Excess glue that is...if you thought it was anything else, you've got wrong Blog!
I've seen lots of enquiries on various forums about the best way of removing the excess glue squeeze out...one such answer was to purchase a triangular hook scraper, the sort of thing usually used to rip off paintwork, which in my view is completely inappropriate for glue removal.
The pic above shows a corner of the new framework for the Double Square Cabinet with the glue squeeze out clearly seen...so why hasn't it been removed?
The very simple answer is that it doesn't need to be removed. All the internal surfaces have been pre-polished and then waxed, and you should be able to see the smear of wax on the closest rail. The wax acts a 'resist' in exactly the same way as in the process of making a fibreglass lay up, where the resist prevents the resin from sticking to the mould.
In my case a urea-formaldehyde glue (Cascamite) has been used which in a couple of hours will partially set to a jelly like consistency. It's at this point...
....that the glue squeezy-outy tool is used. This is just a piece of plastic ground (on the disc sander) at both ends like a double ended marking knife. Offer up the edge (or point, as appropriate) and you'll find the glue will just lift off in one long bendy strip. Even if it sets 'glass hard' (after about six hours, or overnight) it will still lift away from the resist with no effort.
If you're in a situation where the glue has to be removed, then the best thing to scrub the joint with a cut down glue brush (almost a stencil brush) using a few dabs of water on the bristles...don't drench the joint or the water will dilute the glue. The brush is used damp, not wet.
'Dab' is the operative word!
Finally, wipe the joint with a dry cloth to ensure that any glue or water left behind is removed.
The process isn't difficult, but you'd be amazed how many people make a pig's ear of it.
5 comments:
I use a silicone free wax on the outside of where the two surfaces meet. The glue just peels off because it can't adhere to the wax. I clean up the wax with denatuted alcolhol.
The wax used here is a soft Teak Wax, long out of production but the finest stuff I've ever come across. On the outside, it doesn't really matter what's used as long as it's waxy and the glue won't stick...it'll be removed anyway by a plane in the course of cleaning up
When I did a COSHH assessment of Cascamite it frightened me so much I decided to avoid it! Nice tip on glue removal from a cabinet making perspective (something I don't do much of....yet)
I haven't seen a COSH assessment for 'Cascamite' but I take the view that almost anything is dangerous...reasonable, common sense precautions in common with most workshop activities is the way forward. If you read about the toxicity of many common timbers, you'd give up woodwork!
How about scotch glue residue from sticking down a material liner in a wooden box? Any ideas on how to remove that please?
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