Replies

1. 
   SteveSchoene | May 13, 2007 05:13am | #1

   I'm a bit fuzzy about what actually happened.  It almosts sounds like you were cutting off the top while the dovetail glue up was still wet. 

   The best way to remove glue squeeze out is usually with a scraper, either a card scraper, or for the very corners a chisel used delicately as a scraper. 

   To avoid this in the future, remember that dovetail joints need only a very small amount of glue to hold them together. 

    

2. 
   TrueGentleman | May 13, 2007 05:20am | #2

   Hello, now that it is dry the best solution is to use a sharp "V shaped gauge" to gentle remove the glue beads.  Once you have the beads off you need to use a flat chisel like a scraper to remove the residue. 

    

   The best way to remove wet glue in corners is a "Drinking Straw" use a stiff straw, I like to use McDonalds straws, they are stiff enough and easy to handle.  Press the straw into the corners.  The glue will be “pressed” into the straw.  Clean it off after each pass.  After using the straw use water with a paper towel and the v shaped gauge to press it in the corner.  Run is up and down the corner until you are sure it is all gone…then do it again.  I hope this helped

    

   Rich

1. 
   Ron01960 | May 13, 2007 06:39pm | #3

   You can mask the inside corners so any squeeze out lands on the tape. or
   apply a coat of shellac or other finish. You still have to deal with the droplets as mentioned above. The clean up is minimal.good luckRon

1. 
   z3peru | May 15, 2007 07:31am | #4

   I read an article on this web site about taping the box prior to gluing, and that sounded like the best idea.  My question made it sound like my biggest problem was the glue on the vertical joints of the box walls.  However, I've spent tremendous time trying to get the glue off of the joints between the bottom and the sides.  I have gouged the wood and just hoped there was a better way.

   Thanks for your comment.

1. 
   forestgirl | May 15, 2007 08:33am | #5

   Coping with squeeze out is a pain, no doubt about it.  Since the box is in a closed state while the glue is drying, seems like tape would be your best bet.  For unexpected accidents, though, you might get a bottle of De-glue Goo.  When the stuff's hard as a rock and just won't come off without damaging the wood, it's a good solution.

   If squeeze-out is allowed to partially dry, but not get hard, it's easy to scrape off without hurting the wood.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

1. 
   z3peru | May 17, 2007 06:11am | #7

   I would hesitate to cut the box apart before the glue is set hard.  It seems painter's tape and pre-finishing the inside is the answer.

   Thanks for all responses!

3. 
   4DThinker | May 15, 2007 07:01pm | #6

   I have my students mask the joints and apply finish to the inside of all box parts before gluing them up.  Glue will pop off of most finished surfaces, but putting painter's tape in the corners to "collect" the squeeze out is also good advice. 

   
   

   ---

   Edited 5/15/2007 12:01 pm ET by 4DThinker