How do I glue and clamp a V inlay, and how long should it cure before I cut the plug off?

What matters at glue-up

A V inlay seals on its angled walls. The glue only has to wet those walls, and the plug has to be pushed straight down with even pressure until the walls meet all the way around. Too much glue, uneven clamping or pulling the clamps early are the usual causes of a seam that looked fine dry and opened up later.

Steps

1. Dry fit first. The plug should drop in and stop with a visible, even gap between the two boards.
2. Vacuum both parts. A chip in the pocket holds the plug up.
3. Spread a thin, even coat on the pocket walls and the plug. Published guides suggest a quality wood glue such as Titebond II or III, a slow-set PVA when you need more open time, or epoxy for oily exotic woods or when gap filling is needed.
4. Set the plug in and clamp through a flat caul (a stiff block or plywood) so pressure reaches the whole design, not just the edges. An inlay press, or plywood with weights or C-clamps, both appear in published tutorials.
5. Use firm, even pressure. One educator's cue is a faint, uniform line of squeeze-out at the mouth of the joint, then leave it alone. Do not go back and retighten a few minutes later.
6. Clamp time and cure: one published guide gives 30 to 60 minutes in clamps for wood glue and a full 24 hours before trimming the plug. Other tutorials simply say to wait until the glue is fully hard, because trimming early can shift the plug.

PVA or epoxy?

A public woodworking forum discussion notes a trade-off. Yellow glue shrinks as it dries and pulls the tapered parts together, but it adds water, which can cup a large board unless it stays clamped longer. Epoxy adds no water but does not shrink, so it will not close a seam for you. Test both on scrap if the inlay is large.

Pro tips

• Let both boards sit in the shop for a couple of days before cutting so they are at the same moisture level.
• Go light on glue. Extra glue has to escape somewhere and makes cleanup harder.
• See the entry on cutting the plug backer off for the next step.