I’ve just built a project out of oak and I don’t want to repeat the mistake I made last time when I stained without noticing some of the areas where glue had eased out of the joints and discolored the wood.
Besides spending an eternity sanding a few discolored spots, is there anything I can rub on the spots that will deal with this matter before I stain? I was thinking about using mineral spirits.
Replies
Once the glue is dry, the best thing I've found to rub on the glue spots is a card scraper. ;-)
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA
I thought about using a scrapper but some of the spots are located in areas where that won’t be practical, and sanding would be just as difficult. I was hoping there was a “chemical” solution for the issue.
Not really. There is a product called Waxilit that you can apply to exposed surfaces before glue up. (Dab it on, let it dry, buff off the excess--very much like paste wax.) Any glue squeeze out will peel right off, and then you can remove the Waxilit with denatured alcohol.
You can get it from Lee Valley; I'm sure that there are other vendors as well.
-Steve
Thank you and I'll think about using it next time.
Laqeur thinner and steel wool work well and the thinner does not open the grain . good luck
You can try using a 1/4" or narrower chisel as a "scraper" to reach into tight spots.
Two things to try next time: (1) pre-finish the pieces before gluing (except don't finish glue surfaces, of course); and/or (2) use a stainable glue to lessen the problems with glue joints showing.
Try to get to squeeze out quicker next time, but wait until the glue has set to a plastic-like consistency. It should peel off cleanly, leaving little or no glue in the wood. Anytime I try to wipe glue off with a wet rag, it drives glue into the oak and I get additional discoloration from the iron in our crummy water (having a gallon if distilled water would be nice, but not something I tend to remember).
Good luck.
Woodman ,
Getting the feel for just the right amount of glue will come in time .
Another way that works is to let the glue that squeezes out semi dry about half way or so than with a sharp chisel slice off the offending glue as though it was wood . A bit of scraping or a little sanding and for the most part the problem will be gone .
dusty
Woodman, you could give De-Glue Goo a try. I've bought it at Woodcraft, but it's available at several on-line vendors. Click here for description.
How do you keep a straight face when buying something called "De-Glue Goo"?
-Steve
Har, har, har...... It's tough, but I manage. For sure, I don't go into HD, Lowe's and ask for it!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
A new tongue twister: De-Glue Goo, De-Glue Goo, De-Glue Goo, De-Glue Goo
Life is what happens to you when you're making other plans .
I look for this stuff, thanks.
I haven't tried this , but have been meaning to, is a glue manufactured by Titebond I think, that glows under ultraviolet. This doesn't help with removal but will certainly let you know where the glue is before staining. Not only at the joints but also that small amount that inadvertently got on your finger and then the middle of that door panel. This would be a sure fire way of checking before stain.
Paul
I suppose that UV revealing glue is useful for production situations, but a quick swipe with mineral spirits while cleaning off any dust before finishing will reveal glue pretty darn well.
I was assembling a small keepsake box with mitered corners yesterday. I tried a tip that I had known of but never tried. I masked the interior and esterior of the miter with masking tape. The glue squeeze out fell on the masking but thats about the only good thing. The tape with the glue on it was hard to remove it wanted to tear in small peices. I cleaned up with a chisel on the inside corners.
That is the problem I have. when I glue up any thing by the time I get the clamps positioned and tightened I can't get access to the joint anymore to wipe the glue up.Webby
If I can, I use hot hide glue because it comes clean with a toothbrush dipped in a vinegar and water mixture. The little, if any, that remains doesn't show after finishing.
I have pretty well given up on ordinary PVC, whether white or yellow, and use PVC 202. It is thicker and is easier to remove when about half and hour after clamp up. As far as the clamps getting in the way, you are correct, so I take off one clamp at a time after the 202 has set up for 30 minutes or so. Lee Valley carries it if your local supplier doesn't.
As far as Titebond II and III, if I don't get it off while it is soft and hangs together, it is a matter of scrap, sand, sand, sand, and sand.
I have used the De-Glue Goo and it worked, but it can be expensive and take time and take multiple applications.
Steve,
Is there any advantage to wiping down with mineral spirits except to revel glue spots as opposed to using a tack rag?
Paul
I just bought a wood glue from Elmers that is stainable. Haven't tried it yet but it seems if I missed any squeezeout the remainder would stain as close as possible to the surrounding area. Let me know if you need details about the glue.
Brian
I wet a rag with minetal spirits and wipe where I suspect glue might be and it shows up nicely. The mineral spirits sinks in where there is no glue and it does not if there is any glue on the surface. You can see the difference in wood color. It is harder to do on oak but walnut and cherry it is easy to see the difference. It works with oak but you have to look harder and use good lighting.
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