The present invention provides substantially formaldehyde free aqueous thermosetting binder resins from resorcinol and cycloaliphatic dialdehydes, glutaraldehyde or their mixtures and urea which may be excluded or included up to amounts which deter hot wet tensile strength in the cured binder. The compositions provide binders that on a performance cost basis are equivalent to phenol formaldehyde resins but without the formaldehyde.