Gluing panels of soft maple

[michael dilday]

I am making a bedroom suite for my daughter out of soft maple. Normally working with oak I just gluer up the panels, scrape the glue that pushes out of the joint then sand it off easily when I sand the panel. With the maple I glued up the panels for the dresser but the glue seems to have soaked into the wood and I am having to do a little more sanding creating ever so slight swales in the panel at the joints. It is hardly noticeable and I can sand the rest of the panel a little to even it out but how can I keep the glue from getting on the panel while doing glue ups? I considered running masking tape right up to the edge of the board.

[Paul F Franklin]

I often use tape to make clean-up easier. I use the green or yellow frog tape as I find it easier to apply straight and it removes cleanly without tearing. You can also apply non silicone wax to the areas you want to protect and then remove it with mineral spirits after glue up if you need to, depending on what finish you will be applying. Limit the amount of glue you apply so you only get a tiny bit of squeeze out also helps.

[John TenEyck]

Limit the amount of glue so that you just get a row of tiny beads along the clamped up edges. Those are easily and cleanly scraped off after the glue has gelled in 30 minutes or so. If you get a joint that has too much glue and it squeezes out all over the places, then wipe it off immediately with a wet rag. You'll have to deal with the resultant raised grain but the glue will be gone as long as you wipe it well.

John

[Jim Becker]

I do as John T mentions...scrape off any squeeze-out after about 30-40 minutes. I try to avoid wiping with a wet rag as sometimes that can force the glue into pores on some species, but if I do have to wipe, wet rag followed by another clean wet rag (paper towels actually) to try and get as much as possible.

You may also want to find a friend or local business that has a drum sander or wide belt to clean up the panels, but it needs to be minimal material being taken off if you've already cut any grooves for the panels to sit in.

[Richard Coers]

I assume you are watching TV woodworkers on glue ups. Those guys slather on the glue like they are being paid by glue manufacturers. Properly applied, you shouldn't get more than a 1/16" bead of glue at the joint. I wait about 5 minutes and then slide a sharp chisel under the glue line and it's like slicing cheese. No muss, no fuss. A single quick pass with a card scraper, and the joint should be seamless.

[Stewart Lang]

Michael,

What glue are you using? I use maple extensively in my shop, and I've never had glue "soak in" unless it's ultra thinned CA glue or something odd. For me, Titebond sits right on the surface and a quick sand cleans up all the glue lines on maple. I always worry a little more about oak or walnut, since the open pores could potentially allow some soaking in, but since maple is closed grain I love it for just that reason.