STEP 01
Start from the exact adhesive
Read the instructions for the bottle and product you will actually use. Write the adhesive reference, source and relevant conditions into the notes, then enter the two timing limits in minutes. The reference examples in this planner load the lower endpoints of the linked published ranges. That is a planning choice, not a prediction of working time in your shop. A different product, substrate or process needs its own instructions. Do not borrow a convenient number from another adhesive simply because its name or packaging looks similar.
STEP 02
Give the clocks observable endpoints
For this planning model, open time runs from the first adhesive application until all joints in that batch are brought together. Total time runs from that same first application until final pressure is applied. The spreading duration and mating duration count toward both clocks. The pressure-application duration counts toward the total clock too. Each field should describe a task that another person could recognize during a rehearsal. “Apply final pressure” is the time spent getting clamps into position and applying the specified pressure; it is not the holding time after that work is done.
STEP 03
Time the whole sequence
Stage the real parts and clamps, then rehearse the order without adhesive. Include turning parts, reaching concealed joints, aligning reference faces and checking the intended seating. Start the rehearsal clock at the action corresponding to first adhesive, even though the rehearsal is dry. Record when the last joint would be mated and when final pressure would be established. If the rehearsal stops to search for a tool or rethink an insertion path, retain that observation and revise the arrangement before measuring a clean run. Do not erase a difficult step by assigning it zero time.
STEP 04
Keep a reserve visible
Enter a reserve that belongs to this project and explain its rationale. The tool subtracts the reserve from both limits before comparing the sequence. Open margin equals open limit minus reserve minus spreading and mating. Total margin equals total limit minus reserve minus all three adhesive-stage durations. A negative result asks for revision; an exact zero is labeled a planning boundary. Positive margins only show that the entered arithmetic fits. They do not establish glue condition, bond strength or reliable working time. A short rehearsal with no recorded conditions still needs its preparation checks.
STEP 05
Read the schedule from one origin
Offsets in the result start at the beginning of the overall plan. Setup occurs before a batch receives adhesive, so it shifts that batch’s first application and deadlines without using its adhesive budget. The next independent batch begins after the preceding one reaches final pressure, plus its own setup duration. If batch A has 2 minutes setup and 4.5 minutes of adhesive work, its pressure endpoint is +6.5 minutes. A second batch with 3 minutes setup begins adhesive at +9.5 minutes. That later start is valid only when this really is a separate glue-up.
STEP 06
Separate holding and curing
Create another instruction for clamp holding, adhesive curing, handling and machining. This planner stops its elapsed schedule at the application of final pressure. It does not tell you when to remove a clamp, reuse it for the next assembly, sand the surface or load the joint. The manufacturer’s clamping guidance and the nature of the assembly belong in the shop instructions. If clamps are still occupied by the first batch, obtain the resources for the next one or delay the plan according to the actual holding requirement. An assembly deadline is never a clamp-release timer.
STEP 07
Preserve the review
Export the schedule CSV with its limits, margins and preparation check states. Save the editable JSON if the assembly is likely to change. Keep a product reference and revision note alongside the drawing so a later reviewer knows why the limits were chosen. If a rehearsal changes the sequence or the adhesive changes, update the draft and export a new revision before applying glue. Stop when the source limit is uncertain, a stage has not been rehearsed, or the physical arrangement cannot reach its pressure endpoint. Return to the glue-up release checklist to close those gaps.
Source references and scope
Titebond Original application guidelines · Titebond III application guidelines · Titebond clamping and drying FAQ. Sources checked 2026-10-14.
The product pages support the displayed timing references, and the FAQ separates clamping and drying guidance. The serial batch arithmetic and reserve are the planner’s explicit model. Verify the actual adhesive instructions; this review does not establish bond capacity or clamp-release timing.