How to glue wood

PVA glue has lots of water in it, and that water will cause the wood edges at glue joints to swell. If you plane or sand glued-up panels too soon, you could be left with sunken joints after the wood dries and shrinks to its original state. Most water-based glues reach full cure in about 24 hours, but it can take several days for swollen glue joints to shrink back to size. If you’re gluing up a fine piece of furniture that you hope will become a family heirloom, wait a few days after gluing up your project before sanding or planing.

Most wood glues set up quickly, which can be a blessing or a curse. Sometimes you want a quick bond, but on a complicated glue-up, you might want more time before the glue starts to set up. Slow-setting glues have labels that say ‘longer assembly time’ or ‘longer open time.’

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Source: RD.com