I have a few Bessey clamps (the old-style ones with the wooden handle) that have gunk all over the bars – dried glue, paint, and the like. I know, I know, “don’t do that”. Too late. Done.
I periodically clean them by taking the plastic foot off, sliding the lower jaw off the beam, and going after the gunk on the beam with some combination of a beater chisel, GoofOff and brillo pad. However, I have one clamp that seems to have some gunk stuck in the workings of the lower jaw. Usually a tap with a mallet loosens the lower jaw enough to slide it off the bar. In this case I can’t get the lower jaw off with some reasonable force, and I don’t want to start treating the jaw like it’s batting practice.
Is there any magic trick to getting the jaw off? It doesn’t look like it can be disassembled; could I soak it in something that would loosen it up but which wouldn’t damage the clamp?
Thanks!
Replies
Assuming that it's most likely to be glue, I'd try soaking it in some really hot (near boiling) water for a few minutes. If it is indeed yellow glue or something like that, that should soften it enough to allow you to pry things apart. Be sure to dry everything thoroughly afterwards, of course.
In general, you should be able to clean up the metal parts with a little bit of paint stripper, as long as you stay away from the plastic pieces and the painted handle.
-Steve
Hot boiling water with some vinegar works well with a Type II adhesive like Titebond II. However, Titebond III is a Type I adhesive which is water proof. It will not respond to boiling water or vinegar. The test for ANSI Type 1 designation requires surviving multiple soakings in boiling water and baking at 240 degrees.Howie.........
As the previous poster suggests try hot water but add some vinegar to it as that softens PVA glues.I have also used Photo stop bath (which is strong acetic acid )instead of vinegar
hot water but add some vinegar to it as that softens PVA glues
Or just plain vinegar!
Orko,
A few years ago, I wrote the same message that you did.
The first responder told me to use a "heat gun" to remove the dried woodworkers glue. I tried to use my wife's hair dryer. It didn't work. The guy told me that a hair dryer is not a real Heat Gun. I didn't have a heat gun.
The second guy told me to freeze the Bessey. I told him that my kitchen freezer does not accomodate a 50 inch Bessey.
It went on for a while.
Then someone came up with a useful answer. They asked me if I know of a product called "De Glue Goo". He said that Woodcraft sells it. Well, I have a part time job at Woodcraft but I had never seen it. Sure enough, the store had some, and I bought a bottle.
I had unfortunately let some TiteBond 3 harden on my Bessey's knurled sides and I couldn't get it off. Well I tried the De Glue Goo and it immediately softened the glue and it comes right off. No muss, no fuss, no boiling, no freezing, no heat gun. Just a small bottle of magic.
I don't want anyone to think I am flacking Woodcraft, so here is the Rockler advertisement for De Glue Goo.
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?Offerings_ID=11390&TabSelect=Reviews&cookietest=1
Of course, Woodcraft has it too. I had such good luck with it that I'd recommend that you get a container of it at whatever store is convenient to you, or you can order it over the web.
Please let me know how this works out for you. I almost never recommend products on Knots. I never recommend anything that I haven't used successfully. This stuff is worth its weight in gold. My Besseys are now pristene.
Have fun.
Mel
Measure your output in smiles per board foot.
Thanks to everyone who replied!Unfortunately I live an hour away from all of the closest Rocklers and Woodcrafts. The clamp that would't open up yesterday has today come unstuck (humidity change overnight? temperature change? luck?) so I'll be cleaning the bars later today. I'll let all y'all know how the cleaning goes - paint thinner, goof off, and whatever other toxic stuff I can find at the local HW store.thanks!eric
I'm a De-Glue Goo fan, if you have that much escaped glue in your shop, wouldn't hurt to add it to your next order. No expiration date that I'm aware of, LOL.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Mel,
My Besseys are now pristene.
Yup, I heard them mooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob,
Good to hear from you. My Besseys are mooing . You are right. I would guess you got some nice weather up there in NY. It is beautiful down here. Are you fully thawed yet?
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
I would guess you got some nice weather up there in NY
Hey Mel,
I'm pretty sure Bob lives in NH. But, if you inquiring about the weather in NY, it's been gorgeous this whole week.
-Michael
Hey Mike,
Psssssssst don't tell Mel I'm in NH, ok? I would be in NY but the Peoples Republic of Vermont is betwixt us! (:o
Mebbe he's gettin old and suffers from somestimers? Or he keeps ODing on Geritol?
Mel: How's the Grecian Formula 16 workin fer ye?
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob,
You are too much! LOL
Good to see you haven't lost your sense of humor. Knots would be a much poorer place if you did.
Regards,
Michael
"I would be in NY but the Peoples Republic of Vermont is betwixt us! (:o"
This is your last warning Flatlander!
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha; that's too funny - can't stop laughing. Good one!
I guess I deserved that. Spent too much time down below I rekun. Dang Taxachusetts blokes and then they's them Mainiacs.
:-)
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 4/19/2009 8:28 am ET by KiddervilleAcres
Edited 4/19/2009 8:28 am ET by KiddervilleAcres
Edited 4/19/2009 8:29 am ET by KiddervilleAcres
Michael,
I thought that New Hampshire is a county in northern New York state.
I will check on Google.I lived for three years in Dothan, Alabama. Many folks did not accept that part of Alabama as a real part of Alabama, but more as a part of the Florida Panhandle. I lived in Orlando, FL for three years. Some thought of Orlando as having nothing to do with Florida but as being part of New York State. I lived in Binghamton, NY for a while. I believe that folks in Upper NY state don't know that the Southern Tier exists.So I have come to the conclusion that State is part of "State of Mind". When I think of Bob, I think of those photos he has posted which look like they are north of Ancorage. One time when he snapped a photo, the shutter froze midway. Cold up there in New Yorkhampshire. :-)Have fun.
Mel
PS sorry it took me so long to get back to you. I was on a trip, and only had access to a dialup connection that was very s l o w.Measure your output in smiles per board foot.
Mel,
only had access to a dialup connection
HUH! I git 26.4K bps, sometimes 28.8K but only in the summer when the phone lines aren't frozen! You weenie. You're prolly used to DSL. Heck we just got rid of the last teletype machine a couple weeks ago.
Crymus Peter, you moved around so much sounds like you was bouncin around like a button on a backhouse door.
:-)
Taking things slooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwww up here in Cow Hampshire,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 4/19/2009 10:38 pm ET by KiddervilleAcres
Bob,
You have dialup?!! You lucky dog. I have to turn the hand crank, tell Sadie down at the phone co to connect me to knots, then hitch the cow to turn the arm that sticks out of my modem. My Bessey is left handed so she sometimes walks counterclockwise. When she changes direction, every once in a while sgniht emoc tuo swdrawkcab.
yaR
Ray,
Yep we're in the big time!
I kin help ye with yer backa$$wards thang.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Wax them after they are clean. After that, everything will just pop off.
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