Norm and Wood Glue

[mike]

Here's one for you finishing experts. How the @!$* does Norm manage to get all of that glue all over the place when he glues up his projects but he still manages to get his ginishes to take? All he ever seems to do is sponge off the excess. Every time I glue up a project and I get some glue on my piece, I get a light "splotch" when after I apply the finish. Even Flexnor seems to say that glue on wood that is to be finished is a MAJOR no-no! Thanks - Mike

[Leon]

Norm uses a WET sponge to flood the area. Turn the sponge/paper towel often. After glue up sand the area.

[GerryG]

This one's been battered about quite a bit on the wreck. Many have their favorite methods. I like Norm's, but don't have the Elves to fix the issues through the magic of cameras. IMHO, the "best" method depends on the variables: what glue, what stain or finish, what wood, the finished grit and the type of joint. Darker and especially pigmented stains suffer the most. Woods like pine and fir absorb glue much faster than oak. Tape works, but glue can creep under some tape. Shellac is great, but not if you're going to stain after. Wax is generally good, since it can be pretty completely removed, but can be more work. Overall, for any method, I'd suggest checking it on scrap before the project.

As to the sponge, I happen to use that the most, on oak and such. Some tests showed that a damp sponge often leaves some glue. I use a really wet sponge and quickly scrub, clean and squeeze out the sponge and wipe. Lacking Elves in the shop, that seems to work. GerryG

[Hax Planks]

Note that you never see anything more than a few swipes with a brush on his show. I believe that squeeze out should be tiny little beads and not big globs. If I don't get any squeeze out at all, but I know that I covered all of the glue surfaces, I consider that a success as well. It's just too much work to get rid of excess glue after it is as hard as a rock. I use my finger to smooth out the glue and remove excess.

[Tim Douglass]

Most of the glue manufacturers advise against that. They say that using a lot of water in cleaning the glue off will tend to weaken the joint because some of the water will wick down into the joint and dilute the glue. Their recommendation is to use less glue and then either let the squeeze-out set a bit and clean it off with a chisel or use a scotch-brite type pad that is damp to lift the glue right after it squeezes out. They say to sort of rock the pad as you wipe so that the part of the pad in contact with the wood is always a part without glue on it. Then you rinse it out well and continue.

"We need to make a sacrifice to the gods, find me a young virgin... oh, and bring something to kill"

Tim Douglass

[Slowhand]

He is Norm. What more reason do you need? SH

[Leon]

Let me restate, use enough water as to prevent smearing the glue. TiteBond actually recommends on their TBIII label to remove excess wet glue with clean damp cloth. That said, I have never had a properly fitting glued joint fail as a result of using a bit more than a damp cloth. I don't think a properly fitting joint would wick enough water to dilute the glue. A loose fitting joint would be another matter altogether and I could totally see the point of not using much water in the cloth. But then again the loose joint will probably fail anyway.

[Stephen Pinn]

On Fri, 4 Mar 2005 12:45:04 -0800, "Slowhand" > get

well said!! LOL Personally Ilike his "Thumb Wiping" method :) We don't need no stinking sponges

[Tim Douglass]

All probably true - I just wanted to throw that into the discussion.

"We need to make a sacrifice to the gods, find me a young virgin... oh, and bring something to kill"

Tim Douglass

[Jim K]

You could lick it off and not waste a rag ;-)

K>On Fri, 4 Mar 2005 12:45:04 -0800, "Slowhand" >> get

[Leon]

The point is definitely worth a consideration, thanks. More insurance that an improperly assembled joint is eventually doomed to fail.

[Leon]

The problem is that it is common porcedure to finish sand after gule up and water based glues are going to raise the grain before it sets. Rough raised surface grain is likely to easily splinter. While licking the glue off it would be prudent to acknowledge the dirrection of the grain. You would NOT want to slide a splinter into your tongue. ;~) I hope.

[Tim Douglass]

Kids nowadays pay good money to get their tongues pierced. You could do it for free.

"We need to make a sacrifice to the gods, find me a young virgin... oh, and bring something to kill"

Tim Douglass

[Jim Weisgram]

If you do use a WET spong, I suggest you wait until the wood drys well before sanding. Wet wood will swell slightly, if you sand it smooth, then it will shrink back after drying. Which could leave a shallow area.

[charlie b]

Tip from Michael Fortune - Canadian woodworker/teacher/mentor/ gentle man - Waxalit - available from Lee Valley. Comes in a small can or tube - consistency of vasoline (sp?). He uses it mainly on Windsor chairs where cleaning up squeeze out the old fashion way took as long as making the chair. Put some on a Q-tip or small rag, wipe where glue's likely to squeeze out. Dried glue won't stick to this stuff. Pop the glue, wipe with alcohol on a rag and stain/ finish.

A little of this stuff goes a LONG way so don't order much.

BTW - Titebond II and garnet shellac produces a most unpleasant salmon color.

charlie b