Is a glue scraper the best way to deal with glue?

[thsb]

I have been wanting to post a question about how people here deal with glue that comes from glueing up two pieces creating a 90 degree angle. I haven't really found a great way to do it but so far probably used a few different techniques but nothing is perfect, hand sanding didn't seem to get all of it, my old black and decker finishing sander left a groove that was worse than what i started with, and my festool gets really close (particularly since switching to a firmer pad) but still can't get in the very tight spaces. the wood chisel seems ok but then i end up with something that isn't completely smooth.

I wonder if people have techniques so that they don't have any glue to sand, or if they do have to sand what they use. I saw that Rockler has a double edge glue scraper of 8.99 and if that is effective it sure seems like a great investment.

thanks in advance.

 

[Canuck]

Two things come to mind, Tim.

I tape off at the glue line with blue tape then glue up. Any squeeze out generlly lands on the tape and just peel off the tape.

When that hasn't worked to my satisfaction, I pull out a cabinet scraper and gently persuade the glue to release. (....about 15 minutes after the glue up, the glue squeeze out should turn rubbery and comes off pretty easily.)

Wayne

 

[hockey1]

I'm in the same boat as you. I usually chisel it off in corners. I believe Fine woodworking just had an article talking about how they pre waxed the parts first and then it just peels away as long as you catch it in the soft stage.

 

[bluedawg76]

Two things come to mind, Tim.

I tape off at the glue line with blue tape then glue up. Any squeeze out generlly lands on the tape and just peel off the tape.

When that hasn't worked to my satisfaction, I pull out a cabinet scraper and gently persuade the glue to release. (....about 15 minutes after the glue up, the glue squeeze out should turn rubbery and comes off pretty easily.)

Wayne

i usually scrape it, but the blue tape sounds like a nice idea.

 

[zapdafish]

I got a crank neck chisel from the hand tool store in Pittsboro and it works great

 

[NC_Horn]

Another nod to this month's issue of Fine Woodworking. Their suggestion is to dry fit and clamp everything together then apply a thin coat of wax at the corners around the joint, pull everything down and glue as usual. The glue should easily peal away. After the glue has been cleaned up, the wax can be removed with de-natured alcohol and a toothbrush. Haven't tried it yet but it but it seems like a very good option.

Duane

 

[wdwrkr]

During glue-ups I keep a toothbrush, a cup of water, a dry rag, and a wet rag at hand. I use the toothbrush to remove glue from the corners - works brilliantly. Then rinse the brush, dry it with the rag as best I can and use it again. Use the dry rag to get up any water from the wet brush that remains on the wood - it's impossible to get the toothbrush completely dry. I use the wet rag on long edges, wider areas, etc., then follow with the dry rag. Since discovering the wonders of the toothbrush, I have never had to deal with dried glue removal in corners.

 

[Bas]

Another nod to this month's issue of Fine Woodworking. Their suggestion is to dry fit and clamp everything together then apply a thin coat of wax at the corners around the joint, pull everything down and glue as usual. The glue should easily peal away. After the glue has been cleaned up, the wax can be removed with de-natured alcohol and a toothbrush. Haven't tried it yet but it but it seems like a very good option.

Duane

+1. I use a product called Waxilit. Lee Valley used to sell it, but they no longer carry it. Fortunately, a tiny jar lasts a lifetime.
Any type of non-silicone wax should work though. What I like about Waxilit is that it is fairly dry/ crumbly, which means it's easy to apply sparingly. It also leaves a white film that's easy to see for removal. It's great when doing M&T joints in close quarters, it really helps removing the squeezeout.

 

[Joe Scharle]

Prefinishing the inside surface, then waxing the areas close to the joint is almost foolproof. I said almost, because I haven't met them all!

But if that's not possible, I've had good success with blue or green tape.

 

[Jeff]

Are your 90 degree corners mitered or a M&T interface like a rail and stile for a frame?

After the glue dries about 20-30 minutes it'll be kind of rubbery in texture so a sharp chisel (bevel up or bevel down as needed) works nicely to carefully slice off the squeeze out. The chisel can be tilted slightly to the left or right to get into the uneven areas where the pieces mate on the face. Works nicely on the inside corners as well. Be patient and not aggressive. Wipe off the sticky stuff on the chisel with a damp paper towel, but don't wipe the wood.

After clamp removal a card scraper suffices to do the final cleanup and smooth the mating surfaces without gouging and ridges. The finish should be almost seamless with no apparent areas where the finish didn't "take" to a glue smeared surface.

 

[Jim Wallace]

I'm with wdwrkr: wash the joint with warm water as soon as you finish clamping it. Very little if any water will penetrate a tight joint, especially since it's already filled with glue. I've never had any reason to suspect that this weakened any joint. Don't be afraid to use plenty of water. Dry it with a clean rag when you're done.

 

[pviser]

I'm also with wdwrkr and Jim. I use a flexible putty knife to clean up (especially the inside corners) as soon as the clamping is set, carefully lifting the wet glue away onto the knife, not smearing it into the wood. Then I follow with a tiny ball of wet paper towel, changing out frequently with fresh wet pieces until the job is done. I acknowledge that Norm Abram expressed strongly not to use a wet cloth to clean up squeeze out, but I humbly disagree with him on this point. All of this notwithstanding, I'm a believer in the additional strategies of prefinishing pieces prior to assembly (protecting the glue surfaces, of course), use of painter's tape, and the careful brush application of glue.

 

[Weekendworrior]

I have found over the years that we simply want to see glue squeeze out to make us feel like we've used enough. The fact of the matter is, we often simply used too much. Any glue that is squeezed out is nothing more than "extra" and is a nuisance. Brushed on thicknesses and damp rag drag is all it should take. You must let go of the "I gotta see it" mentality.

 

[harvey314]

This seems like another of those areas where everybody has a favorite method, so I'll kick in one trick I learned from a model railroader:

Take a plastic drinking straw (a large milk shake straw is good) and cut off one end at about a 45 degree angle. Having done so, you now should have a miniature scoop with a sharp point. Simply push the point along the glue joint, as soon as you can after the glue has squeezed out, and most of the excess collects in the straw. Then wipe the area with a wet cloth (assuming you are using a water soluble glue).