glue everywhere!

[Ray Hickey]

Hi; Does anybody have any ideas how to keep excess glue from getting everywhere. I'm always having to wipe it off with a wet rag and this brings the grain up and than more sanding. Sometimes I miss a spot and it shows up during staining and looks bad. Do they make any hot glues that are good in cabinet fabrication? What type of glues do the professional cabinet shops use. Any info will help....thx

[Joe Chritz]

Just pop it off after about 30 minutes when it skins over. Much easier than wiping it off.

Rail/stile joints takes some practice but you can get a technique that keeps squeeze out to the top and bottom where it is easy to get rid of, or removed during a drum sand.

The hot melt polyurethane glue (hi-performer) is supposed to be a good system. A bit pricey for the glue and a limited shelf life once opened. I will probably own one at some point but not for cabinets. Production furniture shops have been using a strong hot melt for years, granted out of very expensive production glue systems.

Joe

[Chris Padilla]

David Marks single-handedly keeps the "blue painter's tape" industry in business. :)

[Jim McFarland]

<snip>
Sometimes I miss a spot and it shows up during staining and looks bad. Do they make any hot glues that are good in cabinet fabrication?
<snip>

Ray, I wipe the piece with naptha or mineral spirits prior to staining and this usually reveals any glue spots.

[David DeCristoforo]

As Jim Krenov points out, if you have that much "squeeze out", you are using too much glue. You really should not have more than a very small "bead" of glue to remove. Allow that to set for a bit to "firm up" and then you can swipe it off with a sharpened putty knife or "utility grade" chisel. Any remaining glue can be removed with a damp (not wet) cloth. The slight grain raising this might produce will be much easier to deal with than trying to get dried glue stains out of the grain.

YM

[Ray Hickey]

Thanks Guys..... I guess I'll try to be a bit more light handed with the glue.;)

[Bert Johansen]

Yoshikuni and others are on the mark--ease up on the application. Also, many projects are easier to apply a finish before you glue up the piece. I often do this with M&T projects, and almost always with frame and panel work.

[Jack Briggs]

Masking just outside of the glue line isn't a bad idea. But I do prefer wiping to letting harden and scraping, unless I'm planning on planing a good bit off after glue curing. If using an open porous wood the squeezout can fill neighboring pores.

[Curt Harms]

David Marks single-handedly keeps the "blue painter's tape" industry in business. :)
But I do my little bit. Especially on inside corners masking right up to the joint is mandatory for me. How in the world do you sand inside corners of drawers without going cross grain? Prefinishing is a good idea as well particularly if the finish is something glue won't stick to.

[Dave Anderson NH]

There are several strategies that other posters have memtioned which work well. Both masking and prefinishing are useful in a lot of areas. Another approach is to use hide glue, which is easily cleaned up with a damp rag. Hide glue also has the advantage that you can finish right over it, you can color it after application, and it its repairable. For further information google search for hide glue and you will find many threads extolling its virtues in greater detail.