How do you keeping glue from sticking to cauls

[harry strasil]

I started out waxing the surface that is next to the glue joint on my cambered cauls, which are a pair of those 4 way equal pressure clamps with the wooden parts cambered. Now I use narrow strips of waxed paper where the cauls cross glue joints and pull the joint up to what I consider satisfactory, then use other clamps to pull the cauls down to touch the surface of the work pieces. If necessary I cut the wax paper longer and use pushpins to keep the paper in place on the cauls.

What do you use to prevent glue from adhering to your cauls and work pieces?

[Kemil Pepin]

A heavy coat of paste wax always does a good job, that or wax paper. Just wipe the wax on the caul right before the glue up. Any residue remaining on the workpiece will be cleaned up with the final surfacing (planing or sanding).

[Kemil Pepin]

edit to add: plastic wrap or plastic laminate work well too.

[Matt Bickford]

I just use packing tape on the cauls.

Matt

[Russell Johnson]

I've been using Bee's wax stick to coat my cauls.

[Conrad Fiore]

+1 on the packing tape

[Prashun Patel]

+1 packing tape. In fact, you can get yrself one of those pistol grip pack tape dispensers from Costco for like $9. Dispensed this way, the tape itself makes a good band clamp.

[Dave Anderson NH]

I've always started by waxing my cauls Junior. Step 2 is a covering of saran wrap. The tough thing about using the saran wrap is avoiding the inevitable wrinkles and getting it taut over the caul. Static cling is a pain in the butt.

[Tony Zaffuto]

Wax paper. Cheap and I use it liberally to catch glue drips, etc. My cauls are typically just pieces of scrap, so I'm not particular about them.

[Rob Young]

Mostly waxed paper but for some curved stuff I tried the packing tape on the form and it worked great. Waxed paper would have been a pain. I rub wax on small clamp head cauls and so far that has always worked.

[george wilson]

I use wax paper,too.

[David Keller NC]

I find waxed paper to be a PITA - it always seems to want to go somewhere else just when I'm positioning the cauls/panel clamps and tightening them down.

So for that reason, I use a heavy coat of Butcher's Bowling Alley Wax (cheap - it's at the Borg). The consistency makes it easy to smear on, and I don't bother wiping it or buffing it. What small amount of residue transfers to the piece will be planed away anyway, so I don't sweat it.

[Frank Drew]

A strip of plastic laminate contact-cemented onto the working edge of a caul works well, is no fuss to use and lasts forever. I used this method on some of those DIY Record clamps (their clamp heads go onto shop-made wood bars) and whatever glue that dried on the bars could be flicked off with your fingernail.

[glenn bradley]

Wax paper or blue painter's tape here.

[John Coloccia]

Wax paper.

[David Weaver]

Wax paper for me, too, but the packing tape idea sounds smart.

[Bob Strawn]

...
What do you use to prevent glue from adhering to your cauls and work pieces?

My answer came from a twisted application of research done by Bob Smalser. (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=21822)

In his research on regluing, the photo that showed the least damage to wood surface when glue samples were pried apart was Tightbond II.

So if you dilute with distilled water, 4 parts water to 1 part Tightbond II, you get a paint that should be applied all in one setting, since the second coat will not stick well. After this drys, you get an antique looking yellowed coat. I then add my own wax mix (http://toolmakingart.com/2008/08/06/wax-mix/) to make the surface an even worse one for glue to adhere to. I have an odd plywood gluing/working surface treated this way that has been outdoors for 5 years, and the structure just does not seen to want to decay or age.



Waxed Tightbond2 is the best glue proof surface I have been able to come up with. I suppose that a disposable plastic wrap will probably beat it, but I have had glue seep into and attach masking tape before, so I don't trust it entirely.

Bob