I got one of those tool-comics through the letterbox the other day, from Axminster Tools in Blighty. Amongst many items they advertised Titebond II with a fluorescent agent in it, along with a small fluorescent lamp.
My first reaction was, “Wor ivver next”! But, I must confess to being caught out more than once by the wee glue splodges that only appear after the oiling and waxing has been completed. Doh!
Perhaps the fluorescent idea is actually quite smart? Oak in particular, with it’s open grain, has a nasty habit of hanging on to little dribbles of glue here and there, no matter how carefully one scrapes and sands it orf.
Has anyone used the glowing glue? I would be interested to hear if you find it usefull in hunting down the ghostly glue globs.
Lataxe
Replies
Yes, that's a great idea. I would and will use that, if I can find it. I hate glue spots. Another idea I don't know why they haven't picked up on is putting a wee bit of very fine grit in the glue, so 2 pieces don't slip and slide around until they're solidly clamped.
I've used it before and it's really cool. I had a project that had basically a box being glued to a base. It was an unusual attachment that I saw as an issue to get the glue off or it would show when I finished since it would be a dark cherry stain over oak. I went with the glow glue and it was a great help. I generally glue and clamp then use a sponge in water to clear any glue. I did my usual thing but then hit it with a black light and low and behold I had missed a bit(quite a bit). I kept cleaning and wiping with Q-tips and got it done. Finish is a breeze when no glue was there. If you do get it, I can suggest a good black light. Go to the pet section of your favorite store or a petsmart and look for a product called "Urine-b-gone". It's for pets that pee on carpets. It comes with a little florecent black light that runs on AA battaries. I snitched the one we had and keep it in the tool box. It's quite handy. I don't use it for everything, but if the joint is difficult ( 90 degree edges) or close to trim where a miss will show with the finish, I use it. I tend to use mostly the Tightbond extend which gives me more open time. I wish they had that product for the extend and even called tight bond but no luck. I did some research and there is a company that will sell the material I could mix in with the extend to get what I want, but is was so darn expensive, I decided against it. Anyway it helped for the application I had. That's M2CW.
If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it.
And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
Never tried it but the idea has been around at least 25 years. There's an additive version you could put in any brand of PVA.
I've just used a bit of mineral spirits to show up errant glue seepage.
Do you have a link to this or a name? Secondly, how does mineral spirits help?Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
http://www.woodworker.com/cgi-bin/FULLPRES.exe?PARTNUM=934-256&search=Glue%20Additive&smode=
Mineral spirits shows up the glue you probably missed and it evaporates wiothout harming the wood or veneer. Put a dab of glue on a piece of wood and let it dry. Dab some mineral spirits on it and you willl see the glue. It's not as visible as the fluorescent additive but with practice you will see it.
Flourescin is not very expensive and flouresces even in sunlight. It is often used to trace water flows. It is non-toxic in any reasonable quantities (unless they've changed the rules!)I think I can get hold of a few drops and will test it tomorrow by adding it to white PVA glue.I rather like the idea :-)
"Mineral spirits shows up the glue you probably missed and it evaporates wiothout harming the wood or veneer. Put a dab of glue on a piece of wood and let it dry. Dab some mineral spirits on it and you willl see the glue. It's not as visible as the fluorescent additive but with practice you will see it."
Thanks for the clarification. I thought this method provided wet visibility. In my applications, I needed to get the glue prior to drying as sanding would not be practicle in this instance. I'll look at the link. Thanks.Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
David - If you're working on cabinet work intended for indoor use, have you tried using hot hide glue? While archaic to be sure, I find that it's really nice stuff, in part because it's much easier to scrape off if some goes astray. And if it's in a corner that I can't get a scraper into, just a little hot water on a sponge and it goes away.
And so long as the piece of furniture isn't placed in a sauna, you've no worries about glue failure. They're plenty of antiques around that are 300 years old that still have sound joints.
Naturally, this would be inappropriate for outdoor furniture, but other than epoxy, they're aren't too many modern glues that hold up very well in wet outdoor environments, either.
D,
I remembers that grunge-pot from school days at South Shields Grammar Technical School for Boys, in the 60s. The stinky auld glue-pots and their revival before the WW lesson were regarded as a mild punishment! "You, boy! Get the pots heated"!! "Yessir".
Still, I haven't dismissed the thought of one day trying the stuff on a piece. I was reserving it for my first serious attempt at a veneered (hammered) piece, which is not seriously on the to-do list yet. But one day veneering will become the next thing to learn and do. Of course, I'm not too keen on the traditional styles of furniture that typically use veneer, so it's likely to be something contemporary (whatever that means).
Lataxe, who's veggie ladywife might also wrinkle her nozzle at the smell of horse-hoof (or whatever the goo is made from).
""YOU, BOY, GET THE POTS HEATED"!! "Yessir".
Now we know why Br. Lataxe is such a congenial gentleman.Philip Marcou
Lataxe,
Can you send me some of that flourescent glue? I reckon I need a dollop or two of it. See attached.
Ray
Ray,
How many times must you be told not to do the light-sabre thang in the workshop when you're bored with the frou-frou carving? I recommend instead that you get a-one off them mobile phone implements and pretend that you're Captain Kirk. You may attract a female person with big hair, long false eyelashes and some o' them plastic boots up to her armpits. (And the lights will still work).
Lataxe, who knows what you get up to in that shed o' yourn, oh yes I do.
Lataxe,
The pen may be mightier than the sword, but the 8' stick of molding is mightier than the flourescent tube.
Beam me up Scotty, there's no intelligent life here.
Ray
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