store your glue in a heated room so that it doesn’t freeze. Freezing can shorten the lifespan of woodworking glue, forcing you to throw out the bottle before its normal shelf life has passed and effectively driving our glue costs.