Replies

1. 
   orko | Jul 29, 2009 08:34pm | #1

   I asked a similar question on here a few months ago about cleaning my Bessey clamps. There are two ways:

   1) mechanical removal. Take a beater chisel or an old plane blade or something and just knock the glue off.

   2) if that doesn't work, apply paint stripper. Not paint thinner. Stripper. The nasty, viscous stuff. Don't get it on painted surfaces or on your skin (wear big long gloves!) Softens the glue right up. Then go back to step #1.

   Might need to do this 2 or 3 times to get them perfect. When you put stripper on, only leave it on for like 5 minutes.

   eric

2. 
   pzaxtl | Jul 30, 2009 09:44am | #2

   I just use a brass wire wheel or cup in a cordless drill.  Cleans up nicely.

    

   ♫ If you’re OCD and you know it wash your hands ♫

3. 
   HowardAcheson | Jul 30, 2009 03:59pm | #3

   If you use a PVA adhesive, you can heat it with a heat gun and it should scrape off easily. Or, boil some water and soak an old towel in the boiling water. Wrap the wet towel around the bar and wait 10 minutes. The adhesive should wipe off. But, if you used a "water proof" PVA (ie: Titebond III) heat and water won't touch it. In that case, scraping is the only choice.

   Howie.........
1. 
   forestgirl | Jul 31, 2009 07:05am | #4

   Howard, would doing the opposite work also? placing in a big chest freezer.  Just curious, as we bought one last year.  Seems like maybe the glue would chip off if it got really cold.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

4. 
   dkellernc | Aug 01, 2009 12:37am | #5

   Assuming you're using Bessey or Jet parallel clamps, then mechanical removal (scraping) is probably the easiest on the actual bars (the long metal part).  If you're talking about removing glue adhered to the faces of the clamps, then it depends on what type of glue it is.  If it's PVA (woodworker's yellow or white glue), then wrapping a paper towel soaked with vinegar onto the face, then sealed up with saran wrap will soften the dried glue  within 24 hours.