I’ve never had Elmer’s wood glue work.
I butted two pieces of 3/4 x 6 oak leftovers together to make a piece that was exactly 12x12. I clamped it, not too firmly, and let it sit for two days.
Put it between a couple cinder blocks and pulled out the 10lb sledge.
Broke along the wood grain, NOT the glue joint. It could have been just the way I hit it, but I figure a good wood glue joint is just as strong, or stronger, than the wood.