Which adhesive is commonly used for traditional wood joints in furniture making?

Hide glue is a traditional adhesive that has been used for centuries in woodworking, particularly in furniture making. Its formulation allows it to create strong bonds when applied to wood surfaces, making it particularly effective for traditional wood joints such as dovetails, mortise and tenon, and finger joints.

One of the key benefits of hide glue is its ability to be reversible; this means that the adhesive can be dissolved with heat and moisture, which is advantageous for repairs or restoration work. Additionally, hide glue has a relatively long open time, which allows craftsmen to work with the joints before the glue sets.

While PVA glue is widely used in modern woodworking due to its ease of use and strong bonding capabilities, it is a synthetic glue often used for general applications and may not have the same historical significance or reversible properties that hide glue offers. Contact glue and epoxy have their own specific applications but are typically not used for traditional wood joints in furniture making due to their different bonding mechanisms and properties.