Struggling with glue ups

[Joe Von Kaenel]

Hello,


I am not totally a newbie, but still struggle with glue ups especially when gluing the sides to the front and back such as is done with a cabinet. When trying to clamp the pieces together, the pieces slide and spreads out the glue.

Are there any tricks to getting pieces of wood that are oriented 90 degrees to each other to prevent pieces from sliding. Also, I've heard pros and cons regarding wiping the glue off with a damp cloth, does this just push the glue into the wood pores.

I have used a "detail" triangular shaped sander to sand along pieces joined at 90 degree angles, but still have problems with glue showing through the stain or dye. Thanks for the help.

Joe

[John Schreiber]

I've been at this for a while, and I think gluing is one of my biggest problems.

Here are the things I do, but I don't find that they always work, so I'll be looking to see what others say.

Set up temporary braces so that the pieces can't slide against each other. Sometimes it's another clamp or a piece of wood clamped in place. They can be waxed so they stick less to the work piece. You also can take them off as soon as the clamps are holding everything in place. But sometimes everything will be in place until you take off the brace, then things slide. I try to wait until the glue is just beginning to set up if I'm worried about that.

Don't use too much glue. If I don't see squeeze out, I fear that I didn't put enough glue on, but I know I could usually get away with less.

I clean up glue with a warm damp cloth quickly after everything is stable. So long as I get to it quickly and thoroughly, I do OK, but if I let it sit too long, the only thing left is sanding it away. I've never had luck with "popping" it off with a chisel when it's just a little hard.

I've often thought of putting a brad in one surface then cutting off all but a bit so that things won't slide, but I haven't tried that. Pin nailers also work much the same way, but I haven't got one of those.

I'm looking for ideas.

[Rob Cunningham]

I'll put a few biscuits in a face-frame and cabinet side to help with alignment and stop them from sliding around. Another method is to put a shallow dado in. Some people will shoot a couple brads in just to hold parts together until the clamps are on.
As far as glue squeeze out, I usually wait until the glue is semi cured and scrape it off carefully with an old sharp chisel. I have also used blue masking tape along the squeeze out area. This stops the glue from getting on the wood surfaces. Also, I try to finish as much as possible before assembly. Glue doesn't stick as well to a finished surface and is easy to clean up.

[Lee Schierer]

If I'm worried about glue squeeze out beiong difficult to remove, I dry assemble the piece and line the corner with masking tape. I leave the tape in place until the glue dries. Peeling the tape off removes most glue squeeze out and what is left is easy to trim off.

I haven't tried this yet, but I read a really neat tip the other day. To remove glue squeeze out use those cheap plastic straws. You can push the end of one into the corner at an angle and they will conform to the shape and as you push them along the glue is pushed up inside the straw. Snip off the used portion and you can get multiple uses from the same straw.

[Robert Parrish]

Have you tried any of the hot melt polyurethane glues? They can be used to help get a glue up started and they come in 30, 60, 75 second and 5 minute varieties. I am currently using Titebond HiPURformer to build a Carousel Horse that has several hundred pieces of trim. If I had to glue and clamp each piece it would take me forever! No clamps are needed!

[Prashun Patel]

I love pocketscrews for glueups.

I wipe with a moist sponge. Has always worked. Occasionally I mask or finish before, but sponging is easier - especially if you plan to sand after.

Rabbets or biscuits can aid in lining up and also reinforcing the joint.

[Larry Fox]

For face-frames, I don't glue them and instead prefer pocket screws where they won't be seen. I use a biscuit or (now) Domino for allignment. For other types of components I try and introduce something to align them like a Domino. I also try and pre-finish as much as I can - as another poster pointed out, glue doesn't stick to finished surfaces well. Remaining gets addressed via limiting the amount of glue I use and / or blue masking tape.

Sometimes though all this fails and you just need to sand / scrape some away.

[Chip Lindley]

We use what tools are available to us until our joy becomes too much work. Your struggle to join cabinet corners or faceframes will be endless without using biscuits, splines, dados or brads. A brad nailer is one of the most useful tools any shop will ever include! And now there are the "pin" nailers which make a very inperceptible hole to fill.

Biscuits are indepensible for alignment AND strength in many joints. Once you make your setup, everything stays in place while you clamp the pieces together. I use 1/8" tempered masonite splines in mating grooves cut on a table saw for 45 degree corners.

As for gluing, Less is More! You can control your squeeze out by using less than you think you should. A thin line of glue ( about 1/8") down the center of mating 3/4" pieces will cover both surfaces when mated under a little pressure. Experiment to see how little glue you can use and still coat both surfaces fully.

For cleaning up squeeze out, let the glue set until rubbery. A sharp chisel can be deftly used to slice it away from the surface. I feel this method is better than wiping wet glue with a damp rag, which disperses the glue into the surface pores even more. Good Luck!

[Bruce Page]

I think we all struggle with glue ups a little.
I use biscuits or pocket screws whenever possible. After I have everything clamped I use a dull putty knife and scoop up as much squeeze out as I can and then wipe the joint several times with a damp sponge rinsing it each time in warm water. I’m no finishing expert and don’t use a lot of fancy finishes but this method always works for me.

[David DeCristoforo]

Almost every time there is a "glue-up" thread the OP states something to the effect that "When trying to clamp the pieces together, the pieces slide and..." . And every time I offer this small bit of advice given to me many years ago. Get a little can of clean aquarium sand. After your glue is spread, drop a few grains of the sand into it. Your problems with the pieces slipping and sliding under clamping pressure will disappear.

[glenn bradley]

An old trick for preventing the slip-n-slide is to drive a small nail or brad into one surface and clip the head off leaving it proud a weak 1/16" in 2 or 3 locations. The clipped nail will keep the mating piece from sliding around.

[Charlie Plesums]

Like David, I occasionally use sand.

Through all the discussion of how to clean up the glue, nobody mentioned which type of glue! I use either Titebond Original (I) or Borden's Carpenter's glue because they can be cleaned up with water and elbow grease, even after they are dry. The more water resistant varieties are a problem to clean up if they spread into pores or end grain. How do you remove that mystery glue fingerprint that shows up just as you are applying the sealer...

[Joe Von Kaenel]

Thanks for all the replies. I use titebond III. I will give these suggestions a try and see which works best for me. I have a Brad nailer, Pocket screw kit which I used frequently. I'm not too comfortable with my Biscuit jointer, but will have to get it out and practice. I also have aquarium sand. Glad to hear I'm not the only one who struggles with glue ups.

Joe

[Fyrman Dave]

I wipe excess glue with a damp rag, then dip a toothbrush in water to remove any remaining residue. I just finished an oak bookcase and this method worked great even in oak pores. The only downside is that you get a bit of grain swell from the water which was easily sanded.

[George Farra]

I'm pretty much a newbie and this issue has haunted me. I'm glad to see I'm not alone and will have to give some of these suggestions a try.

I've often wondered though....does the type of clamp have anything to do with it? I'm using Jorgenson and Bessey Tradesman bar clamps. Would parallel clamps like Bessey K Body reduce or eliminate this problem?

Before reading this thread I always attributed the problem to the clamps as the heads do not stay parallel to each other as clamping pressure increases.

Thoughts?

TIA

George