Replies

1. 
   Jerry_Noel | Jan 30, 2000 10:08pm | #1

   *
   Brett-
   I was taught the following technique for removing yellow glue but it also works on PVA. The rag that you do the wiping with should have hot water (as hot as your hand can stand it), not quite sopping. The hot water on the rag will disolve the glue faster and has the added advantage of slightly swelling the wood to keep the water out of a good joint, I have never had the glue dilute and fail. Any glue left will eaisly sand off.
   Jerry Noel

1. 
   john_hammond | Apr 22, 2000 05:41am | #2

   *The way I learned to do it in school was to put a little paste wax around the shoulder and around the mortise.When glue is done just wipe the area with some naptha and the glue will be gone.Before you do your finishing wipe area with a bit of thinner any glue will show up and can be taken off with a shape chisel. But if you do a good job with the naptha this will not be necessary.Good luck.

1. 
   Fred_Matthews | Apr 27, 2000 06:16am | #3

   *There is one obvious solution...use less glue and apply it correctly.....I never use a wet cloth for wiping glue, for obvious reasons. A well made mortise and tenon, with the correct amount of glue applied, to the correct faces, will have very minimal glue squeeze out. What little glue is extruded can be removed easily w/ a sharp chisel. IMO, there is an optimal time to remove partially dried PVA glue, I try to get it when its just turning hard from rubbery (that make any sense?)...also be aware of how you are spreading your glue...I use a solder flux brush, cheap, disposable and I don't spread a lot of glue on the end grain of the tenon, particuarly the shoulder...first, being end grain, most of the glue is drawn up by capillary action, starving the joint, and any excess is immediately squeezed out. Recognize that the strength of a m&t joint is from well mated faces of flat grain and a thin layer of glue...I use slightly less on the tenon and heavier on the mortise since the fit up of the joint will squeegee glue down the face of the mortise. If your joint fits well, not too tight or loose, the right amount of glue and modest clamping pressure will yield a strong joint with minimal glue squeeze out and associated clean up.

1. 
   Jim_Bumgardner | Jun 04, 2000 04:59pm | #4

   *Brett, I keep a can of Johnsons paste wax handy for just that purpose. Before glue-up rub a thin line of wax down the areas where glue squeeze out occurs. Don't get it on the joint surface where your joint joins. The finish will desolve the wax when you apply it or you can wipe it off w/mineral spirits after the joint sets up.The excess glue will peel right off. This is especially good in inside corners where it is almost impossible to get to after assembly. Jim

1. 
   William_Tandy_Young | Jun 28, 2000 12:56am | #5

   *Brett:I'll answer assuming we're talking about bare, unfinished wood that's just been glued up. I've tried removing PVA squeeze out at various stages, and finally settled on a full-tilt wet removal technique. That's just my preference.Here's one reason why: if more than a tiny bead of PVA squeezes out of a joint, some of the emulsion can leach into the area surrounding the joint even if you don't wet the wood. Also, some of the color can leach out and tint the surrounding area. Yellow glue is basically white glue with an added colorant, and some glues are very yellow. So I want all the glue residue off and I get it off thoroughly with water. I use clean water that's as hot as I can stand it. The bigger the bucket, the less contaminated the water becomes. In the bucket are three rags. Each has a distinct appearance so I won't confuse them. I also have on hand a 3/4 inch chip brush and a couple of acid swab brushes with their bristles chopped short and at an angle.First, I remove as much squeeze-out as possible by scraping it off with a scrap of thin plexiglass, which I wipe on a piece of paper towel. Then I brush some hot water on the joint and go on to the next joint and do the same thing. When all the joints are done, I go back to the first joint and scrub off the remainder of the residue with the brushes and rags. I use the rags in sequence so that none of them gets charged with glue. They rinse out fast in the hot water, and I'm always working with a clean rag so I don't stir diluted glue around on the wood. Once you have the system down, it goes quicker than you think.I feather the wet area from the joint out toward the surrounding surfaces a bit, so that the cleaned joint won't appear in contrast to wood that didn't get scrubbed.I incorporate this method into my finishing schedule and use it as a grain raising step before coloring. I sand parts to 120 or 150, glue them up, wet clean them, raising the grain, then final sand them to 220 grit after the wood dries. Nice clean, tight looking joints and blotch-free surrounding surfaces every time. If that sounds like too much trouble, De-Glue Goo, which is fairly new to the market, also works very well. Glue up the work, forget about the squeeze-out, and slather it with the Goo either the same day or the next. Then, scrub off the gel and softened glue residue with rags, brushes and hot water. This is a convenient method, but I don't use it too often because the Goo is acidic, and fairly expensive.