Replies

1. 
   RSRose | Sep 08, 2002 08:22pm | #1

   Turnstyler,

   You've come up against one of the most frustrating problems in woodworking. We go to all kinds of lengths to keep glue from getting on the wood other than in the joints. This won't help now, of course, but very careful application of just the right amount so that there's no squeeze-out, careful taping of the wood adjacent to the joints, prefinishing the wood and other methods are useful to avoid your problem.

   What glue did you use? In general, trying to disolve the glue will just spread it and the thinned glue will penetrate the wood. If you're painting that shouldn't be a problem. But staining or finishes which deepen the color of the wood won't penetrate the glue permeated wood and the resulting lighter areas will be ugly.

   The best thing to do is to wait until the glue has cured so that it's firm, but not terribly hard (usually 3-4 hours, up to 24 hours for most glues other than epoxy) and gently pare it off or chip it off the surface with a very sharp chisel, or any other sharp implement that you can manage to get into the spaces between the slats. You may need to use emery boards (drug store - women's cosmetics section) or use spray adhesive to glue strips of sandpaper to thin wood sticks to sand the wood under the removed drips to remove whatever surface film and slight penetration remain.

   This is something that every woodworker has had to solve, and maybe some other clever solutions will be posted. There's no way, however, to avoid a slow tedious job ahead of you.

   Good luck,

   Rich

1. 
   Brewgonia | Sep 09, 2002 09:43pm | #4

   Dry-fitting, then taping with that blue (low tack) masking tape will also catch most of the squeeze-out.

2. 
   rickjones5 | Sep 09, 2002 04:46am | #2

   For regular wood glue you can use hot water, vinegar, or a hair dryer.  Heat the glue untill it softens and scrape off.  Be careful not to melt the glue.  Easy clean-up is just one of the good points of hide glue.  Try it sometime.

   rick

1. 
   sharp | Sep 09, 2002 07:53am | #3

   is hide glue as strong as regular wood glue?

1. 
   Shepherd1800 | Sep 10, 2002 01:56am | #5

   Hide glue is as strong or stronger that modern glues.  If you are using liquid hide glue make sure that it is fresh (check the expiration date, it has a shelf life).  It is also easier to clean up, is easier on tools, doesn't clog sand paper (no swarf) and washes out of clean up rags and your clothes, unlike modern glues.  It also doesn't suffer from creep and is largely transparent to stains and finishes.  Why people use modern glues escapes me.

   Stephen Shepherd

1. 
   RSRose | Sep 10, 2002 02:22am | #6

   Stephen,

   "Why people use modern glues escapes me."

   Really!!!

   If hide glue did everything needed, there would be no reason to develop other glues. And the entire adhesives industry would not exist. But it hardly can be called an all-purpose glue. The qualities that you praised it for (easily washed out of clothes) makes it unsuitable for water resistance. It disolves very easily any time you want to open up a hide glue joint. Musical instrument makers use this property to make their products easy to take apart and repair or adjust. (Stradivarius violins are still opened and worked on centuries after their original construction.)

   Hide glue not only has no water-resistance, it has little heat resistance, has little in the way of gap-filling properties and only moderate shock resistance.

   It's a great glue used in limited situations, with knowledge of it's strengths and weaknesses. But it has serious limitations for many general applications and for most specialties.

   Anybody for modern formulations?

   Rich

1. 
   Shepherd1800 | Sep 10, 2002 09:11pm | #8

   Rich,

   Modern glues were developed because they are cheaper to manufacture than hide glue.

   There are things you can do to hide glue to make it waterproof, more flexible (shock resistant) and gap filling.

   I just don't like white or yellow modern adhesives for woodworking, just my opinion.

   Stephen Shepherd

2. 
   RSRose | Sep 10, 2002 10:50pm | #9

   Stephen,

   I share your affection for hide glue. It not only works well within its capabilities, its odor evokes fond memories of workshops from my childhood.

   Rich

3. 
   davamoore | Sep 11, 2002 10:04pm | #10

   A relatively new woodworker (someday I'll have to -- or get to -- stop using that phrase!), I'm an even more recent convert to hide glue.  One of my favorite advantages over standard yellow glues is the longer open time.  Even though I rehearse my glue-ups, it's awfully nice to know that if I make a mistake I have a little time to make corrections before I start doing damage or compromising the joint.

   Of course, and like most of you, I recognize the value of other glues, given specific situations and/or requirements.  For example, I recently used a touch of epoxy to glue cocobolo plugs and inlays into a tabletop that had been veneered using urea resin and was otherwise assembled using hide glue.

   DavidHmmm... the garden or the workshop today?

2. 
   rickjones5 | Sep 10, 2002 05:15am | #7

   Hide glue is as strong as modern wood glue.  Things have been found in Egyptan tooms which had been glued with hide glue that were still stuck togeather.  Hide glue is reverseable and if the joint loosens ( like chair rungs ) years later just seperate with a soft hammer, reglue and reassemble.  It will wash out of your clothes in hot water.  You can even eat it provided you are hungry enough although I have not tried it.

   rick